Most people believe kidneys to be organs solely responsible for the filtration of blood and production of urine. But the truth is that the kidneys perform a host of vital functions in the body which include regulation of blood pressure, blood volume, and blood Ph. Around half of the individuals affected by lupus suffer from kidney problems, and the most affected part is the glomerulus whose function is filtering substances from the blood.

Effects of lupus nephritis on the kidneys
Lupus itself doesn t lead to kidney infection or inflammation. But lupus nephritis, which is the Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that affects the kidneys and the medications used for treating the condition tend to suppress the immune system. It makes the person affected with lupus vulnerable to the infections of various types. It is one of the most severe conditions of that could be encountered by a person wherein the immune system starts attacking various parts of the body as they would tackle a disease.

Lupus nephritis makes the kidney unable to remove the waste materials effectively from the blood. This leads to loss of control over the amounts of fluids regulating in the body. As a result, an abnormal amount of waste can build up in the blood resulting in edema or swelling.

When left untreated, these conditions can cause scarring along with permanent damage to the kidneys and end-stage renal disease. When a person has end stage renal disease, he or she needs regular filtering of the waste products of the body with the help of a machine. In severe cases, a kidney transplant may be required to ensure that at least one kidney is working properly.

Individuals who are susceptible to developing lupus nephritis:
A person with lupus may see the symptoms of lupus nephritis within 5 years and the people aged between 20 and 40 years are most vulnerable to it. In some common instances, it is seen that lupus nephritis is leading to unexplained weight gain along with swelling and puffiness in different parts of the body such as ankles, hands, eyelids, legs, and feet. During the first stages, these symptoms are often ignored which causes worsening of the condition. The urine may also become frothy or foamy with a reddish tinge in it. It is estimated that about 40 percent of children having lupus would develop kidney complications. Lupus nephritis may also cause increased urination, blood in the urine and elevated blood pressure.

If you have lupus, it is imperative to consult with a nephrologist. Testing a sample of the urine can help in showing the problems in the functioning of the kidneys. Your doctor will advise you about the diagnostic tests that can help in determining whether the disease has progressed to severe levels and start with the treatment process accordingly.

How Does Lupus Nephritis Affect Your Kidneys?

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

Needless to say, your kidneys play an incredibly important role in filtering waste from your blood, and therefore maintain healthy functioning of the body. Blood pressure, production of red blood cells, and electrolyte balance, all of these are regulated by the proper functioning of the kidneys. Kidney failure causes too much build-up of waste nitrogen products,acids and/or excess fluid,which causes major cardio respiratory problem to the patient.
Symptoms-

Shortness of breath 
A reduced amount of urine
Swelling of your legs, ankles, and feet
Excessive drowsiness or fatigue  
Confusion
persistent nausea
Pain or pressure in your chest
Seizures
Coma 
Inability to properly remove potassium that runs in the bloodstream can lead to irregular heartbeat and ultimately, death that is sudden and unforeseen.

How can it be treated?
The causes of kidney failures are many and the key to treat them is to correct the underlying cause first. Chronic kidney disease, however, has no cure. Treatment generally comprises measures that aid in controlling symptoms and signs, reduce complications, and slow down the progression of this disease. Despite efforts to treat the cause, the condition might keep worsening and there is little to guarantee the fact that complications will not arise. This is precisely why it is of utmost importance to opt for examinations at regular intervals so that you may ascertain if your disease has remained stable or worsened.

End-stage of Kidney disease 
In the case that your kidneys are unable to keep up with fluid and waste clearance as is normally expected, then there s a good chance that you have developed a near-complete or complete case of kidney-failure, and are afflicted by end-stage kidney disease. If this is indeed the case, then you have two options to resort to:

Dialysis: This helps remove the extra waste products that the kidneys fail to do. In haemodialysis, fluid and waste filtering takes place with the aid of a machine that drives these excesses from the blood. In peritoneal dialysis, catheters are employed to rid the body of the accumulated waste products.
Transplant: Kidney transplants involve a surgical placement of a healthy kidney in your system from a compatible donor, either living or dead. Medications will be a necessity since the body has to be prevented from rejecting this new organ.
You may also opt for treating the condition with conservative measures in case you don t want to resort to the aforementioned procedures.

Kidney Failure - What Should You Know About it?

Nephropathy is also known as renal disease. It is any type of damage or disease relating to the kidneys. Though not everyone with diabetes has nephropathy, however, diabetic nephropathy can cause kidney failure.

How does diabetes affect the kidney?
Kidneys are responsible for taking waste out from your blood. They have a lot of tiny blood vessels to do this. High blood sugar may kill such blood vessels. Once these blood vessels are destroyed, the kidneys may not function as well or it may even lead to kidney failure.

What increases your risk of getting diabetic nephropathy?
There are several factors which increase your risk of getting diabetic nephropathy including: \
1. High blood pressure
2. High cholesterol
3. Smoking
4. Being native american, african american or of hispanic origin, for whom risk factors have proved to be magnified
5. If you have family history of diabetic nephropathy

Symptoms and diagnosis:
There are very few noticeable symptoms, which appear when you have diabetic nephropathy, except swelling in your arms and legs. The diagnosis is done by checking for a type of protein in your urine known as albumin, which is not supposed to be there. Getting the diagnosis done early is crucial.

Preventive measures
You can prevent kidney damage by doing the following:
1. Keeping your blood sugar levels under control - keep hba1c &lt; 6-7%
2. Keeping your blood pressure under control in the range of 130/80
3. Eating healthy food
4. Exercising regularly
5. Not eating too much protein
6. Not eating too much salt
7. Reducing smoke or excessive tobacco usage

Medicines for treatment
If you do get diabetic nephropathy, here are some medicines, which can help cure it
1. Ace inhibitors which are also called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
2. Angiotensin ii receptor blockers (arbs)

Possible complications
1. Blood pressure may rise
2. Triglyceride levels and cholesterol levels may rise.

All About Diabetic Nephropathy

Those two, small bean-shaped organs are indeed essential for a perfectly healthy life. To check if a person is dead or living, medical practitioners need to confirm response from three organs of the human body heart, brain and kidneys. Kidneys absorb impurities from the blood, thus, purifying it and lead to the production of urine. Urine is necessary to rid your system of body wastes. Kidneys play a key role in maintaining hormone balance. The presence of any factor that could impede free functioning of this organ should be diagnosed, treated and eliminated at the earliest possible. Kidney diseases and subsequent kidney failure see no age bar. It affects both young and old people. In case of younger folks, the symptoms take years to surface and thus the chances of a fatal outcome are even higher.

Causes of kidney failure at a tender age:

    Chain smoking is a trigger: Smokers suffer from a higher risk of kidney failure. Smoking is a bad habit that has engulfed almost ninety percent of young adults. Irrespective of awareness programs and warning messages, there are millions who smoke nonchalantly. Smoking is known to impair kidney function which again can have frightening implications.
    High blood pressure levels must be controlled: Since stress is a common phenomenon among most individuals high blood pressure is also prevalent among a majority of these individuals. Younger people suffer from high blood pressure due to workplace politics and familial tensions. High blood pressure should not be taken lightly. Exercising and regular medications should be opted for in order to counter the threat of kidney failure at a young age.
    If you are obese, you are stepping closer to the threat: If not optimal; being close to the optimal body weight is very necessary to keep health disorders in check. If you are obese, you are not safe; one must make efforts to lose weight or else face the alarming situation when his or her kidneys fail to function properly.
    Consumption of junk food can cause complications: Junk food is fatty. One must keep away from high-protein and high-fat diet. Food items rich in protein and fats can push you towards chronic kidney diseases.
    Genetics may discern the health of your kidneys: The incidence of kidney failure in your family history can make you prone to a similar condition. Extra care should be taken to avoid any such possibility. Regular health check-ups should be undertaken.

Why You May be at the Risk of Kidney Failure at an Early Age

Kidneys are an important part of the human body. From filtering wastes from the blood to maintaining the blood pressure and red blood cell count in the body, the kidney does it all. Both the kidneys are essential organs and should there be any discomfort in the kidneys, one should consult a medical practitioner as soon as possible. Kidney failure is a common problem in people. This issue manifests itself with certain signs and symptoms. One should listen to these symptoms and act quickly before the condition worsens. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of kidney failure.

Interestingly, in the initial stages, kidney failure portrays no symptoms. It starts developing slowly and steadily causing discomfort in other parts of the body and hindering the working of other organs.

Weakness: If you are suffering from kidney failure, you will start feeling weak. Weakness is however not a symptom which can confirm a kidney failure. Weakness is caused due to many other health issues and thus, you need to verify with other symptoms to be sure of the fact that you are suffering from kidney failure only.

Shortness of Breath: You may start experiencing heavy breathing right after doing some rigorous work. In fact, you might feel shortness of breath or be panting for long moments after climbing just a set of stairs. Shortness of breath is quite common indicating that the body is getting tired after doing work. Such indication, more than once a day, calls for an immediate check up of the body.

Lethargy: While most people, especially the young generation to those in the early thirties jokingly declare themselves as lazy people; lethargy, however, is a symptom of many diseases. Various health issues develop if you feel lethargic of working. Apart from kidney failure, diabetes is also manifested in lethargic body movements. At times, just getting out of the bed in the morning seems very tiring and one continues to lie on the bed even after he/she is fully awake.

Stomach Pain: If you experience pain in the stomach, especially in the sides, then it should be immediately checked by a medical practitioner. Doctors say that kidney failure can bring about stomach pains.

Unusual Urine Discharges: This would include clear urine discharges which indicate that the kidney has stopped filtering the waste products.

Thus, these are some of the most important and common symptoms of kidney failure. If you notice any of these, it is advised to visit a doctor for a check up.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure

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