One single kidney in place of two is a scenario which is often termed as solitary kidney.

Who has a solitary kidney?

Their body functions normally and are generally not unhealthy. This is also known as renal agenesis.
In some cases, people are born with two kidneys with just one of them healthy and fully functional. The other one does not function fully or partially. This condition is known as kidney dysplasia.
A person who had to undergo a kidney removal surgery (nephrectomy); such a surgery is conducted when a person has an infected kidney or diseased, malfunctioning/cancerous growths on the kidney.
A person who has donated a kidney to someone who required kidney transplantation.
What potential health risks does a person with a solitary kidney have?

Normally, a person born with a single kidney does not have any such potential health risks. They are generally healthy and lead normal lives.
Later in life, there may or may not be slight loss or degradation in the functioning of the kidney.
The life span of a person with a single kidney is normal. There is no apparent effect on the mortality rates.
What kind of special diet must a person with a single kidney follow?

There is no need of any such special diet for a person with a single kidney.
Normal healthy balanced diet with all the essential nutrients should suffice.
You must be careful about your animal protein intake and calcium supplements.
Drink sufficient quantity of water to remain hydrated all day and prevent the urine from turning acidic.
Controlled consumption of alcohol and caffeine is a must. It is also important to reduce the consumption of aerated drinks.
Exercises and Physical activities for a person with a single kidney:

A person with a solitary kidney can function like any other normal individual.
You may also participate in sports. However, you must take enough precaution to prevent injuries to your kidney. Proper padding and protection around your lower abdominal region and back is of utmost necessity.
You can hit the gym, run a marathon and nothing is impossible for you.

Living With Solitary Kidney - Things You Need to Know!

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

Two kidneys are present on either side of the spine, above the waist. The kidneys perform important functions of cleansing the blood, controlling blood pressure and maintaining salt and mineral balances. Kidney related issues are to be treated as soon as they occur as failing to do so might lead to kidney failure, which is a serious condition.

Ayurvedic approach for treating kidney related problems
Each type of medical treatment has their distinctive approaches towards such treatment and so does Ayurvedic care. The weak body is toned up in a natural way in the first stage. The second stage is the prevention of diseases using natural remedies and the final stage is treatment through ayurvedic care.

Causes for kidney related issues and Ayurvedic care for such issues
The causes for kidney related issues are toxins, anatomical abnormalities, abiotic stress, mental imbalance, the easy entrance of microvita, and side effects of various allopathic medicines. One major reason for kidney related problems is the side effects of modern medicines or over dosage of allopathic medication. On the contrary, the medication system of Ayurveda effectively treats all the issues in a natural way without imposing ill-effects to the human body.

When to seek Ayurvedic care?
A few symptoms, the occurrence of which indicates that you should consult a doctor for checking of kidney related issues are nausea, weakness, ankle swelling, vomiting and shortness of breath. A few other symptoms are high blood pressure or urea and decreased hemoglobin. If these symptoms are due to kidney related problems, Ayurveda cure for kidney related issues is one of the best options for recovery.

Prevention of kidney failure- Ayurveda treatment to avoid dialysis
"Prevention is better than cure." If kidney problems arise, it is best to take preventive measures to avoid kidney failure. A few things that help in preventing kidney failure are controlling blood pressure, controlling blood sugar and improving breathing pattern. Diet plays a major role in preventing kidney failure. Ayurveda approach insists the change of acidic diet to an alkaline one. Diabetes and blood sugar can also lead to kidney failure. According to Ayurveda, natural remedies are available to treat chronic kidney failure patients. Dialysis can be avoided and the kidney functions can be restored with the help of a few herbal remedies in the Ayurveda approach. The level of creatinine and urea are controlled effectively by Ayurveda treatment

Recovery using Ayurveda care for kidney failure patients
Kidney damage for a period of 3 months or more is known as chronic kidney failure. The treatment of underlying cause, treatment of damaged kidneys and treatment of dhatus (body tissues) which makes up the kidneys are done in the case of Ayurvedic care. The kidneys are made up of "Rakta" and "Meda" and treating these two will lead to recovery. The benefits of using Ayurvedic medications for kidney related issues are plenty. The kidney damage is recovered, the risk of death can be reduced to a significant extent and frequency of dialysis can be minimized effectively.

Kidney Issues - How Ayurveda Can Help You?

A dialysis diet is a special diet that is customized for patients who are or will be starting dialysis within a short period of time. Such a diet is prepared to reduce the waste and fluid levels that keep on accumulating between the dialysis sessions so that the patient remains healthy for the process to be carried out seamlessly.

What can you eat?
Eat foods which are rich in high-quality proteins (poultry, fish, lean meat and egg whites).

What can t you eat?
Eat less of foods which are rich in sodium and phosphorus.

Foods high in Sodium
1. Use minimum salt in preparing the dishes; this helps control BP and probable weight gain that might happen between the dialysis sessions.
2. Make use of spices, herbs and other salt-flavored enhancers.

Meat
1. Patients on dialysis need to include more of high-quality protein foods in their diet. This will help regulate blood protein levels. Eat about 10 ounces of foods rich in high-quality protein every day.
2. 1 egg,   cup of ricotta cheese,   cup of tuna.

Salads/Vegetables

The potassium content of vegetables can be alarming for a patient on dialysis. Eat 3 servings of vegetables that are low in potassium every day. These include broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, carrots, garlic, cucumber, eggplant, celery, radishes, etc.
Avoid vegetables such as beets, potatoes (in any form- wafers or wedges), winter squash, cooked spinach, pumpkin, asparagus and avocado.
Note:

Although seeds, nuts, peanut butter, lentils, dried beans and peas are rich in protein, they are generally struck off from the diet plan because of their high phosphorus and potassium content.
You can have moderate amounts of grains, bread and cereals.
Try and not have brown bread and other whole grains as they are loaded with phosphorus.
Usually, 5-10 servings of these are considered sufficient for patients on dialysis.
Also, limit intake of milk and other dairy products.
  cup yoghurt or   a cup of milk is considered safe. Also, remember that all varieties of milk- skim, whole and low fat, have the same amount of phosphorus.
All fruits contain some amount of potassium. However, some of them contain more potassium than the others. Limit your intake of fruit juices.
Avoid or limit fruits like: 
Orange juice and oranges
Kiwis
Prune juice and prunes
Dried fruit and raisins
Melons
Bananas

Dialysis - What To Eat & What To Avoid?

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a condition, which is born due to an imbalance of hormones within the female body. When this happens, the female body faces anumber of problems as far as her periods or menstrual cycles goes, besides finding it difficult to conceive naturally and easily. Let us find out more about this condition.

PCOS and hormones
To begin with, let us understand what hormones are. These are chemical impulses that send messages to various parts of the brain and rest of the body to signal the release of other kinds of hormones that may be vital for various functions. In PCOS, it is normally seen that the sex hormones are thrown out of balance, due to which the ovaries start producing a small dose of some male hormones. This creates problems as far as ovulation is concerned and also, it gives rise to the growth of facial hair, acne and changes in the overall appearance of the patient. Insulin resistance is another cause that may also trigger PCOS. It is also an inherited issue in many cases.

Symptoms
From irregular periods to an increase in acne and facial hair, there are many symptoms that may point at the existence of this condition. Fertility problems and issues related to normal ovulation are also often seen in women who are suffering from this condition due to the irregular periods. Additionally, depression may be seen in many patients who are suffering from this condition on a chronic basis. Thinning of hair and excess weight gain with difficulty in losing extra pounds may also be indicative of PCOS.

Diagnosis
The diagnosis of PCOS is usually done with the help of a physical examination as well as a blood test that will primarily help in determining the sugar levels and insulin. The doctor will also conduct other hormone tests so as to understand which hormones are not in balance and which ones may be triggering changes in the body. Apart from all this, the doctor will also study the body mass index (BMI) of the patient to find out if there has been a sudden and drastic change on the weight of the patient. During the lab tests, where the blood and urine are examined, the doctor will also seek to rule out any anomalies in the thyroid gland. An ultrasound of the ovaries will also be conducted.

Treatment
Weight loss programs as well as diet tweaks that remove excess dairy and meat may be recommended by the doctor. Further, the doctor may also put the patient on birth control pills so as to bring better balance of hormones. Moreover, moderate exercise will be required for the patient so that the normal production of hormones may be resumed eventually. 

PCOS - How It Can Be Diagnosed?

Urine is normally pale yellow or straw coloured. However, for various reasons, this can change. In fact, the change in the colour of urine is one of the first indications of a deeper underlying problem. This would also be one of the questions that the doctor would ask when suspecting any problem with the urinary tract, starting from infection to stones to cancer.

Hematuria is, therefore, a symptom and not a problem in itself. Some of the reasons for hematuria   presence of blood cells in the urine, producing a light pinkish urine, are listed below.

Urinary tract infections   starting from urethra all the way up to the kidneys

Glomerulonephritis

Kidney Stones-

Prostate enlargement

Tumours/cancers in the kidney, bladder, or prostate

Heavy exercises causing trauma to any of the internal urinary tract organs

Bleeding disorders

Certain medications

Appendicitis

Tuberculosis

As the disease progresses higher in the urinary tract, the severity of hematuria also increases. Though hematuria is a symptom in itself, there are some associated symptoms which are listed below-

Fever

Fatigue

Abdominal pain

Reduced appetite

Urge to urinate

Dysuria

Painful/burning urination

Feeling of incomplete emptying

Nocturnal urination (if prostate is enlarged)

Cloudy urine

Nausea, vomiting

Kidney pain (with stones especially)

Homeopathy believes in treating the person as a whole and not just the presenting symptoms. The doctor will ask a number of questions, some pertaining to unrelated organs, which will help them identify the reason for the hematuria. The treatment prescribed will be customised to the patient in question, but some of the common ingredients used in hematuria management are given below.

Hematuria from all causes can be managed with Terebinthina.

Bladder hematuria is better managed with Erigeron Canadense at 80% concentration while renal hematuria responds better to the same at 60% dilution.

Inflammatory hematuria can be reduced with Cantharis (80%)

Renal hematuria is better managed with Gossypium herbaceous (60%).

Renal colic with pain in the glans, groyne, and thighs responds well to Pereira brava.

Cocus cacti thrice a day is useful where there is itching of the urinary meatus along with the passing of red-coloured urine.

When there are small stones or sand particles in the urine along with pain at the end of the micturition process, Sarsaparilla thrice a day is known to be beneficial.

In some other people, Arnica Montana, Cantharis, phosphorus, and Hepar Sulphur are also used to relieve symptoms of hematuria.

As with any homeopathic treatment, the actual ingredient chosen would depend on the actual symptom that the patient presents with. Though these compounds are used, self-medication is not advisable. Talk to a specialized homeopath who will identify the right ingredient for a given clinical presentation.

Hematuria - Symptoms and Treatment

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