Polycystic kidney disease Matenga whatumanawa huahua o te pakeke

There are several types of polycystic kidney disease.

The most common type of polycystic kidney disease is known as autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. This is caused by a faulty gene which is inherited from either parent. In this type of polycystic disease you only need one parent to have the faulty gene and it can be passed on to you.

A less common form is autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. This is also passed down by your parents but you need the faulty gene from both parents to get the condition.

You can also have polycystic kidney disease without anyone else in your family having it. This happens in about one in 10 cases. This is called non-hereditary polycystic kidney disease.

As you age you may also develop cysts in your kidneys which are usually harmless. This is different from polycystic kidney disease.

It is common not to have any symptoms with polycystic kidney disease. But symptoms you might notice include:

• pain in your back or side — this is caused by the cysts
• a feeling of fullness in your tummy (abdomen) or your tummy getting bigger — caused by the cysts getting bigger
• blood in your wee — caused by the cysts bleeding
• urinary tract or kidney infections
• kidney stones.

Polycystic kidney disease can cause several complications, including:

• kidney function that reduces over time — this is known as chronic kidney disease
• high blood pressure which can further damage your kidneys and make you more at risk of having a stroke or heart attack
• a swelling (aneurysm) in a blood vessel in the brain — these do not usually cause any symptoms but can burst in rare cases, which is very serious and life threatening
• cysts in other organs in the body, which rarely cause any problems
• chronic pain from very enlarged kidneys.

Your healthcare provider might order the following tests:

• urine tests to check for protein and blood in your wee
• blood tests to check how well your kidneys are working
• ultrasound to look for cysts (although the cysts might be too small to show on an ultrasound scan).

Understanding your kidney function results

There is no cure for polycystic kidney disease, but you can take a drug called tolvaptan to slow down the growth of cysts. This can delay the development of chronic kidney disease.

You can also get treatment for your blood pressure if it is high.

If you have kidney failure, you may need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

It is important to follow advice on looking after your kidneys to keep them working.

Looking after your kidneysexternal link

If you have polycystic kidney disease, your healthcare provider might talk to you about screening your tamariki to find out if they have inherited the gene that causes it.