Acute Kidney Disease Specialist

What is acute kidney disease?

Acute kidney disease, also called acute kidney failure, is a life-threatening complication that develops rapidly. Your kidneys are suddenly unable to perform their main function of filtering your blood of excess fluid, salt, and waste. 

As a result of kidney failure, waste products accumulate in your blood and can damage your other vital organs. You can develop dangerous imbalances among electrolytes and nutrients, which can be fatal without prompt treatment. 

Acute kidney disease is especially common among people who are already in the hospital and critically ill. Thankfully, with the right treatment, it’s often reversible in otherwise healthy individuals. 

What are the symptoms of acute kidney disease?

One of the most worrying aspects of acute kidney disease is that it can come without other symptoms. In some cases, physicians detect it during lab tests for other purposes. When symptoms do occur, they can include:

• Nausea
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Weakness
• Irregular heart rate
• Trouble breathing
• Leg and foot swelling from fluid retention
• Seizures
• Coma
  
  

If you’re not already in the hospital, you need to seek immediate care when experiencing symptoms of acute kidney disease. 

What causes acute kidney disease?

Acute kidney disease has several possible causes related to the function of your kidneys or the general state of your health. You might get it because of:

• Severe dehydration
• Urinary tract obstruction
• Interstitial nephritis
• Acute nephritic syndrome
• Acute tubular necrosis
• Septic shock
• Surgery
  
  

If he suspects acute kidney disease, Dr. Cristea performs a series of tests, like measuring your urinary output, blood tests, and urinalysis. 

How is acute kidney disease treated?

The most important part of acute kidney disease treatment is addressing the underlying cause of your kidney disease. Acute kidney disease often comes from other kidney diseases and forms of malfunction, and treating them may restore function to your kidneys when they fail. 

Your course of treatment at Kidney Health Specialists might involve:

• Dialysis
• Medications to adjust your electrolytes
• Intravenous fluids
• A hospital stay
  
  

Dr. Cristea might also recommend dietary adjustments like limiting potassium and avoiding foods with added salt to improve your treatment outcome. 

Symptoms of acute kidney disease shouldn’t be ignored. To book an appointment, call Kidney Health Specialists or book online today.