Acute Kidney Failure Health Center

How do kidneys fail?

• Kidneys can fail in a number of different ways, from a multitude of causes. In the case of acute kidney failure, it is something sudden such as a negative reaction to medication or physical trauma to the kidney area. In the case of chronic kidney disease, the damage happens much more slowly, over the course of many years. The patient could live a very long time without even being aware of their condition as kidney disease can be present in the body without external signs or symptoms. End-stage renal disease is total or nearly total and permanent kidney failure where the patient needs dialysis or transplantation to stay alive. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two most common causes of kidney disease that can lead to chronic kidney failure.

How does kidney failure affect mental health?

• Depression can be caused by kidney failure as well as with treatment on dialysis. Treatment can be difficult and the sacrifices to make in order to stay healthy can be disheartening. Dialysis treatment also takes energy leaving patients weak and needing to make changes to their work or home life, giving up some activities and responsibilities. Keeping to your regular routines or schedule with kidney failure can be difficult to impossible. Cognitive behavioral therapy-a way of correcting harmful thought and behavior patterns-can be utilized or explored in the treatment of depression in people with total kidney failure.