When Your Kidneys Don’t Work 2 Terrible Things Happen!

Shree Mulay|February 22, 2021|Kidney Basics

When Kidneys Don’t Work, They Don’t Filter!

Kidneys Don't Work
Terrible Things Happen When Kidneys Don’t Work!

Two major things happen when the kidneys don’t work. Remember, the kidneys are filters. When the filters don’t work, we see:

1. Poor Filtration of Substances

Substances that should pass through the kidney don’t get through and then build up in the blood. Increasing levels mean there is something wrong. Some of the substances include creatinine, BUN, acid-base & electrolytes, and drugs and toxins.

substances building up in the blood because of kidneys don't work.
Substances build up in the blood because of kidney problems

Increased Creatinine

The higher the creatinine, the lower the glomerular filtration rate. Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is a simplified way of saying the percentage of kidney function that someone has.

Increased BUN

The higher the BUN is, the more likely we will see the signs and symptoms of the kidneys not working. These include:

  • Feeling tired. Not having the energy to get out of bed even.
  • Not feeling like eating any food.
  • Having a metallic taste in your mouth like sucking on coins.
  • Having uncontrolled hiccups that do not improve with drinking fluids.
  • Always feeling cold even when increasing the temperature.

2. The Filters Become Leaky

The kidney becomes leaky, and we see things in the urine that are not supposed to be there.

When kidneys don't work they become leaky like this bucket with holes in it and allow things to pass through that shouldn't come through.
When kidneys don’t work they become leaky like this bucket with holes in it and allow things to pass through that shouldn’t come through.

Proteinuria (Protein in Urine)

We see protein in the urine when it leaks from the filters in the kidneys. When there is protein in the urine, it represents a problem. We call this proteinuria. We will want to measure the amount of protein that there is in the urine and the type.

Urine sample in container isolated on white background with clipping path, Bubble in urine specimen mean protein found in a urine sample known as proteinuria, determined by urine dipstick test. This happens when kidneys don't work.
Bubble in urine specimen means an excess amount of protein found in a urine sample known as proteinuria, urine test strip or dipstick test used to determine protein in urine during urinalysis, a test to analyze the content of urine.

Hematuria (Blood in the Urine)

Blood in the urine is from 2 things. It can be from any part of the “plumbing” that makes up the urinary tract or from the kidneys themselves. That patient’s story gives us a good clue if the blood is from the kidneys or not. We call blood in the urine hematuria.

Hematuria. magnifying glass and beaker with urine. Closeup of Red blood cells. When kidneys don't work, sometimes you get hematuria.
Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells in the urine (causing red discoloration). Magnifying glass and beaker with urine. Closeup of Red blood cells. Vector diagram for medical, biological, and scientific use