What are the symptoms of chronic kidney failure?

Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
Updated on September 04, 2024
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The symptoms of chronic kidney failure are related to the severity of the condition; the more severe the kidney failure, the more symptoms the patient will have. In the early stages, patients may not feel uncomfortable or show any symptoms. Some patients may experience swelling in the lower limbs and facial area. Others may display clinical signs such as elevated blood pressure and visible blood in the urine. As kidney failure progresses and blood creatinine levels exceed 442 umol/L, patients may experience fatigue, which is due to renal anemia. Some patients may also experience a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.

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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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Is Stage 2 Chronic Kidney Failure serious?

In clinical practice, chronic renal failure is not divided into stages 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, but chronic kidney disease does have a stage 2. Stage 2 chronic kidney disease refers to a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) between 60 to 90 milliliters per minute. This stage indicates that the patient's kidney function has already been somewhat impacted since the normal GFR is approximately 100-120 milliliters per minute. Patients in stage 2 of chronic kidney disease may experience certain complications such as hypertension, proteinuria, and electrolyte imbalances, and the condition is considered relatively serious. The azotemic phase of chronic renal failure may correspond to stage 2 of chronic kidney disease, and the condition can be serious, requiring regular follow-ups. Although this stage may not involve severe complications requiring dialysis, it is crucial for patients to pay close attention, undergo regular check-ups and monitoring, address the primary disease, and slow the progression of renal failure.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can people with chronic renal failure eat mutton?

Patients with chronic kidney failure can eat mutton. Although these patients have reduced ability to excrete metabolic waste due to kidney failure, and the body's metabolic wastes are mainly due to the products of protein metabolism, in reality, patients with chronic kidney failure need to control their protein intake in their diet to avoid excessive protein intake leading to the overproduction of metabolic wastes. This would increase the excretory burden on the kidneys, and protein can also increase the excretion of urinary protein in patients. The daily protein intake for these patients should be controlled at less than 80% of that for normal people, with animal proteins making up more than 50% of this intake. Since mutton is an animal protein, patients with chronic kidney failure can eat mutton, but they should not eat too much.

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Written by Wu Ji
Nephrology
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Symptoms of chronic renal failure

The clinical symptoms of chronic renal failure vary at different stages. In the compensatory and early decompensatory stages of chronic renal failure, patients may experience no symptoms or only mild discomforts such as fatigue, back pain, and increased nocturia, while a few may suffer from reduced appetite, metabolic acidosis, and mild anemia. The main clinical symptoms include disorders of water, electrolyte, and acid-base balance, presenting metabolic acidosis, sodium retention or hypovolemia, or hyponatremia, along with hyperkalemia. Moreover, there are significant manifestations of excess phosphorus and calcium deficiency. Patients may also experience disruptions in the metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins. Cardiovascular symptoms mainly include hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, heart failure, and uremic cardiomyopathy. Gastrointestinal symptoms can manifest as loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Hematological manifestations may include renal anemia and a tendency to bleed.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
45sec home-news-image

What are the symptoms of chronic kidney failure?

The symptoms of chronic kidney failure are related to the severity of the condition; the more severe the kidney failure, the more symptoms the patient will have. In the early stages, patients may not feel uncomfortable or show any symptoms. Some patients may experience swelling in the lower limbs and facial area. Others may display clinical signs such as elevated blood pressure and visible blood in the urine. As kidney failure progresses and blood creatinine levels exceed 442 umol/L, patients may experience fatigue, which is due to renal anemia. Some patients may also experience a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and other gastrointestinal symptoms.