Symptoms and Complications
There aren't usually any warning signs of renovascular disease, but as the disorder gets worse, high blood pressure and symptoms related to kidney failure may appear. Symptoms of kidney failure may include:
- bad taste in the mouth
- chest pain
- confusion or anxiety
- fatigue
- itchy skin
- loss of appetite
- muscle twitching or cramping
- nausea and vomiting
- pale or yellowish-brown tinted skin
- puffy eyes, hands, and feet
- weight loss
As the kidney failure gets worse and the toxins continue to build up in the body, seizures and mental confusion can occur.
In renal artery occlusion and renal vein thrombosis, there may be no symptoms if only one kidney is blocked, because the other kidney is usually able to handle the work of two. If both kidneys are partially affected, or if one is totally affected and the other is partially affected and the blockages have occurred quickly, the following symptoms may appear:
- back or side pain
- blood in the urine
- fever
- nausea and vomiting
- no urine (if there's a total blockage)
In renal atheroembolism, there's a chance that there are embolisms in other parts of the body as well, including the retina in the eye, which in very rare cases may affect vision.
The complications of renovascular disease are serious. As a result of the high blood pressure the condition causes, some of the following complications may occur:
- blood vessel damage
- congestive heart failure
- heart attack
- kidney damage or failure
- loss of vision
- stroke
Renal vein thrombosis has an added complication: blood clots can move from the kidneys to the lungs, causing a pulmonary embolism.