What’s the difference between kidney cysts and polycystic kidney disease?

One of the essential tasks of the kidneys is to clean the blood. (Getty Images).
March is National Kidney Month, which makes this a great time to learn more about the difference in between 2 kidney disorders - - kidney cysts and polycystic kidney illness.

Your kidneys are located in the back of your abdominal area under your lower ribs, one on each side of your spine. Among the essential jobs of the kidneys is to clean up the blood. As blood relocations through the body, it picks up extra fluid, chemicals and waste. The kidneys different this material from the blood, and it's performed of the body in urine. If the kidneys are not able to do this and the condition is untreated, serious health issue result, with eventual death.

2 kidney conditions with similar names but different situations are kidney cysts and polycystic kidney illness.

Kidney cysts.

Kidney cysts can occur with conditions that may hinder kidney function. More frequently, kidney cysts are a type called easy kidney cysts.

In one large research study, about 1 in 10 people had easy kidney cysts, and in individuals 50 and older, almost 1 in 5 had basic kidney cysts, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders.

It's unclear what triggers easy kidney cysts. When the surface layer of the kidney forms a pouch and compromises, one theory suggests that kidney cysts develop. The pouch then fills with fluid, develops and separates into a cyst.

Simple kidney cysts normally do not trigger signs, however if they grow big enough, signs might include:.

Dull discomfort in the back or side.

Fever.

Upper stomach discomfort.

You might not require treatment if an easy kidney cyst causes no signs and doesn't affect kidney function. Instead, your healthcare expert might suggest that you have imaging tests, such as ultrasounds, with time to see whether your kidney cyst changes. If an easy kidney cyst is causing symptoms, treatment may consist of draining pipes the cyst and piercing, then filling it with a solution to avoid reoccurrence, or surgical treatment to get rid of the cyst.

Polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney illness is an acquired condition in which clusters of noncancerous cysts develop primarily within your kidneys, causing your kidneys to expand and lose function with time. The cysts differ in size and can grow large. Having lots of cysts or big cysts can damage your kidneys.

Polycystic kidney illness is one of the most common congenital diseases, impacting about 500,000 individuals in the U.S., according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disorders.

Symptoms of polycystic kidney illness can include:.

Hypertension.

Back or side pain.

Blood in your urine.

A feeling of fullness in your abdominal area.

Increased size of your abdomen due to enlarged kidneys.

Headaches.

Kidney stones.

Urinary system or kidney infections.

Kidney failure.

Treating polycystic kidney disease involves handling the symptoms and issues in their early phases, consisting of:.

Managing cyst growth with medication.

Postponing progression of the illness by controlling hypertension.

Way of life strategies to assist your kidneys remain as healthy as possible for as long as possible, consisting of maintaining a healthy weight, drinking fluids throughout the day, following a low-salt diet and consuming less protein.

Controlling pain.

Prompt treatment of bladder or kidney infections with antibiotics to avoid kidney damage.

Preventing obstructive embolism in the urinary tract by drinking extra fluids at the first indication of blood in the urine.

Dialysis or a kidney transplant if kidney failure takes place.