Acute Renal Failure Symptoms And Causes

What Causes Acute Renal Failure?

Acute renal failure can occur when the patient has a preexisting condition reducing blood flow to the kidneys, has experienced direct damage to the kidneys, or if the kidneys’ urine drainage tubes, known as ureters, become blocked and cannot expel waste through urination. Typical reasons why there is a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys include blood or fluid loss, blood pressure medications, a heart attack, heart disease, liver failure, or an infection, the use of pain medications such as ibuprofen, naproxen and other related drugs, a severe allergic reaction, severe burns, or severe dehydration.

Damage to the kidneys that can lead to kidney failure includes blood clots around the kidneys, cholesterol deposits blocking blood flow, glomerulonephritis, hemolytic uremic syndrome, infection, lupus, certain medications, multiple myeloma, scleroderma, thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, toxins such as drugs and alcohol, and vasculitis. Urine blockage in the kidneys can be caused by bladder cancer, blood clots in the urinary tract, cervical cancer, colon cancer, an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, nerve damage of the bladder, and prostate cancer.

Risk Factors For Developing Kidney Failure

Acute kidney failure is usually connected to other medical conditions or events a patient may presently have. Conditions that can increase an individual’s risk of kidney failure include being hospitalized, especially for a critical illness requiring an intensive stay, patients over the age of sixty-five, and blockages in the blood vessels in the arms or legs, known as peripheral artery disease. Other risk factors for individuals include if they have a family medical history or have diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, liver diseases, and if they are prone or have ever experienced heart failure. Acute renal failure can also affect individuals who have a compromised immune system as well, but can also target perfectly healthy individuals.