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Posts Tagged ‘Renal failure’

Renal Underperfusion and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, October 12th, 2011

Azotemia is a medical condition that is characterized by abnormal levels of nitrogen-containing compounds like urea, creatinine and various body waste compounds and other nitrogen-rich compounds being in your blood. The reason for this is because your kidneys are not filtering enough of your blood.

Azotemia is also a clinical sign of a larger disorder that is referred to as uremia. Uremia is a medical term that is used in reference to ailments that are associated with kidney failure. These include conditions, such as hyperkalemia, acidosis, hypertension (high blood pressure), anemia and hypocalcemia.

Azotemia is a fairly common malady in the United States. This is especially true for people who have to spend time in the hospital. Hospital acquired azotemia develops in around 5% of all hospital admissions in the United States.

Renal underperfusion is one of the three kinds of azotemia. The other two are prerenal azotemia and renal azotemia.

Renal underperfusion is also known by other names. It is also known as azotemia – prerenal, uremia and postrenal azotemia.

Renal underperfusion is evidenced by abnormal levels of nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-rich compounds in your blood. This is just like the other two kinds of azotemia. The form of azotemia that you have is determined by what is causing your condition.

Renal underperfusion is usually caused by the blockage of your urine flow in an area below your kidneys. The contents of your bladder are prevented from exiting your kidneys. This increased resistance to urine flow may result in backup into your kidneys. This leads to hydronephrosis. Hydronephrosis is dilation and distention of your renal pelvis.

Renal underperfusion may also result from congenital abnormalities. This includes blockage of your urethra by bladder or kidney stones, vesicoureteral reflux, blockage of your ureters by pregnancy or kidney stones and compression of your ureters by prostatic hyperplasia or cancer.

There are several different signs and symptoms that you may have with renal underperfusion. Some of these include:

 

Ÿ  Fatigue and weakness with extreme muscle weakness

Ÿ  Seizure

Ÿ  Decrease in your glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

Ÿ  Chills and fever if you get an infection

Ÿ  Increase in your creatinine serum concentration

Ÿ  Pain or urgency with urination

Ÿ  Increase in your blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration

Ÿ  Confusion

Ÿ  Swelling in your feet or ankles

Ÿ  Difficulty in urinating

Ÿ  Urine that is dark or red blood-tinged.

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End-Stage Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, June 14th, 2011
Kidney

Image via Wikipedia

Healthy kidneys are vitally important because they clean your blood by filtering out extra water and wastes. Your kidneys also produce hormones that help to keep your bones strong and your blood healthy.

Excess fluid accumulates in your body when both of your kidneys fail. Your blood pressure goes up. Harmful wastes build up. Your body will not produce enough red blood cells. When both of your kidneys fail, fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite begin to occur.

If both of your kidneys fail, you must have treatment that will do what your kidneys are not able to do. The prospect of dialysis or a transplant because of kidney failure is not something that anyone looks forward to. End-stage kidney disease is when this occurs.

End-stage kidney disease is a complete or near complete failure of your kidneys to work and function. It is marked by your kidneys failing to regulate electrolytes, concentrate urine and to excrete wastes.

To give you an idea of how big a problem end-stage kidney disease is, more than 400,000 people in the United States are on long-term dialysis. Over 20,000 people have a working transplanted kidney.

The number one cause of end-stage kidney disease is diabetes. End-stage kidney disease almost always occurs after chronic kidney failure. In fact, end-stage kidney disease is the final stage of chronic kidney failure. In addition to diabetes causing your kidneys to fail, heredity and prolonged medical conditions like high blood pressure may also play a role in causing kidney failure.

There are many signs and symptoms that you may have with end-stage kidney disease. Some of these include:

  • Blood in your vomit or stools
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Vomiting or nausea
  • Frequent hiccups
  • Muscle cramps or twitching
  • Greatly decreased urine output
  • No urine output
  • Decreased sensation in your hands, feet or other areas
  • Generalized itching
  • Increased skin pigmentation
  • Easy bleeding or bruising
  • Skin that may appear brown or yellow
  • Nail abnormalities
  • Decreased alertness that may involve lethargy, drowsiness, confusion, delirium and coma.
  • Seizures.

You or a loved one may be suffering from end-stage kidney disease. End-stage kidney disease and/or complications that have resulted from it or other disorders that you have in addition to this disease may have brought about you or your loved one’s disability and be the reason why you are not able to work.

You may need assistance if this is your situation. You may need financial help.

You or your loved one may be intending to apply for the financial assistance that you need from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability that has resulted from end-stage kidney disease and/or complications that have come about because of it or other disorders that you have in addition to this disease. You may have already done this and been turned down by the Social Security Administration.

If you or your loved one is planning on reapplying or appealing the denial, you really ought to think about an important fact that you may not know about. It is an established fact that people who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than people who do not have a disability lawyer working for them.

Please do not hesitate. This is something of great importance to you or your loved one. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.

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Hyperkalemia and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Friday, September 17th, 2010

Hyperkalemia is a condition where you have too much potassium in your blood. Most of the potassium in your body (98 percent) is found within your organs and cells. Usually, only a small amount of potassium circulates in your bloodstream. Potassium helps your muscle and nerve cells, including your heart, to function properly.

Your kidneys usually maintain the levels of potassium in your blood. If your have kidney disease, however, potassium levels can build up. Kidney disease is the most common cause of hyperkalemia. Diet or medications can also affect the amount of potassium in your blood.

The normal potassium level in your blood is 3.5-5.0 milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L). Potassium levels that are between 5.1 mEq/L to 6.0 mEq/L are an indication of mild hyperkalemia. Potassium levels of 6.1 mEq/L to 7.0 mEq/L mean moderate hyperkalemia, and levels above 7 mEq/L are severe hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia is a common condition. It is diagnosed in up to 8% of hospitalized patients in the United States. Fortunately, most patients have mild hyperkalemia (which is usually well tolerated). However, any condition causing even mild hyperkalemia needs to be treated to stop progression into more severe hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia may not affect you. Or, it may have vague effects like:

  • Fatigue
  • Muscle weakness
  • Nausea
  • Tingling sensations.

There are more serious effects caused by hyperkalemia that you may experience including weak pulse and slow heartbeat. Severe hyperkalemia can lead to fatal cardiac standstill (heart stoppage).

Usually, a slow rise in potassium level (such as with chronic kidney failure) is better tolerated than an abrupt rise in potassium levels. However, unless the rise in potassium levels has been very rapid, the effects of hyperkalemia are usually not visible until potassium levels are very high (typically 7.0 mEq/l or higher). The signs and symptoms that you may experience can also reflect the underlying medical conditions that are causing your hyperkalemia.

Hyperkalemia and/or the conditions that have caused it may have reached a point where you or a loved one is unable to work. Hyperkalemia may be the cause of your disability.

If this is true, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one applied for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by hyperkalemia and/or the conditions that have caused it? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, here is something you need to keep in mind. People who are represented by a disability attorney like the one you will find at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

Kidney Failure and Receiving Social Security Disability

Wednesday, September 1st, 2010

Your kidneys are located in your abdomen toward the back. Normally, one is on each side of your spine. They get their blood supply through the renal arteries directly from your aorta, and they send blood back to your heart through the renal veins to the vena cava. (The term “renal” is derived from the Latin name for kidney.)

Your kidneys are key players in how your body functions. This is not only by getting rid of waste products and filtering your blood, but also by balancing levels of electrolytes in your body, stimulating the production of red blood cells and controlling blood pressure.

When you have kidney failure, your body will not make enough red blood cells. You develop nausea, loss of appetite and fatigue. When this happens you must have treatment to replace the work of your kidneys. Kidney failure and the prospect of dialysis or a transplant are not something that anyone looks forward to, but there are no other options when you experience kidney failure.

There are two types of kidney failure. One is acute kidney failure that can take place over days, weeks or months. The other is chronic kidney failure that happens slowly over a period of years.

The signs and symptoms of acute kidney failure are usually that of the condition that is causing your kidney failure. Some of these are:

  • Vomiting and diarrhea
  • Blood loss
  • Trauma injuries like a car accident
  • Sudden blockage of urine drainage.

With chronic kidney failure the effects that you experience do not usually appear until the disease is far advanced. Some of the ways that you may be affected are:

  • Itching
  • Breathlessness
  • Tiredness Loss of appetite
  • Weakness
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fluid retention as evidenced by swelling of your ankles.

The effects caused by kidney failure are debilitating and life threatening. You or a loved one may be disabled and unable to work because of the disability caused by kidney failure.

Kidney failure may be the reason why you or your loved one needs help. It may be why you need financial help.

You or your loved one may have applied for that financial help from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by kidney failure. Were you or your loved one denied?

If you or your loved one is planning on appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration, consider this. You or your loved one will need the representation of a determined disability lawyer like the one you will find at Social Security Home because people who have a dependable disability attorney standing with them are approved more often than those people who are not represented by a lawyer.

Medullary Sponge Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, August 20th, 2010

Your kidneys play an important part in the function of your body, not only by filtering your blood and getting rid of waste products, but also by balancing levels of electrolytes in your body, controlling blood pressure and stimulating the production of red blood cells. Your kidneys are located in your abdomen toward the back. Normally, one is on each side of your spine. They get their blood supply through the renal arteries directly from your aorta, and they send blood back to your heart through the renal veins to the vena cava. (The term “renal” is derived from the Latin name for kidney.)

Your kidneys have the ability to monitor the acid-base balance of your body. They also monitor the amount of body fluid and the concentrations of electrolytes like sodium and potassium. Waste products of body metabolism like urea from protein metabolism and uric acid from DNA breakdown are filtered by your kidneys.

Medullary sponge kidney disease is a disease where tiny sacs that are called cysts form in your medulla, which is the inner part of your kidney. These cysts create a sponge-like appearance. They keep urine from flowing freely through your tubules. Tubules are tiny tubes inside of your kidneys through which urine flows.

Some of the difficulties caused by medullary sponge kidney disease are blood in your urine (hematuria), kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Rarely, this disease leads to more serious problems like total kidney failure.

Although medullary sponge kidney disease is present at birth, signs and symptoms do not usually start until between the ages of 30 and 40. This disease affects about 1 in 5,000 to 20,000 people in the United States. Around 20% of the people who develop kidney stones have this disease.

Medullary sponge kidney disease may not cause any signs or symptoms. Usually, the first sign or symptom of this disease is when you have a kidney stone or a urinary tract infection. Other signs and symptoms that you may experience with this condition are:

  • Urine that smells really bad
  • Vomiting
  • Pain or burning when you urinate
  • Chills and fever
  • Urine that is cloudy, dark or bloody
  • Pain in your lower abdomen, groin or back.

You may have medullary sponge kidney disease. This disease and/or complications arising from or along with it may be why you are disabled and in need of financial help.

Have you applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by medullary sponge kidney disease and/or complications resulting from or along with it? Were you denied?

If you are going to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, think carefully about this. People who are represented by a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com are approved more often than those people who are without an attorney.

Glomerulonephritis and Receiving Social Security Disability Benefits

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Your kidneys are complex organs whose principle job is to remove wastes, unneeded electrolytes and excess fluid from your body. Any condition that interferes with your kidney function can lead to a potentially dangerous buildup of waste products in your bloodstream.

Glomerulonephritis is a type of kidney disease that hinders the function of your kidney to remove waste and excess fluids. Glomerulonephritis can be a part of a systemic disease like diabetes or lupus, or it can be a disease by itself. It is then referred to as primary glomerulonephritis.

Glomerulonephritis can be acute. This refers to a sudden attack of inflammation.

It can also be chronic. It comes on gradually when it is chronic.

Glomerulonephritis is also known by other names. It is also called glomerular disease and glomerular nephritis (GN).

The effects caused by glomerulonephritis may depend on whether you have the acute or chronic form of the disease. They can also depend on the cause of your glomerulonephritis.

Your first indication may come from the results of a routine urinalysis. Your effects may include:

  • Foam in your toilet water due to protein in your urine (proteinuria)
  • Hypertension (high blood pressure)
  • Decrease in frequency of urination
  • Weakness and fatigue from kidney failure or anemia
  • Diluted iced-tea-colored urine resulting from hematuria (red blood cells in your urine)
  • Edema (fluid retention) along with swelling in your feet, abdomen, hands and face

If you have the chronic form of glomerulonephritis you may gradually begin to experience some of these signs and symptoms:

  • Vomiting and nausea
  • Malaise (general sick feeling)
  • Headache
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Frequent hiccups
  • Generalized itching
  • Muscle cramps  and muscle twitching
  • Headache and seizures
  • Decrease in alertness
  • Bleeding or bruising easily.

You or a loved one may have glomerulonephritis. This disease and/or conditions resulting from or in conjunction with this disorder may be the reason you or your loved one is disabled and unable to work.

If this is the case, you or your loved one may need assistance. You may need financial aid.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by glomerulonephritis and/or related conditions? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may decide to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do this, there is something that you need to think about.

You or your loved one may need an disability lawyer like the one you will find at Social Security Home to counsel you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason why this is true is because people who have a disability attorney on their side are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Medullary Cystic Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Tuesday, April 27th, 2010

Your kidneys play an important role in the way your body functions, not only by filtering your blood and getting rid of waste products, but also by balancing levels of electrolytes in your body, stimulating the production of red blood cells and controlling blood pressure. Your kidneys are located in your abdomen toward the back. Normally, one is located on each side of your spine. Their blood supply comes through the renal arteries directly from your aorta, and they transport blood back to your heart through the renal veins to the vena cava. (The term “renal” is derived from the Latin name for kidney.)

Sensors within your kidneys decide how much water to excrete as urine, along with what concentration of electrolytes when blood flows to your kidneys. For example, if you are dehydrated from exercise or an illness, your kidneys will retain as much water as possible, and your urine will become extremely concentrated. Your urine becomes much more dilute, and your urine becomes clear when you have enough water in your body.

Medullary cystic kidney disease is an inherited disorder. This disease is characterized by cysts that develop in the center of each of your kidneys. The result is a gradual loss of your kidneys ability to function.

There are signs and symptoms that you may experience in the early stages of medullary cystic kidney disease. These include:

  • Nocturia (urinating during the night)
  • Weakness
  • Salt cravings
  • Polyuria (excessive urination)
  • Low blood pressure.

In the advanced stages of this disease, you may have signs and symptoms of kidney failure that include:

  • Malaise (general sick feeling)
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Nausea
  • Headache
  • Seizures
  • Delirium
  • Unintended weight loss
  • Decreased alertness
  • Blood in your stool or vomiting blood
  • Coma
  • Confusion
  • Muscle cramps or twitching
  • Drowsiness
  • Extreme sleepiness
  • Bleeding or bruising easily
  • Frequent hiccups
  • Increased skin pigmentation that may appear brown or yellow
  • Reduced sensation in your feet, hands or other areas.

You or a loved one may be suffering from medullary cystic kidney disease. This disease and/or complications arising from or along with it may be why you are disabled and unable to work.

You may need help if this is your situation. You may need financial assistance.

Are you or your loved one planning on applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by medullary cystic kidney disease and/or complications resulting from or along with it? Were you or your loved one denied?

If you intend to appeal the denial by the Social Security Administration, think this over very carefully. People who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who are without a lawyer.

Chronic Kidney Disease and Receiving Social Security Disability

Friday, April 23rd, 2010

Chronic kidney disease is also referred to as chronic renal disease. Chronic kidney disease is a progressive loss of renal (kidney) function over a period of months or years through five stages.

Each stage is a progression through an abnormally low and deteriorating glomerular filtration rate, which is usually determined indirectly by the creatinine level in your blood serum. These five stages are:

  • Stage 1 – This is slightly diminished kidney function with few outward signs and symptoms.
  • Stage 2 – This involves mild kidney damage with mild reduction in your glomerular filtration rate.
  • Stage 3 – This involves a moderate reduction in your glomerular filtration rate.
  • Stage 4 – This stage has a severe reduction in your glomerular filtration rate.
  • Stage 5 – This is a serious illness where there is established kidney failure. It requires kidney replacement therapy, which is either dialysis or kidney transplantation. This stage is also called end-stage renal disease.

Chronic kidney disease is a growing health problem in the United States. 16.8% of all adults in America above the age of 20 have chronic kidney disease. Around 67,000 people die each year in the United States because of kidney failure.

At the beginning, chronic kidney disease causes no specific effects. As your kidney function decreases, however, you may experience:

  • High blood pressure, chest pain
  • Easy bruising, itching and pale skin
  • Need to urinate frequently, especially at night
  • Weakness and fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Numbness in your hands and feet
  • Altered mental status
  • Restless leg syndrome
  • Loss of appetite, vomiting and nausea
  • Shortness of breath from fluid in your lungs
  • Bone fractures and pain
  • Decreased sexual interest and erectile dysfunction
  • Bleeding (poor blood clotting)
  • Swelling of your legs and puffiness around your eyes from fluid retention.

You or a loved one may have chronic kidney disease. It may be affecting you or your loved one to the point that you are unable to work. Chronic kidney disease and/or the complications resulting from or related to it may be the cause of your disability.

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by chronic kidney disease? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, consider this.

You or your loved one may need a disability lawyer like you will find here to guide you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this is because people who are helped and represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

This is something that could affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. Do not delay. Find a disability attorney here.

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, March 25th, 2010
Hematology: microscopic image of a normal bloo...
Image via Wikipedia

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a disorder that happens when an infection in your digestive system produces toxic substances that destroy red blood cells. It is a disease characterized by blood clotting within your capillaries, the smallest blood vessels in your body.

Red blood cells are sheared apart and broken as they pass through your clogged capillaries. This is called hemolysis and is responsible for the first part of the syndrome’s name. The other half of the syndrome’s name refers to kidney failure in which urea and other waste products build up in your bloodstream because your kidneys cannot filter and dispose of them.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is a serious but uncommon condition that can cause life-threatening kidney failure. This is especially true for children and older adults.

In children, most cases of hemolytic uremic syndrome develop after several days of diarrhea that is often bloody. This is due to infection with a specific strain of Escherichia coli (E. coli) known as O157:H7. Adults also may develop hemolytic uremic syndrome after an E. coli infection, but more often the cause is uncertain or even unknown.

There are several different effects that you may experience with hemolytic uremic syndrome. Some of these are:

  • Pale skin color
  • Yellowish skin color (jaundice)
  • Skin rash that looks like tiny red spots (petechiae)
  • Decrease in urination
  • Blood in your stools
  • Fever
  • Diarrhea and vomiting
  • Fatigue, weakness, lethargy and irritability
  • Abdominal pain
  • Swelling in your hands, feet, face or all over your body
  • Unexplained, small bleeding or bruises from your mouth and nose
  • Low urine output
  • No urine output

Sometimes, you may have neurological effects like seizures.

Hemolytic uremic syndrome and/or complications resulting from this disease can cause you to be disabled. This may be the case for you or a loved one.

As a result, you or your loved one may need help. You may need financial assistance.

Have you or your loved one applied for financial assistance from the Social Security Administration by applying for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits because of the disability caused by hemolytic uremic syndrome? Were you or your loved one denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If this is what you decide to do, you need to think about this.

You or your loved one will need a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com to assist and advise you in what can be a long and trying process. The reason for this being true is because people who are represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Postrenal Azotemia and Receiving Social Security Disability

Thursday, February 11th, 2010

Postrenal azotemia is the third kind of azotemia. The first two are prerenal azotemia and renal azotemia.

Azotemia is a medical condition that involves abnormal levels of nitrogen-containing compounds like creatinine, urea and various body waste compounds and other nitrogen-rich compounds in your blood. This has to do with not enough filtering of your blood by your kidneys.

Azotemia is also a clinical sign of a larger condition known as uremia. Uremia refers to illnesses that go along with kidney failure. Theses include conditions like acidosis, anemia, hyperkalemia, hypertension and hypocalcemia.

Azotemia is a fairly common problem. This is especially true for people that are in the hospital. Hospital acquired azotemia occurs in around 5% of all hospital admissions.

Postrenal azotemia is characterized by abnormal levels of nitrogen-containing and nitrogen-rich compounds in your blood just like the other two types of azotemia. The type of azotemia that you have is determined by what is causing your condition.

All three types of azotemia have some features in common. For example, all three types of azotemia are characterized by a decrease in the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of your kidneys and increases in your BUN (blood urea nitrogen) and creatinine serum concentrations. The BUN-to-creatinine ratio is one of the things that help identify the type of azotemia you have.

There are different effects that postrenal azotemia may cause. Some of these are:

  • Pain or urgency with urination
  • Difficulty in urinating
  • Urine that is dark or red blood-tinged
  • Chills and fever if you have an infection
  • Swelling in your ankles or feet
  • Confusion
  • Weakness and fatigue with extreme muscle weakness
  • A seizure.

The effects caused by postrenal azotemia and/or conditions resulting from or along with it can debilitating. It may be why you or a loved one is disabled.

Do you or your loved one need help because of your disability? Do you need financial help?

Who can you turn to? Who can you look to for the financial aid that you need? Where will it come from?

Have you or your loved one applied for Social Security disability benefits or disability benefits from the Social Security Administration because of the disability caused by postrenal azotemia and/or conditions along with or as a result of it? Were you denied?

You or your loved one may be thinking about appealing the denial by the Social Security Administration. If you do, remember this.

You or your loved one will need a disability lawyer like the one at socialsecurityhome.com to represent you in this process. The reason for this being true is because people who are helped and represented by a disability attorney are approved more often than those people who do not have a lawyer.

Do not wait. Do not put this off. This is something that could affect you or your loved one for the rest of your life. Contact the disability attorney at socialsecurityhome.com, today.