Acute kidney injury (AKI) is when the kidneys stop working over a short period of time, a few days or a few weeks. It is sometimes called acute kidney failure (AKF) or acute renal failure (ARF).
Useful links for long term health conditions
Navigating the world of health and wellness can be challenging, especially when it comes to understanding long-term health conditions. These conditions, also known as chronic illnesses, are ongoing health issues that can affect every aspect of your life, from your daily routines to your plans for the future. But you're not alone on this journey. Whether you're seeking information for yourself or someone you care about, this guide is here to help you understand what long term health conditions are, how they may affect you, and where you can find reliable information and support.
What are long term health conditions?
Long term health conditions include a wide range of health issues that can't be cured but can be managed with treatment and lifestyle adjustments. Conditions like diabetes, asthma, epilepsy, and mental health challenges like anxiety and depression fall into this category. These conditions might require ongoing medication, regular check-ups with healthcare professionals, and adjustments to your daily life.
How they affect you
Living with a long term health condition can feel overwhelming at times. It might affect your physical abilities, emotional well-being, social life, and even your plans for the future. But with the right support and information, you can manage your condition and lead a fulfilling life. It's all about finding the balance that works for you and understanding how to take care of your body and mind.
Learn the basics about food allergies, their symptoms and how they are diagnosed. If you have itchy eyes, a sneezy nose, wheezy chest or a queasy stomach, you might have an allergy:
Anaphylaxis (pronounced ana-fill-ax-is) is a severe and potentially life-threatening allergic reaction.
Learn more about what you can do to avoid having an anaphylactic reaction or what to do if someone you know is having a severe allergic reaction.
Arthritis doesn’t just affect the elderly it can affect people of all ages.
You can find more information about the conditions affecting the bones and joints of children and young people by visiting the Centre for Adolescent Rheumatology and the Children’s Chronic Arthritis Association websites.
Don’t let having asthma prevent you from living your life. Learn more about asthma and how to manage it.
Watch these useful videos on inhaler technique.
Brain tumours are quite complex, at present, over 130 different types of 'high grade'(cancerous) or 'low grade' (non-cancerous) brain tumours are known. Find more information about brain tumours in young people, including symptoms, diagnosis and treatments along with advice on living with or caring for someone with a brain tumour.
The Children's Trust Brain Injury Community Service is the the UK's leading charity for children with brain injury and neurodisability.
Seven young people are diagnosed with cancer every day in the UK. You don’t have to face cancer alone.
Find out about cancer types, treatments and living with cancer as a teen or young adult.
This information has been written specifically for you and reviewed by other young people with cancer.
Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a complicated disorder characterised by extreme fatigue that can't be explained by any underlying medical condition. The fatigue may worsen with physical or mental activity, but doesn't improve with rest.
Information on CFS and the Specialist Chronic Fatigue (ME) service for children and young people anywhere in the UK.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a lifelong condition. The kidneys gradually stop working as well as they should. This usually happens over many years.
The Pain Toolkit is for people who live with persistent pain and healthcare teams who support them. It helps people all over the world self manage persistent pain.
There are many young people in the UK who are born with a cleft lip or palate. Some of them have shared their stories about everything from school to surgery.
Growing up with coeliac disease, especially in childhood, can have its challenges, especially as children/young people begin to eat out more with friends. Don’t let your child be embarrassed about having coeliac disease, it’s part of them and their friends will understand.
Cystic fibrosis(CF) is one of the UK's most common life-threatening inherited diseases. Cystic fibrosis is caused by a defective gene. As a result, the internal organs, especially the lungs and digestive system, become clogged with thick sticky mucus resulting in chronic infections and inflammation in the lungs and difficulty digesting food.
Visit the Cystic fibrosis webpage for more information.
Diabetes is a serious and complex condition where your blood glucose is too high. This can happen when your body doesn’t produce enough insulin or the insulin it does produce isn’t effective (Type 2 diabetes), or when your body can’t produce any insulin at all (Type 1 diabetes).
Growing up with type 1 or type 2 diabetes can be tough but there’s lots of support available for children, young people, young adults and their families.
You can learn more about the experiences of others living with diabetes on the DigiBete website;
Learn more about diabetes by visiting the JDRF and Diabetes UK websites and find out how you can get involved in type 1 diabetes research.
Find out more about successfully living with type 1 diabetes and getting through your teenage years.
You can hear more about the experiences of young people living with diabetes by listening to visiting the Healthtalk website.
‘Why do I have eczema?’ is a question asked by a lot of children with eczema.
Find out more about eczema or listen to the experiences of other young people with eczema.
Learn more as a parent on how you may be able to answer some of these questions for your child.
If your child has epilepsy, they will probably have many questions about how epilepsy could affect their life.
If you’re a teenager with epilepsy, you may have all sorts of questions about how epilepsy could affect your life. For example, will you be able to go on holiday with friends, go to concerts and clubs and drink alcohol? Or maybe you have a friend, brother or sister who has epilepsy and you just want to understand more about it.
You can listen to the experiences of a young person with epilepsy by visiting the Healthtalk website.
Young epilepsy is also a helpful resource that provides lots of information and support.
Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and IgM nephropathy cause nephrotic syndrome. This causes swelling in the body, especially in the face, legs and feet.
Glomerulonephritisis a group of conditions that cause inflammation (swelling) in the kidneys. Children with glomerulonephritis have blood and protein in their urine, and may have swelling in their body, especially in their face and legs.
For more information on kidney conditions in babies and children visit the infoKID webpage.
Haematuriameans is condition where there is blood in the urine (wee). If there is a lot of blood, the urine may be red or dark brown. In most children, haematuria is not serious. In some children, it is a sign that there is a problem with their kidney and these children may need special treatment.
For more information on kidney conditions in babies and children visit the infoKID website.
In haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), the small blood vessels inside the kidneys are damaged. There are changes in the blood and the kidneys stop working properly.
What are bleeding disorders? How do you diagnose and treat them? Can there be any complications? These are all legitimate questions for any parent to have.
For more information about haemophilia visit the Haemophilia society website..
By the time you are a teenager, you may already be used to living with a bleeding disorder. However, not all people with bleeding disorders are diagnosed earlier on in life and a bleeding disorder may be entirely new for you.
Read more about young peoples stories of living with Haemophilia on their website to reassure you about your bleeding disorder, and let you get on with the enjoyment of being a teenager.
For more information on heart conditions in children visit the British heart foundation.
If you have a congenital heart condition, you might feel like you don't want to know every detail because it scares you. In fact you're not alone, many adults feel the same way, read more about other young peoples experiences.
Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) is a condition that affects different parts of the body. Tiny blood vessels in the body become inflamed or swollen.
It’s important for a child with HIV to know that they are not alone. Allow your child to hear the experiences of other young people living with HIV. You can also find ways of accessing local support for your child as well as the Body & Soul Beyond Boundaries programme.
Watch this video that helps to explain more about HIV. HIV Positive: Seriously, you can't catch it from kissing.
If you have a child with hydrocephalus, visit the Hydrocephalus website for more information.
If you’re a teenager or young adult affected by hydrocephalus, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone, there is plenty of guidance available on Hydrocephalus to help you overcome the different challenges you may face.
Hypertension means that your blood pressure is too high. In some children, hypertension can be a serious condition. It can increase the risk of getting other diseases, especially if the hypertension continues into their adult years. Visit the hypertension webpage on infoKid website for more information.
Crohn’s disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease, which affects more than 300,000 people in the UK.
Yet it is largely a hidden disease, and one that causes stigma, fear and isolation. It’s thought that many people with the condition go undiagnosed and suffer in silence, it doesn’t have to be like this.
Visit the Crohn's and colitis website for more information.
Don’t let a medical condition change your child's life. Change the way they deal with it, by living in the best way possible with the security of a Medi band or Medic alert medical ID bracelet or wristband.
Climb is the leading patient organisation for Inherited Metabolic Disorders, supporting thousands of families worldwide.
Mitochondrial disease is a chronic, genetic disorder that can be inherited in a number of ways. There are many forms of mitochondrial disease, which means it presents very differently from individual to individual.
When a person has Mitochondrial disease the mitochondria in the cells are not producing enough energy. Sometimes they are not very efficient or they do not work at all. Depending on which Mitochondria are affected will depend on which organs are affected.
Activities like running, swimming, cycling or even simple ones likes walking or breathing can be difficult or completely impossible if you are suffering with Mitochondrial diseases.
For more information and help visit the Abel foundation website.
Bladder problems are not a subject that is openly discussed, hence there is a general lack of public knowledge on what it is like to have Mitrofanoff. Mitrofanoff Support offers emotional support and reassurance to anyone who may be about to have, or already has a Mitrofanoff and the people closest to them.
A multicystic dysplastic kidney (MCDK) is a kidney that has not developed normally in the womb. Instead of a working kidney, there is a bundle of cysts, which are like sacs filled with liquid. For more information on kidney conditions please visit the infoKid website.
Living with a neuromuscular condition can be a steep learning curve for both the child and the parent, but support is available.
Visit the muscular dystrophy website for more information.
In nephrotic syndrome, the kidneys leak too much protein into the urine, leading to a drop in the levels of protein in the blood. This causes swelling in the body, especially in the face, legs and feet.
About half of children with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome (SSNS) have frequent relapses. This means that although the nephrotic syndrome gets better with steroids, it keeps coming back in a short space of time.
Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a condition that causes lumps called neurofibromas to grow on the covering of nerves. Although doctors sometimes call the lumps tumours, they are not cancer.
This information sheet offers you some facts and advice to help you.
PIGN causes inflammation (swelling) in the kidneys. Children and young people with PIGN have blood and protein in their urine, and may have swelling in their body, especially around their face and legs.
For more information on kidney conditions visit the infoKid website.
If you have a child with a primary immunodeficiency, there are probably lots of questions you may have.
If you are a young person with a primary immunodeficiency, you may have many questions that you’d like to know the answers to. Things you maybe feel a bit embarrassed to ask about or you simply don’t know who to ask.
You can find out more information about primary immunodeficieny by visiting immunodeficiency website.
Proteinuria means there is an abnormal amount of protein in the urine (wee). Normally there is very little protein that is lost in the urine.
Visit the infoKid webpage for more information.
Renal dysplasia (or kidney dysplasia) means that a kidney does not fully develop in the womb.The affected kidney does not have normal function, which means that it does not work as well as a normal kidney. It is smaller than usual and may have some cysts, which are like sacs filled with liquid.
For more information on kidney conditions visit the infoKid website.
Renal hypoplasia (or kidney hypoplasia) means that part of a kidney does not fully develop in the womb. The kidney may only be slightly smaller than usual or it may be tiny. Because of its size, it may not work as well as a normal-sized kidney.
Visit the infoKid website for more information on kidney conditions.
Visit the Scoliosis website to find out more on what you can do for your child if they have scoliosis or if they have just been diagnosed with it.
The Sickle Cell Society provides a booklet you can download which contains everything you need to know about sickle cell disease and how you can help your child.
Spina bifida literally means, split spine. A fault in the development of the spinal cord and surrounding bones (vertebrae) leaves a gap or split in the spine. The spinal cord has not formed properly, and may also be damaged.
For more information on Spina bifida visit the Shine website.
Syncope (pronounced sin-co-pee) is a medical term for a blackout that is caused by a sudden lack of blood supply to the brain. Reflex syncope is one of the most common forms of syncope.
You can find more information on Syncope here.
Thalassaemia is a complex condition affecting the blood that requires constant monitoring and treatment. However, it is no longer just a disease of childhood; with the current information available on treatment, support and care there is no reason for a young person with thalassaemia not to reach their full potential.
An estimated one million people worldwide have Tuberous Sclerosis (TSC). Some will be diagnosed with TSC very early in life whilst others may not be diagnosed until later childhood, adolescence or adulthood.
Visit the Tuberous sclerosis website for more information.
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infection that may cause your child pain when they pee. Sometimes it can result in a kidney infection.
For more information on kidney conditions visit the infoKid website.
Von Willebrand disease is the most common type of bleeding disorder. It’s estimated that around one percent of the world population may be affected.
It affects the blood’s ability to clot and can cause symptoms such as easy bruising, nosebleeds, and heavy periods. It may also be hard to stop bleeding after injury or surgery.
For more information please visit the Haemophilia org website.