The kidneys work to filter toxins from the body, then remove them by sending them through the rest of the urinary tract for expulsion. When chronic kidney or renal failure occurs, it happens slowly and the sufferer may not notice it for some time. Causes for the condition may arise from many other medical conditions, the Mayo Clinic reports.
Diabetes
Both insulin-dependent or type I diabetes and non-insulin dependent type II diabetes can lead to chronic renal failure. Diabetes means the body does not maintain its own balance of naturally occurring insulin and glucose or sugar ingested in food and drinks. The National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse reports that chronic kidney failure most often results from diabetes, although not all people with diabetes will need dialysis. Dialysis is a medical process that takes over for the kidneys when these organs fail. Dialysis filters toxins out of the body and cleans the blood. Diabetes makes the kidneys filter more blood than normal, which damages the organs' filtration system.
Hypertension
High blood pressure, especially when coupled with diabetes, also can cause chronic renal failure. According to the National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, hypertension can increase the rate of kidney disease. High blood pressure causes the same type of problem for the kidneys' filtration system as diabetes, meaning the excess blood and the pressure at which the heart pumps it can damage the kidney system by causing enlargement of the filtering holes.
Enlarged Prostate Gland
According to the National Institutes of Health, an enlarged prostate gland in men can cause a condition called acute bilateral obstructive uropathy. This condition, in turn, can cause chronic renal failure. Essentially, a blockage occurs between the urine flow from both kidneys, which causes the kidneys to retain urine. These blockages may occur because the prostate gland becomes enlarged, a condition referred to as benign prostatic hyperplasia.
Genetics
People who have close relatives who already have chronic renal failure may get the disease themselves. Several hereditary diseases can produce chronic renal failure, including polycystic kidney disease, which is most common; along with cystinuria, primary hyperoxaluria and Alport's syndrome. In polycystic kidney disease, cysts form inside the kidneys and may get bigger, eventually preventing the kidneys from functioning properly.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Chronic kidney failure
- Kidney.org: What Are Some of the Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease?
- National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Kidney Disease of Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association: Kidney Disease (Nephropathy)
- National Institutes of Health: Acute Bilateral Obstructive Uropathy
