Contents:
- Medical Video: Symptoms of Kidney Disease
- How does kidney failure affect the skin?
- How does kidney failure affect bone?
- How does kidney failure affect the joints?
Medical Video: Symptoms of Kidney Disease
When the kidneys stop working, most people then have conditions that affect blood, bones, nerves, and skin. Apart from fatigue, loss of appetite, and leg cramps, some common problems caused by kidney failure are itching, sleep problems, restless legs, weak bones, joint problems, and depression.
How does kidney failure affect the skin?
Many people who do treatment with hemodialysis complain of itchy skin, usually on the back, chest, head or limbs. Itching often feels worse during or after dialysis treatment because waste products that are not removed from the blood during dialysis.
The problem can also be caused by the inability of the kidneys to balance the levels of mineral calcium and phosphorus in the blood. Affecting low blood calcium levels triggers four pea-sized glands in the neck, called the parathyroid gland, to release parathyroid hormone, which draws calcium from the spine into the blood. High levels of parathyroid hormone can cause itching. Some people feel better after most of their four parathyroid glands are removed. As long as one parathyroid gland remains in the body, and can regulate the balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood.
Damaged kidneys cause phosphorus to accumulate in the blood, which can also cause itching. Often, drugs called phosphate binders - such as calcium carbonate (Tums), calcium acetate (PhosLo), sevelamer hydrochloride (Renagel), or lanthanum carbonate (FOSRENOL) - are prescribed with foods and snacks to bind phosphorus in the intestine, reducing absorption to in the blood. The low levels of phosphorus in the blood produced from this drug seem to relieve the itching for some people. Reducing phosphorus intake can also help.
Many people feel the itching subsides after being exposed to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light can be absorbed only by spending time in the sun or near a light box, a therapeutic device that uses several fluorescent lights. But others chose to increase with EPO injections. Some antihistamines, such as diphenhydramine (Benadryl) and hydroxyzine (Atarax, Vistaril), have been known to help. You should consult with a health care provider before starting therapy that includes over-the-counter drugs.
The cure for itching that works against everyone has not been found. In some situations, health care providers may refer you to a dermatologist, a doctor who treats people with skin problems.
How does kidney failure affect bone?
Kidney failure weakens bones because of a condition called chronic kidney disease - a mineral and bone disorder. As discussed in the previous section, kidney failure can eliminate the balance of calcium and phosphorus in the blood, causing the parathyroid gland to produce too much parathyroid hormone. High levels of parathyroid hormone attract calcium from the bones into the blood, making bones not have enough calcium. Chronic kidney disease - mineral and bone disorders illustrate the imbalance of calcium and phosphorus and how this imbalance weakens bones. This condition affects 90 percent of dialysis patients, both children and adults, which causes bones to become thin, weak, or deformed.
Symptoms can be seen in the growth of children with kidney disease before they even start dialysis. Older patients and women who have gone through menopause have a greater risk for this disorder. Controlling parathyroid hormone levels can prevent bone damage. Usually, overactive parathyroid glands can be controlled by adjustments in dialysis treatment, medications, or changes in the diet. In some cases, removal of part of the parathyroid gland may be useful. Reducing phosphorus food intake can also help prevent bone disease.
How does kidney failure affect the joints?
Kidney failure can cause pain, stiffness, and fluid in the joints, points where two or more bones meet together. These symptoms are the result of amyloidosis, a condition in which abnormal proteins in the blood called amyloid are deposited in tissues and organs, including joints and tendons (hard tissue that connects muscles to bones). Healthy kidneys filter amyloid protein out of the blood, but dialysis filters are not as efficient as the kidneys in removing amyloids. Dialysis associated with amyloidosis is common in people who have been on dialysis for more than 5 years. There is no treatment to cure amyloidosis, although a successful kidney transplant can stop the disease from developing. Health care providers can advise people about the best ways to get rid of this pain.
