Symptoms and Signs, Complications
The patient may show symptoms of the underlying disease. Complications include growth retardation, bone disease and kidney disease.
A patient with Renal Tubular Acidosis (RTA) may not suffer any symptoms. The condition may be detected only when the patient comes with kidney stones. The patient may show symptoms of the illness associated with RTA. He may also show the following features:
- Increased thirst or passing of urine
- Increased hunger and desire to eat tasty foods
- Some patients may come to the doctor with complications. These are:
- Growth retardation
- Rickets in children or osteomalacia in adults - The increase in acidity of the blood causes release of calcium from the bones making them weak resulting in rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults
- Kidney stone formation - The calcium content in the kidneys increases due to increased release of calcium from the bones. The citrate content also increases since excess citrate is reabsorbed in the kidneys. These factors lead to an increased incidence of kidney stones
- Kidney failure - Repeated formation of kidney stones could lead to kidney failure
