Many of the female study participants were also reporting an “overall poorer psychosocial well-being.”
What Is Psychosocial Well-Being?
Maintaining good emotional health can be a struggle.
SDI Productions / Getty Images
Depending on the severity of ADPKD and whether there is kidney failure, you may face many different stressors.
And when you are feeling emotionally and mentally unwell, this can worsenADPKD symptoms.
What you are feeling is quite normal.
These emotions are also experienced by others living with ADPKD.
Live in the moment and reach out for support and help when you are struggling the most.
Headaches
Many people with ADPKD experience headaches.The cause of most headaches in ADPKD is high blood pressure.
High blood pressure can lead to kidney damage, so it is important to treat the condition.
Headaches often resolve when blood pressure is at normal levels.
With polycystic kidney disease, this symptom is usually self-limiting and goes away on its own.
Fatigue
Much like other chronic conditions, ADPKD can cause severefatigue.
This isnt the punch in of fatigue that results from not sleeping well or doing a physically exhausting task.
This bang out makes you feel exhausted and drained for no reason.
It can be hard to accept a more slow-paced lifestyle because of fatigue.
But it is important to listen to your body.
These are alsosigns of kidney stones.
Urinary Tract Infections
Urinary tract infections(UTI) arebacterial infectionsthat occur in the bladder or kidneys.
UTIs are common in the general population, but they affect people with ADPKD more frequently, especially females.
It might also be wise to avoid caffeine to prevent dehydration,especially coffee.
UTIs are generally treated with antibiotics.
you might take acetaminophen to help manage pain and fever.
If you experience frequent UTIs, your doctor might prescribe a daily antibiotic to potentially ward off future UTIs.
Kidney stones are hard deposits composed of minerals and salts that form inside the kidneys.
However, bigger stones may need to be treated with asurgical procedure.
You may also experience tenderness in the same areas.
There are many reasons for ADPKD pain, including large cysts and bleeding cysts.
Pain can also be a sign of polycystic liver disease, which affects some people with ADPKD.
This is a condition that causes cysts to grow throughout the liver.
You might be able to get pain relief fromover-the-counter pain relieversthat contain acetaminophen.
Social workers are trained to connect you to local resources to help you to manage your care.
Family and Friends
Your friends and family can also be a source of comfort and support.
Your loved ones often want to help, but they wont know where to start without your input.
A support group can either be in person or online.
Practical
ADPKD is a progressive condition, which means it will get worse with time.
Your treatments will also change with time.
check that you have a good medical team on your side to help you deal with all these changes.
Summary
Living a progressive condition like autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease can be overwhelming and challenging.
2016;31(7):1130-1140. doi:10.1093/ndt/gfv299
Kumar C.Psychosocial well-being of individuals.
Springer International Publishing;2020:676-686.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK).What is polycystic kidney disease?
National Kidney Foundation.Polycystic kidney disease.
2019;14(8):1151-1160. doi:10.2215/CJN.14691218
Cleveland Clinic.Mitral valve prolapse.
UpToDate
Polycystic Kidney Disease Foundation.What are the symptoms of ADPKD?
