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