Kidney (renal) failure is when kidneys don’t work as well. The term ‘kidney failure’ covers a lot of problems. These problems can result in kidney failure due to:

• Kidney doesn’t get enough blood to filter
• Kidney is badly affected by:

• high blood sugar (diabetes)
• high blood pressure
• glomerulonephritis (damage to the kidney’s tiny filters)
• polycystic kidney disease
• Kidney is blocked by a kidney stone or scar tissue  

TYPES OF KIDNEY FAILURE 

There are 2 main types of kidney failure, acute (sudden) and chronic (over time)

Acute Renal Failure – ARF

ARF occurs when the kidneys suddenly stop filtering waste products from the blood.

Signs of ARF  

• swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)
• internal bleeding
• confusion
• seizures
• coma
• abnormal blood and urine tests
• high blood pressure

Chronic Renal Failure – CRF

CRF builds slowly with very few symptoms in its early stages.

A patient with CRF may not have any symptoms until kidney function declines to 20% or less. At that stage, these Signs may appear:

• abnormal blood and urine tests
• high blood pressure
• weight loss for no reason
• low red blood cell count (anemia)
• nausea
• vomiting
• metal taste in your mouth
• loss of appetite
• shortness of breath
• chest pains
• numbness and tingling
• confusion
• coma
• seizures
• easy bruising
• itching
• fatigue
• headaches
• muscle twitches and cramps
• weak bones that break easily
• yellow-brown skin color
• itching
• swelling of the hands, feet and face (edema)
• trouble sleeping

CAUSES  

ARF is most likely to happen with:

• low blood flow (such as after complicated surgery or an accident)
• swelling of the kidney (such as a reaction to a drug or infection)
• sudden blockage (such as by a kidney stone)
• very high blood pressure

With ARF, the kidney often returns to normal or near normal after the cause is treated.

CRF is permanent loss of kidney function. The most common causes are:

• high blood pressure
• chronic glomerulonephritis (kidney damage)
• high blood sugar (diabetes)
• polycystic kidney disease
• blocked urinary tract
• kidney infection   

HOMOEOPATHIC REMEDIES 

Apis mellifica: This Homoeopathic medicine is not used in acute forms of CKD. Symptoms of this type include oedematous swelling on the face, paleness, headaches, pain in the back and limb, oedema pulmonum, etc. It is used when there are dull aches in the kidney, reduced urination and micturition. The urine contains albumen in high levels and blood corpuscles. Eruption of the skin occurs, and the patient feels drowsy.

Arsenicum: This medicine is used in all stages of CKD and is one of the good remedies. It is used in later stages of the disease when the patient’s skin becomes pale, and he develops a waxen appearance, excess thirst and diarrhoea. The shade of the urine is dark and full of albumen. Dyspnoea attacks are also observed while lying down during the night. Taking aconite produces a mucus and the patient gets relief.

Aurum muriaticum: This Homoeopathic medicine is used to cure renal diseases such as morbus brightii caused from gout or from syphilis. Digestive and nervous problems are indicated along with great irritability. Vertigo may also be caused.

Belladonna: Belladonna is a good Homoeopathic remedy for treating inflammation of the kidneys accompanied by piercing or burning pain in the lumbar region of the kidney. The pain reappears repeatedly with increased intensity each time.

Cantharis: This Homoeopathic remedy is used in nephritis. There is a cutting pain in the lumbar region, the urine contains blood and the flow is in the form of drops. Cantharis is used in post diphtheric kidney disorders with dropsy.