Polycystic kidney disease, also known as PKD, is a condition that primarily affects the kidneys. People with polycystic kidney disease develop a series of cysts in the kidneys that can impede their ability to filter waste from the body. As a result, people with CKD are at high risk for kidney failure. Depending on the severity of your condition, polycystic kidney disease can cause cysts to form in other parts of the body as well, such as the liver.
Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that is inherited from your parents and is present at birth. Therefore, there is no way to prevent the condition other than for parents to get tested to see if they are carriers. For a child to inherit polycystic kidney disease, both parents have to be carriers.
Unfortunately, there is also no cure for polycystic kidney disease. There are, however, treatments available that can help you manage the symptoms of PKD and potentially prevent the disease from progressing to late-stage kidney failure. Without treatment, most people with polycystic kidney disease will experience kidney failure, which will eventually be fatal.
Tolvaptan is a medication specifically for people with polycystic kidney disease and one of the most common treatments for the condition. Tolvaptan works by slowing the growth and spread of cysts within the kidneys. As long as cysts do not grow rampant, your kidneys can function mostly normal for as long as possible.
However, Tolvaptan has some side effects that make doctors wary of prescribing it. Side effects are especially dangerous if you are on other medications, as Tolvaptan does not interact well with them. Side effects can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, headaches, and more.
One of the most common and dangerous side effects of polycystic kidney disease is high blood pressure. To keep your blood pressure under control, you may need ACE inhibitors, such as ramipril or lisinopril. High blood pressure is common in people with kidney problems, such as PKD, because your kidneys cannot properly filter fluid and waste when they are having problems. As a result, the fluid builds up and raises blood pressure.
Aside from high blood pressure, kidney infections are another common problem in people with polycystic kidney disease. Infections happen because the build-up of fluid and waste can contaminate your kidneys. You may need antibiotics, such as levofloxacin or amoxicillin to combat an infection. Antibiotics get into your kidneys and kill the infection within them.
While they are not a cure for polycystic kidney disease, certain lifestyle changes can help mitigate the symptoms and progression of PKD. These changes include drinking lots of water to keep things flowing through your kidneys so that waste does not build up and cause an infection. It is also important to eat foods that are low in salt and protein, as these can make it difficult for your kidneys to function.
If medications are unable to prevent kidney failure, you will need to go on dialysis. Dialysis is a treatment where you are hooked up to a machine that filters waste out of your body on behalf of your kidneys. Dialysis is a lifelong treatment until you qualify for a kidney transplant.
Once your kidneys fail, there is no way to repair them, and you will require a transplant. A kidney transplant is where your defective kidneys are removed and kidneys from a donor are implanted in their place. This is the last course of treatment for people with polycystic kidney disease.
It is essential to have polycystic kidney disease diagnosed and treated as early as possible. The sooner you start treating it, the less likely cysts are to form and cause kidney failure. Without proper treatment, kidney failure is often the end result of PKD, which means you will require dialysis and an eventual transplant.