Polycystic Kidney Disease Knowledge

The most common symptoms are pain in the back and the sides-between the ribs and hips-and headaches. The pain can be temporary or persistent, mild or severe.

People with PKD also can experience the following complications:

urinary tract infections-specifically, in the kidney cysts

hematuria-blood in the urine

liver and pancreatic cysts

abnormal heart valves

high blood pressure

kidney stones

aneurysms-bulges in the walls of blood vessels-in the brain

diverticulosis-small pouches bulge outward through the colon

PKD treated

In the meantime, many supportive treatments can be done to help prevent or slow down the loss of kidney function in people with PKD and control symptoms. These include:

careful control of blood pressure

prompt treatment with antibiotics of a bladder or kidney infection

lots of fluid when blood in the urine is first noted

medication to control pain (talk to your doctor about which over-the-counter medicines are safe to take if you have kidney disease)

a healthy lifestyle with regard to smoking cessation, exercise, weight control and reduced salt intake

Can I Drink Alcohol or Smoking If I Have Polycystic Kidney Disease

"If you have a polycystic kidney disease, can you drink alcohol or smoke sheesha or a cigarette?"

Alcohol can increase your chance of developing high blood pressure, which is known to accelerate the decline in kidney function in PKD, as well as other kidney diseases, even light drinking may increase blood pressure, especially if done on a regular basis.

If you already have high blood pressure, alcohol can interfere with your medications and make it harder to control your blood pressure. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is more likely to damage your kidneys. Regular alcohol consumption can damage kidney function, particularly if liver disease is also present. Researchers have observed alcohol-related changes in the kidneys that impairs their ability to regulate fluid and electrolytes in the body. This is especially a problem when liver disease is present, so those with liver cysts may want to be especially cautious. Chronic high intake of alcohol can cause both liver and kidney failure.

Smoking bad for the kidneys

Smoking increases a person’s risk for kidney cancer, but it also hurts your heart and blood vessels. This damage can cause high blood pressure. High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure. If a person already has kidney disease, smoking can make it worse more quickly.

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