Acute renal failure symptoms

Renal failure is actually kidney failure, the condition when the kidneys suddenly lose their function. The kidneys are two bean-like organs, which are part of the urinary or excretory system. They have several vital functions in the body and thus their health is very important. However, due to various reasons they stop working properly, renal failure will occur. Renal failure can be acute or chronic. Acute renal failure, also called acute kidney injury, is marked by fast progression but it is a curable condition. On the other side, chronic renal failure, also called chronic kidney disease, is characterized by slow progression and it cannot be cured.

Acute renal failure

In most cases, acute renal failure is caused by an injury or accident in which the kidneys are affected. Furthermore, this condition may occur due to reduced blood supply or due to drug or toxic overdose. Sometimes, even excessive consumption of antibiotics can lead to the occurrence of acute renal failure.

There are two kinds of acute renal failure: prerenal acute renal failure and postrenal acute renal failure. Prerenal acute renal failure is more frequent and it occurs when the kidneys do not receive sufficient amounts of oxygenated blood. On the other side, postrenal acute renal failure happens when the urinary tract is obstructed or blocked which results in the waste accumulation in the kidneys.

Symptoms of acute renal failure

It is very difficult to notice the symptoms of this condition. In most cases, it is early diagnosed only when the patients are previously hospitalized for some other health problems that are associated with the kidneys.

However, when the symptoms appear, they can differ from person to person. The most common ones are small urine production, pain in the abdomen, loss of appetite, rapid heart rate and swollen legs and feet. Furthermore, people who suffer from acute renal failure may also experience dryness of mouth, lethargy, anxiety and fatigue. Nausea, vomiting and dizziness are also some of the symptoms of this condition. The most common symptoms of progressed acute renal failure are blood in urine, seizures and even coma.

Treatment of acute renal failure

The treatment of this condition involves finding out the responsible cause for the acute renal failure, with a blood or urine test then, after diagnosis, it is usually treated with medications.