What are the Causes Of Chronic Kidney Diseases?

Kidneys help you keep alive and kicking. You can go a day without meat but we can't really say the same for your Kidney! Keep your diet clean and Kidney cleaner.

Kidneys are essential to having a healthy body. Their main duty is to filter waste products, excess water, and other impurities out of the blood. The kidneys even activate a form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium. Health issues like high blood pressure, diabetics can be the causes of chronic kidney diseases.

● Kidney disease approximately affects 15% of adults. It occurs when your kidneys get damaged and can't perform their functions

● Kidney disease can lead to other health problems including weak bones, malnutrition, and nerve damage

● If the disease gets worse, your kidneys may stop working completely

● In such cases, dialysis will be required, it is a treatment that filters and purifies the blood using a machine

● It can't cure your disease, but it can prolong your lifespan

Different Types Of Kidney Diseases

Though the causes behind kidney damage can be the same, the intensity of the disease depends on the percentage of your kidneys damaged. Here is a list of various kidney disorders

● Chronic Kidney Disease: It is the most common form of kidney disease. It is a long-term condition and doesn't improve over time. Kidney functions will eventually deteriorate and dialysis or a kidney transplant may be required based on the damage.

● Kidney Stones: This is another common kidney problem. Minerals and other substances in the blood crystallize in the kidneys, forming solid masses known as stones.

● Polycystic Kidney Disease: It is a genetic disorder that causes numerous cysts, to grow in the kidneys. These cysts can interfere with kidney function and cause kidney failure.

● Glomerulonephritis: It is the inflammation of the glomeruli (extremely small structures inside the kidney that filter the blood). It often gets better on its own.

Causes Of Kidney Diseases

Now, that we have a brief about various kidney disorders, here are the causes of chronic kidney diseases

● Diabetes: It is a major cause of chronic kidney disease. Diabetes is a health condition that leads to an increase in blood sugar. This increased level of sugar in the blood damages the blood vessels in the kidneys, over time. This means the kidneys can purify the blood properly leading to kidney failure. Diabetes contributes to 44% of kidney failure cases every year

● High blood pressure: High blood pressure is very dangerous for the kidneys and is one of the primary causes of chronic kidney diseases. It increases the pressure on glomeruli ( the tiny blood vessels present in the kidney ). Over time, the increased blood pressure leads to declined kidney functions. 1 of 3 adults having high blood pressure are likely to have a kidney disease

● Acute kidney injury: Sometimes, the kidneys may stop working very suddenly. This type of kidney failure is called acute kidney injury or acute renal failure. Urinary tract problems, autoimmune diseases like lupus, heart attack, drug usage, not enough blood flowing into the kidneys can be the cause of chronic kidney disease. Though this type of failure is not always permanent, it can affect your immune system

Having one of the health problems that can lead to kidney failure, doesn't necessarily mean that you will have kidney failure. In most cases, not having adequate amounts of water, alcoholism can also be the cause of chronic kidney diseases. Hence, it is important to live a healthy lifestyle and focus on your diet, in case you have any of the above-mentioned diseases, working with your doctor to control these health problems will keep your kidneys healthy.

Source - The Odyssey Online