Polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease is a congenital disorder in which a group of cysts appears in the kidney. Understanding the cyst itself is a non-cancerous mass that is filled with fluids such as water. If the cyst collects a lot of fluid, its size will also increase.

Symptoms of polycystic kidney disease

Some symptoms that usually appear in polycystic kidney disease are:

• Formation of kidney stones.
• The skin becomes easily bruised.
• Enlarged belly size.
• Urine contains blood.
• Skin color becomes pale.
• Headache
• fatigue
• Pain in the sides and back of the body.
• Frequent urination
• Pain in the joints.
• Renal insufficiency.
• Anomaly on nails.
• Urinary tract or kidney infections.

Causes of polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease is a congenital disorder caused by gene abnormalities or defects. Genetic mutations can also cause this disease, but this is rare.

On the basis of genetic defects, there are two types of polycystic kidney disease, namely:

• Autosomal recessive recessive renal insufficiency (ARPKD). MPAR symptoms often appear shortly after the patient's birth. If both parents must have MPRA, each child has a 25% risk to reduce MPRA.
• Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). PKRAD symptoms often occur in patients aged 30 to 40 years. If parents have PKRAD, each child is at 50% risk of this disease. This type is the most common polycystic kidney disease.

There are also types of polycystic kidney disease that is not a hereditary disease, namely cystic kidney disease (ACKD). This type usually occurs in someone with other kidney problems, such as kidney failure or dialysis.
Diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease

To diagnose patients suspected of having polycystic kidney disease, doctors will usually carry out several tests such as:

• MRI With an MRI, the doctor can take pictures of the kidney's structure and the appearance of the patient's cyst.
• Ultrasound. The doctor will use a device that uses sound waves to detect the presence of cysts in the patient's kidney.
• Scanner. The doctor will use an imaging tool that uses X-ray waves to obtain images of the patient's kidney.
• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP). During this examination, the doctor inserts a dye (contrast) which gives blood vessels a clearer appearance on X-rays.

Treatment of polycystic kidney disease

So far, there is no cure for polycystic kidney disease. The doctor will only try to relieve symptoms and overcome complications.

Here are some treatments based on symptoms or complications that occur:

• Bladder or kidney infection. Antibiotics can be used to treat infections and prevent further kidney damage.
• Renal insufficiency. Patients will be invited to undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant.
• Chronic pain analgesics, such as paracetamol, can be used to control chronic back pain.
• Aneurysm. The doctor will advise the patient to undergo a routine intracranial aneurysmal examination. If found, surgery can be done to reduce the risk of bleeding.
• Blood in urine. It is recommended to consume lots of fluids when blood appears in the urine, and stay in bed to reduce bleeding.
• Cyst Complications. If a cyst is blocking another organ or blood vessel, which is causing severe pain or an infection, you can perform surgery to remove cystic fluid.
• Cyst in the liver. In this situation, surgery can be done to remove a portion of the liver or liver transplant.
• Hypertension. It is recommended to eat foods low in salt and fat. Patients are also asked not to smoke, exercise more often, and avoid stress. Types of ACE inhibitors can be used to control high blood pressure in patients.

Complications of polycystic kidney disease

Polycystic kidney disease is one of the causes of kidney failure. This disease can also spread to organs other than the kidney, such as the liver or pancreas. In addition to kidney failure, complications that can be experienced by people with polycystic kidney disease are:

• Chronic pain that usually appears on the side and back of the patient's body.
• Cyst growth in the liver, pancreas and testes.
• Heart valve abnormalities, where the valve cannot close completely.
• Complications during pregnancy, which can cause preeclampsia.
• anemia
• Development of aneurysms in the brain. The patient is at risk of developing balloon-like lumps in the blood vessels of the brain.
• Changed intestinal function. The emergence of a fluid bag in the wall of the large intestine and the weakening of the intestinal wall.
• Hypertension. If left untreated, high blood pressure can damage the kidneys and increase the risk of heart disease and stroke.
• Cataract or blindness.

Prevention of polycystic kidney disease

One of the most important ways to protect the kidneys is to control blood pressure. People with polycystic kidney disease can take certain steps to prevent an increase in blood pressure:

• Maintain body weight
• Exercise regularly.
• Quit smoking.
• Always take blood pressure medication as prescribed and recommended by your doctor.
• Get used to eating low-salt foods and increase consumption of fruits, vegetables, and cereals.

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