Chronic Kidney Disease in Perumbakkam
Your Trusted Partner in Chronic Kidney Disease
Kidney disease means your kidneys aren’t working properly and are beginning to lose their function. We are here to provide you with top-notch care and guidance to tackle your problems.
Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
What is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Chronic kidney disease (CKD and chronic renal disease) means that there’s damage to your kidneys and they aren’t working as well as they should. Your kidneys are like a filter in your body — filtering out wastes, toxins and extra water from your blood. They also help with other functions like bone and red blood cell health. When your kidneys begin to lose their function, they can’t filter waste, which means the waste builds up in your blood.
Kidney disease is called “chronic” because kidney function slowly decreases over time. CKD can lead to kidney failure, which is also called end-stage kidney disease. Not everyone with CKD will develop kidney failure, but the disease will often worsen without treatment. There’s no cure for chronic kidney disease. But there are steps you can take to slow kidney damage. Treatments like dialysis and transplantation are options for kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease).
Symptoms
- A need to pee more often.
- Tiredness, weakness, low energy level.
- Loss of appetite.
- Swelling of your hands, feet and ankles.
- Shortness of breath.
- Foamy or bubbly pee.
- Puffy eyes.
- Dry and itchy skin.
- Trouble concentrating.
- Trouble sleeping.
- Numbness.
What do your kidneys do?
You have two kidneys. They’re bean-shaped organs that are located toward your back, on either side of your spine, just underneath your rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of your fist.
Your kidneys have many jobs, but their main job is to clean your blood, getting rid of toxins, waste and excess water as urine (pee). Your kidneys also balance the amount of electrolytes (such as salt and potassium) and minerals in your body, make hormones that control blood pressure, make red blood cells and keep your bones strong. If your kidneys are damaged and don’t work as they should, wastes can build up in your blood and make you sick.
What are common causes of kidney disease?
Kidney diseases happen when your kidneys are damaged and can’t filter your blood. With chronic kidney disease, the damage tends to happen over the course of several years.
High Blood pressure(Hypertension) and diabets are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease. Other causes and conditions that affect kidney function and can cause chronic kidney disease include:
- Glomerulonephritis: This type of kidney disease involves damage to the glomeruli, which are the filtering units inside your kidneys.
- polycystic kidney disease: This is a genetic disorder that causes many fluid-filled cysts to grow in your kidneys, reducing the ability of your kidneys to function.
- Membranous nephropathy: This is a disorder where your body’s immune system attacks the waste-filtering membranes in your kidney.
- Obstructions of the urinary tract: from kidney stones, an enlarged prostate or cancer.
- Vesicoureteral reflux: This is a condition in which pee flows backward back up your ureters to your kidneys.
- Nephrotic syndrome: This is a collection of symptoms that indicate kidney damage.
- Recurrent: kidney infection(pyelonephritis).
- Diabetes-related nephropathy: This is damage or dysfunction of one or more nerves, caused by diabetes.
- Lupus and other immune system diseases that cause kidney problems: Including polyarteritis nodosa, sarcoidosis, Goodpasture syndrome and Henoch-schooling purpura.
Who is at risk for Chronic Kidney Disease?
Anyone can get chronic kidney disease. You’re more at risk for chronic kidney disease if you:
- Have diabetes.
- Have high blood pressure.
- Have heart disease.
- Have a family history of kidney disease.
- Have abnormal kidney structure or size.
- Are over 60 years old.
- Have a long history of taking NSAID (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs)pain relievers. This includes over-the-counter (OTC) products and some prescription pain relievers.
How is Chronic Kidney Disease treated?
There’s no cure for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but steps can be taken to preserve your kidney function so they work as long as possible. If you have reduced kidney function:
- Make and keep your regular healthcare provider/ nephrologist(kidney specialist) visits. These providers monitor your kidney health.
- Manage your blood glucose (sugar) if you have diabetes.
- Avoid taking painkillers and other medications that may make your kidney disease worse.
- Manage your blood pressure levels.
- Follow a kidney-friendly diet. Dietary changes may include limiting protein, eating foods that reduce blood cholesterol levels and limiting sodium (salt) and potassium intake.
- Don’t smoke.
- Exercise/be active on most days of the week.
- Stay at a weight that’s healthy for you.
Can kidney Disease be Prevented?
Seeing your healthcare provider on a regular basis throughout your life is a good start for preventing kidney disease. About 1 in every 3 people in the United States is at risk for kidney disease. People at high risk may have regular tests to check for CKD so it’s detected as early as possible. Some other things you can do to prevent CKD are:
- Manage your high blood pressure.
- Manage your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
- Eat a well-balanced diet.
- Don’t smoke or use tobacco.
- Be active for 30 minutes at least five days a week.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Take nonprescription pain relievers only as directed. Taking more than directed can damage your kidneys.
- Limit alcohol-containing beverages.