The kidneys filter the blood and eliminate the waste products through urine. The waste deposition is sometimes in the form of excessive calcium, uric acid and other undesirable contents. It causes the urine to get highly saturated. The solid depositions then turn into stone like formations, also termed as renal lithiasis or calculi. There are different kinds of kidney stones, which are differentiated based on its varied constituents. Kidney stones cause excruciating pain and uneasiness. Frequent urination and discomfort during urination, presence of blood in the urine, are some major signs of kidney stones.

Kidney stones can be prevented by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet with sufficient nutrients:

Calcium and oxalate-rich food should be consumed together. This leads to the binding of calcium and oxalate together in the stomach intestines, before they can be processed in the kidneys. This helps to control the formation of calcium and oxalate depositions in the kidneys.
Do not cut down on calcium. Since most of the kidney stones are found to be calcium depositions, many people tend to cut down on their calcium intake. It is important to continue with food that is rich in calcium such as milk. However, it is necessary to reduce intake of other calcium supplements. Decrease in calcium can lead to degeneration and deformation in bones and muscles.
Too much of red meat consumption and high fat dairy products can lead to the formation of stones in the kidneys. Animal protein is rich in purine that increases uric acid, saturating the urine and creating stones. It is important to balance your diet by including lots of green vegetables, whole grains, fibres, fruits and low-fat dairy products. Opt for non-animal protein such as lentils or legumes.
Cut down on sugary and aerated drinks. They contribute to the formation of depositions due to their high and unhealthy levels of fructose and preservatives.
Reduce or abstain from alcohol. Alcohol is known for its multiple disadvantages to the human body. It has also been found to increase the levels of uric acid in blood.
Keep your body hydrated. Drink adequate quantity of water throughout the day, preferably 3 litres or more depending on your physical activities. It prevents the solidification of the depositions and helps to eliminate wastes smoothly.
Increase the intake of anti-oxidants in the form of green tea, dark chocolates and fruits.
Lower the intake of salt. If you wish to discuss about any specific problem, you can consult a urologist.

Kidney Stones - 8 Diet Tips to Prevent It!

Bladder is an organ of the lower abdomen which stores urine. Though it is a problem common to both men and women, women are two times more prone to be affected than men. 

The following are some of the causes that give rise to bladder pain.

Bacterial infection or urinary tract infection is one of the common causes of bladder pain. Women are more likely to encounter uninary tract infection. It occurs if bacteria sneak in through the urethra leading to develop an infection in the urinary tract, which in turn affects the urinary bladder.
Sometimes bladder stones can also give rise to bladder pain.
Painful Bladder Syndrome is yet another cause, wherein your bladder holds pee after your kidneys have filtered it but before you pee it out. This condition causes pain and pressure below your belly button, causing pain in the bladder.
Chronic pelvic pain is pain in the area below your bellybutton and between your hips that lasts six months or longer. There are multiple causes for such pain.
Bladder cancer is another possible cause of bladder pain. If uncontrolled cancer cells are formed in the bladder, then it gives rise to bladder cancer. Bladder cancer is one of the most common cancers and generates unbearable pain in the bladder.
Interstitial cystitis is another condition which gives rise to severe bladder pain. This condition is more commonly seen in women. The bladder becomes inflamed and irritated and the pain gets worse when the bladder is full or during menstruation. It is a chronic condition.
Urethral stricture is another cause of bladder pain. Men are likely to be more affected by this condition. In this case, the urethra becomes inflamed and narrow creating difficulties to pass urine.
Yeast infection also known as, Torulopsis is another cause of bladder pain.
Bladder pain can vary from being mild to severe. But, no matter what the degree of pain is, it requires serious medical attention. It is highly recommended that if you are suffering from bladder pain you must consult and seek a doctor's advice right from the beginning.

Bladder Pain - 8 Reasons Behind it 

People with chronic kidney disease notice that their bones tend to get weaker and more slender. They become painful and are bound to break more easily as a consequence of mineral loss. The most common kind of bone infections happen when:

There is a change in the balance between two essential minerals in your body - calcium and phosphate, which prompts loss of calcium from your bones.
Four small glands (parathyroid organs), which regulate calcium in your body, turn out to be excessively active.
There is a change in the way your body utilizes vitamin D, a mineral that is vital for healthy bones.
Every bone disease affects bones in different ways.

Phosphate is found in many food items you eat. Your kidneys normally eject whatever is not required in the body. At the point when your kidneys have stopped functioning properly, phosphate may develop in your blood. Excess phosphate in your blood prompts loss of calcium from your bones, which has a tendency to weaken them. Eating food items that are low in phosphate can keep phosphate from building up in your blood.
Since phosphate stays in your body when your kidneys are no more ready to remove it, four small glands in your neck (parathyroid organs) turn out to be excessively active. When this happens, calcium is expelled from your bones over a long period of time, making them weak.
Vitamin D is a vital vitamin, which affects the balance in the calcium content of your body. Typically, vitamin D is processed into a more soluble state by the kidneys and can be utilized by the body. In case your kidneys have deteriorated, they can no more do this critical job. Luckily, the dynamic type of vitamin D is accessible in the form of medications that can be prescribed by your specialist, if necessary. In case you have a kidney disease, it is vital to find a way to prevent bone illness. Some of the solutions are as follows:
Limit the amount of phosphorus you take in every day. Ask your specialist or dietitian to let you know how much phosphorus you need to have. You can likewise request a list of high-phosphorus food items.
Take a phosphate folio. This is a medicine that you bring with dinners to keep your body from taking in the phosphorus that originates from your food and beverages. This can keep phosphorus from winding up in your blood.
Take a calcitriol supplement. Your kidneys make calcitriol with the help of vitamin D that you get from food and the sun. When your kidneys are not working, they can't make calcitriol. A man-made type of calcitriol can help your body utilize the calcium and phosphorus it needs.
Exercise can make your bones more strong and keep them from breaking.
Try not to smoke or use tobacco. It can aggravate bone disease.
Take your medications the way your specialist instructs you to and do not skip dialysis medicines.
Even after changing your diet and taking medicines, if you still have an excess of phosphorus in your blood, your specialist may propose that you undergo further dialysis.

Kidney Disease - How It Affects Your Bones?

Gallbladder stones are accumulated deposits of digestive fluids that form in your gallbladder. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ that is present on the right side of the stomach. It contains bile, a digestive fluid that is released into the small intestine during the digestive process.

The size of a gallstone can range from being very small as the size of a sand grain to the size of a golf ball. Gallstones usually require gallbladder removal surgery.

Symptoms -

Gallbladder stones usually do not cause any symptom. But if the stones get lodged in any of the ducts and result in obstruction, they may exhibit the following symptoms:

Pain within your shoulder blades.
Sudden and intense pain in the centre and upper right portion of the stomach.
You may experience pain in your right shoulder.
The skin s appearance may turn yellowish.
Causes -

There are no clear causes for the formation of gallbladder stones. However, there are certain risk factors that may trigger the formation of stones. Some of them have been listed below:

Excessive bilirubin in the bile: Bilirubin is a compound that the body produces to break down red blood cells. If there are conditions that lead to excessive production of bilirubin such as cirrhosis and certain blood disorders, then it can lead to the formation of gallstones.
Excessive cholesterol in the bile: Excess cholesterol retention in the bile is one of the most important reasons behind gallstones.
Impaired functioning of the gallbladder: If the gallbladder fails to empty properly, then the bile can become concentrated. This, in many cases, has led to the formation of gallstones.

Gall Bladder Stone - All You Must Know About Its Causes & Symptoms!

A diseased kidney is one that has lost its ability to carry out the filtration process in a proper manner. This process of filtration usually sends the waste and toxins out of the body in a routine manner. In such cases, a kidney disease manifests which requires a number of treatment measures. Dialysis is something that enters the treatment plan at a later stage as chronic early stage kidney disease can remain in the patient s body for many years. When the kidney function comes down to 15%, then most doctors recommend the start of dialysis which is basically a process that removes the excess waste and fluid from the blood. This can be a process that will leave the patient fatigued and in a mental state that is not exactly stable and positive at all times. It is common to see dialysis patients battling depression due to the chronic nature of the treatment as well as the low chances of recovery.

So, let us find out how dialysis patients can cope with depression.

    Professional Help: Depression is said to be like a common cold when it comes to mental diseases. The state of a person s body can very well affect the balance in his or her mind and lead to depression. Starting from pressing circumstances to hormonal changes as well as chronic ailments, depression can affect people due to a number of reasons. Dialysis patients who are undergoing depression must consult a professional specialist like a psychiatrist who will help the patient understand and cope with the situation with the use of therapy based counselling.
    Medication: The patient can also be given medication that will prevent the build up of unnecessary stress by blocking the production of those hormones that result in a negative state of mind. This medication must be prescribed after speaking the patient s nephrologist about what kind of medication will suit the patient specifically.
    Psychotherapy: Long term psychotherapy is also known as talk therapy that can help the psychiatrist or clinical psychologist in talking the patient through the problems. Besides giving the patient the scope and platform to air out the problems and reach solutions regarding normal day to day functioning despite the troubles, this kind of therapy also aims at equipping the patient with a better perspective and improved attitude.

While going through this kind of therapy and medication, it is important to keep a team of nephrologists and psychiatrists in the loop so that the patient may reach out at any time in order to avail help in the most trying situations. This will give a blanket of security to the patient as well.

3 Ways a Dialysis Patient can Cope with Depression

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure that patients of kidney disease go through in order to replace a non functioning kidney with a live one that is healthy and functions well. Other methods to treat this disease also include dialysis, which basically is an artificial way of doing what our kidneys are designed to do. When dialysis does not work, many doctors recommend a kidney transplant. A replacement or donated kidney can come from a living donor or a non-living donor. This new kidney will mostly work towards keeping the blood clean, which is a function that stops when the old and diseased kidneys fail.
 
So, here's a list of five essential facts that you need to keep in mind if you are looking at a kidney transplant:

1. Donors: While there are living and non-living donors, the doctor will have to ensure that your donor is someone who has no medical history of complications, kidney disease or any other medical condition like diabetes or hypertension. Also, the donor would have to have two proper functioning kidneys. Further, one of the most important factors is the blood group. The blood group of the donor and the patient must match for the transplant to be possible.

2. Procedure: During the surgery, the patient will be under general anesthesia. The surgeon will make an incision in the lower abdomen area and the blood vessels of the new kidney will be connected surgically with the vein and iliac artery of the patient. Thereafter, any excess fluid will be drained before wrapping up the surgery.

3. Rejection: The patient's body may also reject the kidney. The immune system of the patient may mistake the new kidney as an attacking body and its natural defenses may work against it, which will lead to complications. For this, doctors usually prescribe immunosuppressant medicines that will help in preventing such an eventuality. 

4. Longevity: While a living donor's kidney may last longer, a non-living donor's kidney will not enjoy such a long life. In such cases, a second transplant can be conducted.

5. Diet: After the transplant, the patient will be required to go through a number of measures like coughing to show that the lungs are clear, as well as administration of fluids and some amount of examination and dialysis. Also, the patient will have to have a special diet that includes raw fruits and vegetables, and plenty of non-fat dairy ingredients.

A kidney transplant is a major operation that can change your lifestyle in the long run. 

5 Things You Should Know About Kidney Transplant

Don't wait any longer, manage your Home Hemodialysis Nurse online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Home Hemodialysis Nurse - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES