Research suggests that up to half of people hospitalized with COVID-19 get an acute kidney injury. That’s a sudden case of kidney damage, and in some severe cases, kidney failure, that happens within hours or days. It causes waste to build up in your blood and can be deadly.
Some side effects tied to COVID-19 that might play a role in an acute kidney injury include:
Damage to kidney cells (or acute tubular necrosis) with septic shock Increase in blood clotting Possible direct infection of the kidney
Some people don’t have any symptoms of an acute kidney injury. But you could have signs like:
Not peeing enough Swelling in ankles, legs, and around eyes Tiredness Shortness of breath Feeling confused Nausea Seizures or coma Chest pressure or pain
If COVID-19 leads to an acute kidney injury, doctors will treat both. Some people with a severe acute kidney injury need a treatment called dialysis. It cleans your blood if your kidneys can’t.
It’s still possible for your kidneys to get better after all this. But experts aren’t sure how often it happens. Most people’s kidneys don’t work as well as they used to after acute kidney injury related to COVID-19. Once you’re well enough to leave the hospital, your doctor may suggest you see a nephrologist, or kidney doctor. They can help you lower your chances of chronic kidney disease.
COVID-19 — the disease caused by the coronavirus that’s led to the global pandemic —is known to damage the lungs. But, as more people become infected, more understanding of the disease emerges.
Doctors and researchers are finding that this coronavirus — officially called SARS-CoV-2—can also cause severe and lasting harm in other organs, including the heart and kidneys. C. John Sperati, M.D., M.H.S., an expert in kidney health, discusses how the new coronavirus might affect kidney function as the illness develops and afterward as a person recovers...
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