Renal ischemia occurs when the kidneys don’t receive enough blood, often due to narrowed or blocked arteries. It can lead to acute kidney injury and even complete kidney failure. Symptoms may include pain, weakness, high blood pressure, and nausea. Treatments vary and may include hormonal therapies, vasodilators, and dialysis.
Organs require a constant supply of fresh blood to function properly. When the kidneys don’t have an adequate supply of blood, renal ischemia can occur. This medical condition, sometimes called nephric ischemia, can be due to narrowed arteries or blockage of these vessels. While this type of ischemia can be reversible, it can also lead to life-threatening consequences. Acute kidney injury is a consequence of this problem and this deprivation of fresh blood is a major cause of complete kidney failure.
Injuries, disease states, and even some types of surgery can be triggers for renal ischemia. Often, this condition begins with a temporary constriction of blood vessels to the kidney or a minor blockage. Immune responses in the kidney area can then lead to inflammation and further disruption to blood flow as the tissue attempts to deal with these issues. Over time, this can lead to long-lasting vasoconstriction or contraction of blood vessels, which inhibits blood flow. Lesser amounts of blood are able to enter the glomeruli, a special tissue that helps filter toxins, due to this condition, which can further increase the damage and contribute to acute kidney failure.
Symptoms of renal ischemia are not always immediately apparent and may depend on the extent of blood flow inhibition and the extent of tissue damage. Pain felt near the kidneys is sometimes a sign, and other symptoms can include feelings of weakness, high blood pressure, and nausea. Severe cases of renal ischemia leading to kidney failure can lead to the buildup of toxins as these organs are unable to remove them from the body as quickly or effectively as they normally would. Dehydration, difficulty urinating, and changes in urine color can also cause some of these cases.
Treatments for renal ischemia can vary based on the causes of the condition and other individual differences. Women sometimes have a higher recovery rate for this health issue, which may be related to their estrogen levels. Hormonal therapies such as estradiol are sometimes given to both men and women, especially for post-surgical ischemia. Vasodilators are drugs that expand blood vessels and can occasionally be used as a treatment, but due to the kidneys’ response to damage from this condition, they may not always be effective. Dialysis, a treatment that removes waste from the blood outside the body, may be needed in more extreme cases of kidney ischemia.
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