How to Diagnose Kidney Failure
2013-08-29 14:52
How to diagnose kidney failure? Every one has two bean-shaped kidneys, and kidneys play a key role in the body. Kidneys can filter our blood, produce urine and keep the balance of water. Kidneys also expel metabolic products and toxins, as well as regulate the electrolyte and acid-base balance and so on. When our kidneys are damaged, kidneys can not work effectively. Well then, how do we know if we are suffering from kidney failure?
When kidneys are injured severely, kidney function decreases, which can cause various clinical manifestations. The followings are the common symptoms caused by kidney failure. When one found he is experiencing most of these discomforts, he should be alert about his kidneys.
* Edema around eyelid, in the face or limbs
* High blood pressure
* Foamy urine or blood urine
* Fatigue or tiredness
* Poor appetite
* Poor sleeping
* Frequent urination at night
* Lower back pain
If we suffer from these symptoms, we can roughly judge if we have kidney failure. Of course, it is not accurate to diagnose kidney failure with symptoms. To have an accurate diagnosis, medical tests are necessary.
Blood test: the simplest way of analyses kidney function is to obtain blood test for blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine. These two substances are metabolic waste products which are excreted by our kidneys in normal condition. If patients have kidney failure, the levels of blood urea nitrogen and creatinine will be higher than normal levels.
Urine test: With urine test, we can know well whether there are excess protein and red blood cells in urine. Proteinuria and hematuria are common among kidney failure patients and they appear when kidneys fail to preserve protein and red blood cells in the body.
Imaging test: with the development of technology, various imaging tests like Ultrasound, IVP, CAT scan and MRI can provide useful information about whether our kidneys are damaged.
Kidney biopsy: it is a procedure in which a small piece of kidney is removed from the body for examination. Then the doctors analyze the condition of your kidney.
A timely diagnosis of kidney failure is very essential for patients to have a relatively higher quality life or a better life expectancy. Therefore, knowing how to diagnose kidney failure is very necessary for people who are running high risk for kidney problem.
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