Management of Polycystic Kidney Disease Symptoms

Polycystic Kidney Disease is a kidney disorder that passed down through families (inherited), usually as an autosomal dominant trait. For a person affected by PKD, there are multiple cysts forming on the kidneys, causing them to become enlarged.

PKD Symptoms

In addition to the kidney damage, the fluid in the cysts may become infected, causing pain in the back and abdomen, and triggering fever. The burst of cysts can also lead to pain, or blood in the urine.

Patients may not develop symptoms for a few decades. Then they do arise, they may include:

▪ Abdominal pain or tenderness
▪ Hematuria, or blood in the urine
▪ Excess urination at night
▪ Flank pain on one or both sides
▪ High blood pressure, or hypertension
▪ Joint pain
▪ Drowsiness
▪ Nail abnormalities
▪ Painful menstruation

Management of PKD Symptoms

The goal of western medicine treatment is to control PKD symptoms:

Controlling high blood pressure is the most important aspect of treatment. The treatment include: 1) Blood pressure medicines; 2) Diuretics; 3) Low-salt diet.
Appropriate antibiotics can be prescribed to treat any urinary tract infection.
Cysts that are painful, infected, bleeding, or causing an obstruction may need to be drained.

These symptomatic treatments are helpful in discomforts remission, but they fail to prevent the progression of PKD. Unfortunately, most people will develop into end-stage renal disease.


However, patients should be aware of the fact that with prompt standard treatment, we can eliminate PKD symptoms, stop the progression of the disease and avoid kidney failure. Then, they can regain a normal life.