What should I do about edema from chronic renal failure?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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Chronic renal failure often leads to edema, which is a common symptom associated with the decreased ability of the kidneys to excrete water, resulting in significant water retention in the body. There are two treatment options for this disease. First, medication can be used, typically diuretics such as loop diuretics. After administration, the patient's urine output increases, which can help reduce edema. Second, for patients who do not respond well to medication, and in cases where edema leads to heart failure or pulmonary edema, dialysis treatment may be considered. Through dialysis ultrafiltration and dehydration, edema can also be alleviated.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Chronic renal failure inevitably has symptoms.

Patients with chronic kidney failure do not necessarily have symptoms, and the symptoms of each patient are not exactly the same. Chronic kidney failure refers to the damage to the kidneys by various chronic kidney diseases, eventually leading to the kidneys' inability to adequately excrete metabolic waste, causing the accumulation of water and metabolic waste in the body. This leads to disturbances in the patient's electrolytes and may also present clinical symptoms such as anemia and hypertension. However, not all patients feel discomfort, so chronic kidney failure is also known as the silent killer. If a patient undergoes a blood test, it will show an increase in blood creatinine and urea nitrogen, which is the only common feature among all patients with chronic kidney failure.

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Written by Wang Fei Long
Nephrology
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Chronic Renal Failure Replacement Therapy

Chronic kidney failure is the irreversible loss of nephron units and kidney function caused by the progressive progression of chronic kidney disease, leading to a clinical syndrome characterized by the retention of metabolic products and toxins, disturbances in electrolyte and acid-base balance, and endocrine disorders. Chronic kidney failure often progresses to end-stage kidney disease, and the late stage of chronic kidney failure is called the uremic stage. After entering the uremic stage, renal replacement therapy is often required, with the main methods being hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can chronic renal failure be cured by dialysis?

Patients with chronic renal failure can undergo dialysis treatment to sustain life and improve quality of life. However, dialysis merely uses artificial means to excrete accumulated metabolic wastes and fluids in the body, regulate the internal environment, and simply substitutes for the function of the kidneys. Dialysis has no therapeutic value for renal failure itself. Therefore, patients with chronic renal failure should not expect dialysis to restore kidney function. Nonetheless, as a renal replacement therapy, dialysis can provide patients with a relatively good lifespan and quality of life. Dialysis treatment is necessary for patients with uremia.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Chronic Kidney Failure Various Indicators

In patients with chronic kidney failure, the primary indicator to observe is obviously kidney function. It is essential to regularly monitor the patient's blood creatinine and urea nitrogen levels, which are generally required to be tested every 1 to 3 months when chronic kidney failure is stable. Additionally, urine output should be monitored. If there is a decrease in urine output and swelling occurs, it may indicate that the patient's kidney function is continuously deteriorating. A complete blood count should also be checked to observe changes in the patient's anemia status. Chronic kidney failure often causes hypertension, so blood pressure monitoring is also necessary for these patients. Electrolyte monitoring is important as kidney failure can lead to disturbances in calcium and phosphorus metabolism and subsequent secondary hyperparathyroidism. Therefore, the levels of calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone also need to be tested.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can chronic renal failure become pregnant?

Although patients with renal failure are not absolutely unable to become pregnant, pregnancy is ultimately a burden on the kidneys. Pregnant patients with renal failure may experience further deterioration of kidney function and may face numerous complications during pregnancy, such as heart failure, severe anemia, etc., which may pose some risks. However, there are still very rare case reports, including successful pregnancies in patients on dialysis for uremia, but the probability of this is extremely small, and the risks involved are too great. Generally speaking, it is not recommended for female patients with chronic renal failure to become pregnant.