Well corona virus is generally known to affect lungs; it does damage other organs too including heart, brain and kidney. It has been known now that covid is causing a lot of serious kidney issues even in people that had no kidney ailment before. There is a high percentage of people that were earlier affected by COVID are showing signs of kidney damage, some of it so severe that the person might require dialysis. There is huge chance of people who have suffered from covid infection to likely to have kidney problems.
People who already had an underlying kidney disease then if they had a covid infection, there is a great chance of severe illnesses that sometimes even result in death. As more understanding of this infection is emerging, we are grasping an understanding that COVID 19 can cause some serious and lasting damage in the organs. Patient with COVID 19 who had kidney problems are showing symptoms like high levels of protein in the urine and abnormal blood work.
Blood clots caused by Covid 19 can clog the kidneys
The kidney’s job is to filter the blood in the body. The waste is removed and body’s fluid balance is maintained by the kidneys and the electrolytes level is kept right. Whole blood passes through the kidneys about 40 times in a day. The blood goes through the kidney and is filtered, removing the waste, and adjusts the salt, water and mineral as per the requirement. Then the filtered blood is sent back into the body.
This process of filtering out toxins, extra water and other waste products is hindered when COVID 19 causes formation of tiny clots in the bloodstream. So when the blood reaches the kidney with clots reaches the kidney, it causes the blood vessels in the kidneys to clog and impair its functions.
Covid-19 Kidney damage and complication
People who have been suffering from severe cases of COVID-19 are showing signs of kidney damage. The signs of kidney problems in the patients with COVID-19 include abnormal blood work, high level of protein in the urine. In some cases the damage is severe enough which may require dialysis.
Many patients who have severe COVID-19 and are the patients with already co-existing chronic conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure can increase the chances of kidney disease. It is even observed that almost half the population hospitalised with COVID-19 got an acute kidney injury. This is also termed as a sudden case of kidney damage. There have been some severe cases reported where kidney failure happens within hours or days. The waste build up in the blood can be deadly. The side effects caused by COVID-19 that can lead to acute kidney injury includes acute tubular necrosis, increase in blood clotting and possibility of direct infection to the kidneys.
Some patients don’t observe symptoms of an acute kidney injury, instead these are the symptoms you can expect:
· Swelling around the eyes, ankles, legs
· Tiredness
· Not urinating enough
· Nausea
· Seizure or coma
· Shortness in breath
· Chest pain or pressure
· Confused feeling
If COVID-19 leads the patient to an acute kidney injury then simultaneously both the condition is treated by the doctors. Some severe acute kidney injury cases require dialysis, which filters the blood artificially.
Can Kidneys recover after Covid-19?
After the kidney damage due to COVID-19, it is possible to recover in some cases. But there is no certainty of how often it will happen and how much time will it takes. Mostly the kidneys do recover but at a certain extent and not go back to the normal health like before. Once the patient has recovered from covid and is well enough to leave the hospital, he or she is advised to visit kidney specialist or a nephrologist. This can help in controlling the long term damages to the kidneys.
Dr. Rajesh Ranjan is one of the best kidney specialist in India with years of experience in the simplest to the most complicated of surgeries. He is a very well known kidney surgeon who has been treating kidney patients for almost 20 years. There are patients who suffer such a acute kidney damage post COVID that they require dialysis. Dr. Rajesh Ranjan has set up a great hospital “Satyadev super speciality hospital” with complete kidney treatment under one roof. There is even a dialysis centre equipped with the most advanced equipments and experienced healthcare professionals. If you are a COVID survivor and in doubt of your kidney health, then it is advisable to visit a good nephrologist.
