Kidney Diseases: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment Methods

The kidneys are the silent heroes of our bodies. Losing the function of these vital organs, which filter blood to remove waste, maintain fluid balance, and regulate blood pressure, leads to serious health problems. Kidney diseases often progress in their early stages without causing noticeable complaints. Therefore, regular check-ups and the correct interpretation of symptoms are of great importance for kidney health. Treatment approaches, which vary according to the type and stage of the disease, aim to improve patients' quality of life and prevent permanent organ damage.

• The kidneys filter about 200 liters of blood a day, removing waste from the body through urine.
• Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common underlying causes of kidney damage.
• Early diagnosis is the most powerful weapon in stopping the progression of the disease.
• Treatment options include lifestyle changes, medications, dialysis, and organ transplantation.

What Are Kidney Diseases?

Kidney diseases occur when the kidneys partially or completely lose their essential functions, such as filtering blood, balancing minerals, and producing hormones. Excess fluid and toxins accumulating in the body eventually begin to negatively affect other organ systems. The speed and permanence of the damage to the kidney tissue determine whether the disease is classified as acute or chronic. While these conditions can be seen in all age groups, they are more frequently encountered in older adults and individuals with chronic systemic diseases.

Acute Kidney Failure

Acute kidney failure is the sudden deterioration of kidney function within a very short period, such as hours or days. It usually occurs as a result of a severe infection, heavy fluid loss, a sudden decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, or the use of certain medications that harm the kidneys. When intervened early, it is often a reversible condition. It is vital for the patient to receive inpatient hospital treatment, ensure fluid balance, and quickly eliminate the underlying cause.

Chronic Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure is a condition where kidney functions slowly and irreversibly decline over months or years. The disease is generally examined in five stages and produces almost no symptoms in the initial stages. When the kidneys' filtering capacity (GFR) drops below a certain level, harmful substances like urea and creatinine begin to accumulate in the blood. Once the final stage is reached, renal replacement therapies such as dialysis or a kidney transplant are required for the patient to survive.

Other Common Kidney Diseases

It is a common condition for minerals that should normally be excreted in the urine to accumulate and form stones within the kidney channels. When stones cause symptoms or damage the kidney, kidney stone treatment is applied using methods such as extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (breaking stones with sound waves from the outside), ureteroscopy (entering through the urinary tract and breaking stones with a laser), or percutaneous surgery. For more detailed information about changes in urine color and stone formation, you can review our article titled Ways to Prevent Kidney Stone Pain and Urine Color.

The formation of fluid-filled sacs in the kidney is called kidney cysts. These cysts, the frequency of which increases with age, are usually benign but can cause pain when they grow very large. Kidney cancers, on the other hand, are malignant tumors that carry vital risks if not intervened in time; smoking is the biggest risk factor. In addition, acute pyelonephritis, a microbial inflammatory disease, and amyloidosis, characterized by protein accumulation around cells, are other important diseases that threaten kidney function.

Causes and Risk Factors

Many different factors play a role in the emergence of kidney diseases. The two most common causes are uncontrolled diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). While high blood sugar damages the small filtering units (nephrons) in the kidneys, high blood pressure increases the pressure in the kidney vessels, disrupting the vascular structure. People with a family history of kidney disease are at a higher genetic risk.

Excess weight and obesity increase the workload of the kidneys, paving the way for damage over time. Smoking slows down the blood flow to the kidneys and significantly increases the risk of kidney cancer. Furthermore, the unconscious and long-term use of painkillers, recurrent urinary tract infections, blockages in the urinary tract caused by kidney stones, and advanced age are among the other important risk factors that invite kidney diseases.

What Are the Symptoms of Kidney Diseases?

When the kidneys begin to sustain damage, the body tries to signal the situation. However, symptoms of kidney diseases generally become more pronounced as the disease progresses. In the early period, there may be no complaints other than a mild feeling of fatigue. As the disease progresses, edema (swelling) appears, especially in the eyelids, ankles, and legs, due to fluid accumulation in the body.

Changes in urination habits are also a highly critical indicator. Darkening of the urine color, bloody urine, foamy urine, or the need to urinate frequently at night indicate that the kidneys cannot fully perform their filtering duty. In addition to these, unexplained severe weakness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dry skin and persistent itching, shortness of breath, and severe lower back or flank pain that typically starts below the ribs and spreads toward the groin are common symptoms.

How Are Kidney Diseases Diagnosed?

When you apply to a healthcare institution with your complaints, your specialist physician will first take a detailed medical history and perform a physical examination for the diagnosis of kidney diseases. Then, certain laboratory and imaging tests are requested to evaluate kidney functions. Blood tests are the most important pillar of diagnosis; the kidneys' filtration rate (GFR) is calculated by measuring the levels of creatinine and urea (BUN) accumulating in the blood.

Urine tests (complete urinalysis) show whether there is protein leakage, blood cells, or signs of infection in the urine. When necessary, the patient is asked to collect a 24-hour urine sample to accurately measure the kidneys' daily protein excretion. Imaging methods such as ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are used to detect structural abnormalities, cysts, tumors, or stones. In some special cases where a definitive diagnosis cannot be made, a small tissue sample is taken from the kidney with the help of a fine needle and sent for pathological examination (kidney biopsy).

What Are the Treatment Methods for Kidney Diseases?

Depending on the stage of the disease and the underlying cause, kidney failure treatment varies. The main goal of treatment is to slow the progression of the disease, alleviate symptoms, and prevent possible complications. While lifestyle changes and medication treatments are at the forefront in the early stages, renal replacement therapies become mandatory in the advanced stages.

• Medication Therapy: To slow down kidney damage, medications that keep blood pressure and blood sugar levels under control are prescribed first. Diuretics are used to remove edema from the body, hormone supplements that stimulate blood production are used if anemia has developed, and Vitamin D along with calcium-binding drugs are used to protect bone health.
• Dialysis: When the kidneys are damaged to the extent that they cannot fulfill their duty of cleaning the blood (end-stage renal disease), dialysis treatment is initiated. There are options for hemodialysis, where the blood is cleaned outside the body with the help of a machine, or peritoneal dialysis, where wastes are cleaned through a special fluid introduced into the abdominal cavity.
• Kidney Transplant: This is the surgical transplantation of a healthy kidney taken from a suitable living donor or a cadaver to the patient. A successful transplant significantly increases the quality of life by freeing the patient from dialysis dependence. After the transplant, lifelong immunosuppressive drugs must be used so that the body does not reject the new organ.

Complications and Risk Groups

The deterioration of kidney functions directly affects other systems of the body, leading to serious complications. Resistant hypertension, heart failure, and vascular occlusions developing due to fluid and sodium retention are the most common cardiovascular problems. The kidneys' inability to produce enough erythropoietin hormone causes severe anemia, while the disruption of the calcium and phosphorus balance leads to osteoporosis and fractures.

In addition, long-term diabetes and hypertension accompanying kidney failure can damage the capillaries in the eye, leading to serious vision loss such as diabetic or hypertensive retinopathy. At this point, by working in coordination with our hospital's Eye Diseases (Ophthalmology) department, retinal screenings of our patients are regularly performed, and their eye health is secured.

When to See a Doctor?

Because kidney diseases can progress silently, people in the risk group (diabetes and hypertension patients, and those with a family history of kidney disease) should have routine blood and urine tests at least once a year. However, in some emergency situations, you should apply to a healthcare institution without wasting time. You must definitely see a urology or nephrology specialist in cases of a sudden and significant decrease in urine output, visible bleeding in the urine, or extreme weakness developing alongside severe nausea and vomiting.

If you are experiencing shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, suddenly developing widespread and severe swelling in the body (especially in the face and legs), or unbearable flank and back pain, this may indicate an acute kidney crisis or a serious heart-lung complication. In such a scenario, you should immediately call the 112 emergency call center or apply to the emergency room of the nearest hospital.

The Process at BHT CLINIC

At BHT CLINIC İstanbul Tema Hastanesi, the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases are meticulously carried out with the multidisciplinary approach of our Urology and Nephrology departments. From the moment you apply to our hospital, your diagnostic process is completed quickly and reliably thanks to our advanced technology laboratories and imaging centers. Your personalized treatment plan is created by our expert physician staff in light of current medical guidelines.

All treatments, from kidney stone breaking procedures to laparoscopic surgeries and dialysis processes, are performed keeping patient comfort at the forefront. In unexpected situations or when you encounter severe pain, our 24/7 emergency service and experienced healthcare team are always by your side. On the day of your appointment, having your old test results and a list of the medications you use with you will speed up the diagnostic process. For detailed information and examination, you can visit our appointment page.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does kidney pain radiate?

Kidney pain usually starts in the lower back, just below the ribs, and spreads to the sides. Depending on the source of the problem (e.g., a kidney stone), this pain can descend to the groin, lower abdomen, and even the inner thighs. The answer to the question of what causes kidney pain is mostly the pressure exerted on the kidney capsule by stones, infections, or cysts.

How should kidney patients eat?

The nutrition program for kidney patients should be planned individually accompanied by a dietitian according to the stage of the disease. As a general rule, salt (sodium) consumption should be restricted, and protein intake should be controlled so as not to overwork the kidneys. In advanced stages, the consumption of foods containing potassium (bananas, tomatoes, etc.) and phosphorus (dairy products, nuts), which have a risk of accumulating in the blood, is also limited.

What do changes in urine color mean?

Healthy urine should be pale yellow and clear. Urine that is the color of tea or cola can indicate bleeding, excessively foamy urine can indicate protein leakage, and cloudy, foul-smelling urine can indicate an infection. Insufficient water consumption also darkens the urine color; however, if the color does not return to normal despite drinking plenty of water, a physician should be consulted.

Does drinking too much water tire the kidneys?

In healthy individuals, drinking an adequate amount of water facilitates the filtering function of the kidneys and prevents stone formation. However, in patients with advanced-stage kidney failure and decreased urine output, excessive water consumption can lead to edema in the body and fluid accumulation in the lungs. Therefore, the amount of water consumption must be adjusted according to the physician's recommendation.

This article is for informational purposes only; please be sure to consult your physician for diagnosis and treatment.