Effects of Polycystic Kidney Disease on Kidneys

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD or PCKD, also known as polycystic kidney syndrome) is a cystic genetic disorder of the kidneys.There are two types of PKD: Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD) and the less-common Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD).It occurs in humans and some other animals. PKD is characterized by the presence of multiple cysts (hence, "polycystic") in typically in both kidneys; however 17% of cases initially present with observable disease in one kidney, with most cases progressing to bilateral disease in adulthood. The cysts are numerous and are fluid-filled, resulting in massive enlargement of the kidneys. The disease can also damage the liver, pancreas and, in some rare cases, the heart and brain. The two major forms of polycystic kidney disease are distinguished by their patterns of inheritance.
Which kind of EFFECTS will polycystic kidney disease cause on kidneys? Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) often leads to progressive kidney (renal) failure, due in part to continued enlargement of the cysts. Other effects on the kidney can occur, and include high blood pressure, kidney infection, blood in the urine (hematuria), and kidney stones. Flank and abdominal pain due can also occur.
Risk factors — The risk of developing chronic kidney disease (a precursor to end-stage renal disease) in ADPKD depends upon a number of risk factors. Factors that increase the risk include a younger age at diagnosis, being male, having PKD1, having frequent episodes of visible blood in the urine, high blood pressure, and larger kidney size. Having more than one risk factor further increases the risk of worsening kidney disease in both men and women.
Kidney failure — Kidney (renal) failure severe enough to require dialysis or kidney transplantation is called end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Although ADPKD can lead to ESRD in early childhood, it most commonly occurs in middle age or later in life. The likelihood of requiring dialysis in people with ADPKD is estimated at less than 2 percent in people under age of 40, increasing to 50 to 75 percent by age 70 to 75. Kidney failure does not occur in all patients with ADPKD.
Blood in the urine — Hematuria (blood in the urine) occurs in 35 to 50 percent of people with ADPKD and may be the first sign of the disease. With hematuria, the urine may be a pink or red color. Repeated episodes of hematuria are common.
Hematuria is usually caused by bleeding into a cyst due to rupture of the cyst, which can occur as a result of a urinary tract infection or strenuous activity; bleeding can cause pain in the side of the low back (called flank pain). Patients with ADPKD can also develop kidney stones, which can cause hematuria and flank pain.
Hematuria related to bleeding cysts generally stops within two to seven days. The usual treatment includes bed rest and increasing fluids until the bleeding stops. If bleeding does not stop with bed rest and increased fluids, a procedure to stop the bleeding may be required.
High blood pressure — High blood pressure is a common feature of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), occurring in 60 to 70 percent of people. It is often diagnosed early in the course of the disease, before there are any signs of kidney failure.
Kidney infection — Approximately 30 to 50 percent of people with ADPKD will have one or more kidney infections during their lifetime.
The primary symptoms of a kidney infection in people with ADPKD are fever and flank pain. The infection may be of the kidney or of a cyst. Not all antibiotics work well if the infection is in the cyst. Since it is not easy to tell where the infection is, most physicians will use an oral antibiotic that can penetrate the cysts. Some people with high fevers or severe symptoms need to be treated with intravenous antibiotics.
Flank and abdominal pain — People with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) often get flank and abdominal pain that is not related to infection, bleeding into a cyst, or a kidney stone. The pain is often dull and persistent and is thought to be caused by stretching of the wall of a cyst or pressure on other organs when the kidneys and/or liver are very large. In contrast, pain that begins suddenly is more likely to be caused by bleeding into or infection of a cyst, twisting of the kidney, or a kidney stone.
No specific treatment is required in most people with dull or persistent flank and abdominal pain; pain medications such as acetaminophen are often recommended. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen or naproxen, are sometimes recommended, although people with polycystic kidney disease should speak to their healthcare provider about the risks and benefits of NSAIDs before using them. NSAIDs are not recommended when kidney function is reduced.
Kidney stones — Kidney stones occur in up to 20 percent of people with polycystic kidney disease. Kidney stones may cause pain, or sometimes they can block the flow of urine without symptoms.
Treating kidney stones that block urine flow is difficult in patients with ADPKD. The cysts make it harder to surgically remove the stone or use shock waves to break up the stone (extracorporeal shock-wave lithotripsy or ESWL).
Our national traditional medicine has good methods to treat Polycystic Kidney Disease. On the base of traditional prescriptions of chronic kidney disease treatment, Shijiazhuang Kidney Disease Hospital micro-processes the medicine, first, and then, with the help of electronic pulse, the medicine are osmosed into the patient’s back to treat kidney disease. This is Micro-Chinese Medicine Osmotherapy. The active mechanism of this therapy is not aiming at the disappearance of one cyst, but directly playing effects to the cause of Progressive decline of PKD patients’ renal function.
So Micro-chinese Medicine can help you.