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Our kidneys, the body\u2019s most flawless purification plants, filter our blood many times a day and remove harmful toxins and excess fluid in the urine. However, due to various health problems, genetic factors or lifestyle habits, this flawless system can be damaged and the kidneys can start failing to do their job fully. In medical terms, this condition is called kidney failure<\/b>. Although it may seem like a worrying process for both patients and their relatives, it is possible to maintain a high quality of life with early diagnosis and the right treatment methods.<\/p>\n
In this comprehensive guide, we at REN-MED Dialysis focus on the questions we hear most often from our patients and clients. What are the signs that kidney function is declining, how does the process progress and, most importantly, when is it decided that a patient needs to start dialysis?<\/p>\n
Before moving on to the symptoms, understanding the source of the problem is very important for managing the process. The disease is clinically divided into two types:<\/p>\n
Acute Kidney Failure (AKI):<\/b> It usually develops suddenly within hours or days due to severe infections, excessive fluid loss (dehydration), blood loss, kidney stones or the use of toxic drugs that damage the kidneys. With correct and early intervention, the chance of kidney function returning completely is quite high.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Chronic Kidney Failure (CKD):<\/b> This is the slow, permanent loss of kidney function over months or years due to diabetes, hypertension (high blood pressure), kidney inflammation (glomerulonephritis) and genetic factors. It progresses insidiously and may not cause obvious complaints until the advanced stages.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n The kidneys have a very high reserve capacity. In other words, even when they are seriously damaged, they allow you to continue your daily routine. For this reason, chronic cases usually show no symptoms in the early stages. As the GFR (Glomerular Filtration Rate)<\/b>, which shows the kidneys\u2019 filtration rate, begins to fall and toxic substances such as urea and creatinine accumulate in the blood, the body begins to sound the alarm.<\/p>\n Here are the most common symptoms of kidney failure:<\/p>\n Changes in Urination Habits and Urine Color:<\/b> Waking up frequently at night to urinate, a visible decrease in the amount of urine or being unable to urinate are among the clearest warnings. In addition, foamy urine<\/b> due to protein leakage, or bloody or dark tea-colored urine, is a sign of serious kidney damage.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Swelling in the Body (Edema):<\/b> When the kidneys cannot remove excess fluid and salt from the body, noticeable swelling (edema) develops, helped by gravity, especially in the ankles, legs and hands, and around the eyes in the morning.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Persistent Fatigue and Weakness:<\/b> The kidneys secrete a hormone called \u201cerythropoietin\u201d that stimulates the production of red blood cells. When kidney function deteriorates, this hormone decreases and the patient develops severe anemia. Because not enough oxygen reaches the cells, constant exhaustion, lack of energy and drowsiness appear.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dry Skin and Severe Itching:<\/b> When the blood cannot be cleaned sufficiently, toxic waste such as phosphorus and urea builds up in the blood and causes rashes, dryness and itching severe enough to wake the patient from sleep.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Metallic Taste in the Mouth and Bad Breath:<\/b> When uremia (dangerously high levels of urea in the blood) develops, patients start to notice an ammonia-like bad smell in the mouth and a metallic taste in food. Loss of appetite and unexplained weight loss usually follow.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Nausea and Vomiting:<\/b> The build-up of toxins in the blood stimulates the vomiting center in the brain, leading to severe nausea and vomiting, especially in the morning.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Shortness of Breath:<\/b> Due to excess fluid that cannot be removed collecting in the lungs (pulmonary edema) or severe anemia, the patient may become breathless when climbing stairs or even when sitting.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Mental Fog and Muscle Cramps:<\/b> Reduced oxygen supply to the brain and a disturbed electrolyte balance in the blood (calcium, potassium and phosphorus) cause poor concentration, forgetfulness and painful muscle cramps, especially in the legs at night. High blood pressure also appears in this process as both a symptom of the disease and a factor that accelerates it.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n A nephrologist performs blood tests (especially the serum creatinine level<\/b>) and urine tests to evaluate kidney function. The eGFR value is calculated from these results.<\/p>\n Stages 1 and 2:<\/b> GFR is between 60 and 90+. There is mild kidney damage, but there are usually no symptoms. At this stage, controlling diabetes and blood pressure is vital.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Stage 3:<\/b> GFR is between 30 and 59. Kidney function is moderately reduced. Fatigue, mild edema and anemia gradually make themselves felt.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Stage 4:<\/b> GFR is between 15 and 29. There is serious kidney damage. Symptoms now make daily life difficult. The specialist begins preparing the patient for replacement therapies such as dialysis or kidney transplantation.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Stage 5 (End-Stage Kidney Failure):<\/b> GFR has fallen below 15. The kidneys can no longer work at a capacity that sustains life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n Dialysis is a life-saving medical treatment that artificially takes over the job of kidneys that have largely lost their function, cleansing the blood of excess fluid, salt and toxic waste. The decision on when a patient should start dialysis is very important and is never based on a single blood test.<\/p>\n The definitive medical conditions indicating that a patient needs dialysis are:<\/p>\n GFR Falling Below 15:<\/b> In end-stage kidney failure, called stage 5, dialysis becomes unavoidable once the kidneys\u2019 filtration capacity drops below a level compatible with life.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Critical Symptoms of Uremia:<\/b> When urea and creatinine levels rise rapidly and uncontrollably, causing severe nausea, vomiting, refusal of food, excessive weight loss (malnutrition), confusion, excessive sleepiness or urea-related inflammation of the membrane around the heart, emergency hemodialysis is started without delay.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Fluid Overload That Cannot Be Controlled with Medication (Severe Edema):<\/b> If excess fluid in the body cannot be removed by the kidneys despite strong diuretics and collects in the lungs, causing severe shortness of breath and a risk of heart failure, dialysis is the only physical solution.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Dangerous Electrolyte Disorders (Especially Potassium):<\/b> High potassium in the blood (hyperkalemia) can cause fatal heart rhythm disorders (arrhythmia). If the acid\u2013base balance of the blood is disturbed (acidosis) and cannot be corrected with diet or medication, emergency dialysis is the fastest life-saving intervention.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n Complete Stop in Urine Output:<\/b> Especially in acute kidney failure, a patient being unable to pass any urine for 12\u201324 hours (anuria) is a sign that urgent medical intervention and dialysis are needed.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n In light of these assessments, the decision to start dialysis is made individually for each patient by a nephrologist, combining the patient\u2019s overall clinical condition, nutritional status, severity of complaints and laboratory parameters.<\/p>\n Deciding to start dialysis can be an emotionally and psychologically challenging process for patients. However, it should not be forgotten that dialysis is not an end; it is the beginning of holding on to life again, more comfortably, free of toxins and with renewed energy. Thanks to advanced medical technology, hemodialysis treatment is now much more comfortable and safe.<\/p>\n In this challenging but necessary process, the equipment of the dialysis center you choose, its infection control standards, the quality of the dialyzers used and, most importantly, a friendly expert team directly affect the success of your treatment. Advanced water treatment systems and an experienced healthcare team that carefully monitors both the physical and psychological health of the patient at every session minimize side effects of dialysis such as cramps or low blood pressure.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Our kidneys, the body\u2019s most flawless purification plants, filter our blood many times a day and remove harmful toxins and excess fluid in the urine. However, due to various health problems, genetic factors or lifestyle habits, this flawless system can be damaged and the kidneys can start failing to do their job fully. In medical […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":38,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-866","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-articles-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=866"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":872,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/866\/revisions\/872"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/38"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=866"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=866"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/renmed.digitusajans.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=866"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Are the Most Common Symptoms of Kidney Failure?<\/h2>\n
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What Are the Stages of Kidney Failure?<\/h2>\n
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When Is Dialysis Needed? How Is the Decision Made?<\/h2>\n
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Transition to Dialysis: A New, Good-Quality Life<\/h2>\n