Overview
Kidney failure happens when the kidneys are not able to remove enough waste and extra fluid from the blood. The kidneys also help control blood pressure, support red blood cell production, and keep minerals such as potassium and sodium in balance. Kidney failure may happen quickly over hours to days, or it may develop slowly over months to years.
Key Symptoms
Symptoms can include swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, or face, tiredness, weakness, poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, itchy skin, muscle cramps, and trouble concentrating. Some people notice less urine, foamy urine, blood in the urine, or needing to urinate more often at night. Shortness of breath can happen if extra fluid builds up in the body.
Causes and Risk Factors
Long-term kidney failure is often linked to diabetes and high blood pressure. Other causes include kidney inflammation, inherited kidney diseases, repeated kidney infections, blocked urine flow from stones or an enlarged prostate, severe dehydration, major blood loss, certain medicines, and severe infections. Risk is higher in older adults and in people with heart disease, obesity, or a family history of kidney disease.
Who Is Affected
Kidney failure can affect children and adults, but it is more common in older people and in those with chronic health conditions. People who have limited access to regular healthcare may be diagnosed later, when kidney damage is more advanced. Rates and causes vary across countries because of differences in diabetes, blood pressure control, infections, and access to treatment.
Prevention
Managing diabetes and high blood pressure can lower the chance of chronic kidney damage. Drinking enough fluids during illness, treating infections promptly, and avoiding harmful misuse of medicines or toxins may help reduce some causes of sudden kidney injury. Regular health checks are important for people at higher risk, especially if they already have diabetes, high blood pressure, or known kidney disease.
Diagnosis and Tests
Healthcare professionals usually use blood tests to measure kidney function and mineral balance, and urine tests to look for protein, blood, or signs of infection. Blood pressure checks, imaging tests such as ultrasound, and a review of medicines and medical history are also common. In some cases, more specialized tests are needed to find the cause.
Treatment Categories
Treatment depends on the cause, how quickly the problem developed, and how severe it is. Care may include treating infections, stopping or changing medicines that may harm the kidneys, managing blood pressure and blood sugar, removing a blockage, and correcting fluid or mineral problems. Advanced kidney failure may require dialysis, and some people may be evaluated for a kidney transplant.
Living With It
Living with kidney failure often involves regular follow-up, repeated blood tests, and careful management of other conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Treatment can affect daily routines, work, travel, and emotional wellbeing. Support from family, community resources, and healthcare teams can help people adjust and plan for long-term care.
Diet and Lifestyle
Diet advice should be individualized because needs can differ based on the stage of kidney disease and whether dialysis is used. A healthcare professional may advise changes related to salt, fluids, potassium, phosphorus, or protein. Avoiding tobacco, limiting alcohol if used, staying physically active as able, and keeping follow-up appointments can support overall health.
When It May Be an Emergency
Urgent care is needed for severe shortness of breath, chest pain, confusion, fainting, seizures, inability to pass urine, or sudden major swelling. Emergency evaluation is also important for severe dehydration, suspected poisoning, or signs of serious infection such as fever with shaking chills and worsening weakness. These problems can happen with sudden kidney failure or severe worsening of chronic kidney disease.