Managing Kidney Problems While no one knows how to reverse kidney disease, acute kidney injury (AKI) is less severe and can be cured before kidney disease develops. AKI is frequently caused by a single event, such as dehydration, blood loss after an injury or significant surgery, or the use of certain medications. In some cases, however, it is due to a persistent problem within the kidney itself. Examples include chronic problems with blood pressure control or repeated exposure to toxins such as alcohol or drugs. In these cases, healing the injured kidney may not be able to repair the damage already done. However, research is exploring new ways to protect the kidney from further damage and possibly restore some of its functions. After an injury to the kidney has been treated, the remaining tissue will try to heal itself. If the injury involves only part of the kidney, then the healthy parts of the organ will try to compensate for the damaged area by working harder. For example, if the lower portion of your kidney has been removed, then the remaining upper portion will have to work harder to produce the same amount of urine. This is called functional impairment and occurs in all forms of renal disease. The more extensive the damage, the greater the functional impairment. Healing may not be possible if there is significant damage to the kidney tissue. For example, if a patient has end-stage renal disease (ESRD), then there is no hope for recovery of lost function.