Renal failure means that the kidneys no longer appropriately concentrate urine, remove wastes or regulate important body functions. The kidneys play an important role in filtering out excess levels of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and phosphate. When the kidney's fail, people must use alternative methods to control the balance of electrolytes within the body.
Electrolytes
Electrolytes are minerals within the body that carry electrical impulses. Calcium, chloride, magnesium, phosphorus and sodium are all electrolytes. The National Institutes of Health explains hat electrolytes help with muscle contraction, nerve function, bone building and blood clotting and many other essential functions of the body. People consume electrolytes in food and supplements. When the kidneys function properly, the body excretes excess electrolytes in urine as waste. When the kidneys fail to function properly, the most affected electrolytes are phosphorus, sodium, potassium and calcium.
Complications
When people suffer from kidney failure, the kidneys cannot properly dispose of excess phosphorus in the blood. When too much phosphorus occurs within the blood, the bones may begin to pull calcium from bones to help balance the phosphorus, leaving the bones weakened. Sodium can cause the body to retain fluids, elevating blood pressure and leaving people at risk for congestive heart failure or pleural effusion, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Renal failure does not always affect potassium levels, but physicians will keep a close watch on potassium levels because excess potassium can cause irregular heart rhythms.
Dialysis
When the kidneys can no longer properly filter electrolytes and wastes, people will often have to go on dialysis. MayoClinic.com explains that hemodialysis involves a machine that acts as an artificial kidney, pumping the blood from the body into the machine, where it runs through a machine pulling off wastes before returning the blood to the body. Peritoneal dialysis places a specialized solution within the abdominal cavity, allowing the body to draw the wastes to the fluid. The solution and wastes are then removed from the abdomen.
Medications
Physicians will often prescribe medications to control excess potassium as well as prescription medications to restore blood calcium levels lowered by excess phosphorus. People with renal failure may also need a diuretic to help pull off the excess fluids that the body retains, according to MayoClinic.com.
Diet
People with renal failure often follow a special diet, called a "renal failure diet," to help control the amount of minerals they take into the body. A renal failure diet limits the amount of phosphorus people consume, having them avoid foods such as beans, peas, nuts, cola and beer says Drugs.com. Physicians may ask patients to limit the amount of sodium or salts by avoiding table salt, processed deli meats and canned soups. A renal diet also suggests limiting potassium found in certain fruits and vegetables, though patients should always confer with their physician before changing their diet.
