Overview

Kidney failure, also called renal failure, is when your kidneys no longer function properly and cannot do their job anymore, that is, to get rid of waste products in the blood.

A sudden drop in kidney function is called acute kidney failure. This develops quickly over a few hours or days, and mostly happens in people who are already critically ill.

More commonly, kidney failure happens as the final stage of chronic kidney disease. Called ‘end stage kidney disease,’ this is when about 90% of kidney function has been lost.

What causes kidney failure?

Kidneys can become damaged from a physical injury or a disease like diabetes, high blood pressure, or other disorders. High blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney failure.

Kidney failure does not happen overnight. It is the end result of a gradual loss of kidney function. In fact, some people do not even know they have kidney disease until their kidneys fail. Why not? Because people with early kidney disease may not have any symptoms. Symptoms usually show up late in the progression of the disease.

Treatment

There are 3 options for the treatment of kidney failure:

• Kidney transplant, in which a diseased kidney is replaced by a healthy one from a donor
• Dialysis, which uses a machine (haemodialysis) or other parts of the body (peritoneal dialysis) to remove waste and extra fluid from your blood
• Supportive care, which means providing all health care and support possible, but not attempting to cure the kidney failure. In this case the person with kidney failure will eventually die

You can also see a dietitian for advice on the right amount of fluid to drink and the right diet to follow.