Your doctor may recommend dialysis to treat kidney failure. Kidney diseases, injury and other conditions can lead to kidney damage, poor kidney function, and possibly kidney failure. Doctors generally recommend dialysis when 85% to 90% of kidney function is lost. Conditions that can lead to kidney failure include: Autoimmune diseases that attack the kidneys, such as lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, or SLE). Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells and tissues. Diabetes, which can damage the kidneys over time if blood sugar is not properly controlled High blood pressure, which can damage the kidneys over time when not properly controlled Infections, such as repeated bladder, kidney or blood infections Kidney cancer, which can damage the kidneys Medications, such as intravenous (IV) drug abuse, overdose of certain drugs, or long term-use of certain medications, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Nephritis and glomerulonephritis and other diseases that cause kidney inflammation and damage Polycystic kidney disease, an inherited disease that causes formation of large cysts in the kidneys Reduced blood flow to the kidneys due to shock or renal artery stenosis, which is a narrowing of the renal arteries Trauma or injury that affects the kidneys or the arteries that supply blood to the kidneys Urinary tract obstruction due to a kidney stone, tumor, congenital deformity, or enlarged prostate gland