Renal Edema is a common symptom for patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease
(PKD). However, some patients do not know the close relation between the disease
and edema thus often neglecting this importance clue. Then, why patients with
PKD have renal edema? The following article will give you a clear
explanation.
Generally speaking, there are two causes of renal edema for patients with
PKD. Firstly, as the cysts enlarge, they will oppress renal tissues thus
damaging the normal renal function. As a result, the glomerular filtration rate
(GFR) declines gradually. However, some patients’ kidney tubules still keep
their normal reabsorption function. Therefore, it will cause rentention of water
and sodium in their body thus causing edema. Secondly, glomerular basilar
membrane has barrier function, which can prevent the protein leak from blood.
However, as patients’ renal function is damaged, glomerular basilar membrane
loses its normal barrier function. As a result, much protein in blood will leak
out of blood, which can cause their blood plasma oncotic pressure to decline
thus causing water in blood to permeate into tissues spaces si the patients will
have edema.
Usually, the patients firstly have edema on their eyelid, face and ankle and
the edema is obvious in the morning. Therefore, if people have edema without any
reasons, they had better pay more attention to this abnormal phenomenon,
especially people with PKD family history.
If patients with PKD have obvious edema, they should limit their sodium and
protein intake and keep their salt intake below 3 grams and the protein intake
within 0.6 grams/ kg per day.
Edema is an important sigh of PKD. Therefore, If patients have this symptoms
for no reason, they should pay more attention to this abnormal phenomenon.
