A kidney transplant is a procedure that employs an operation to transplant properly functioning kidney in the body. The main job of the kidneys is to remove the excess waste from a person s body with the help of a filtration process. When the kidneys stop filtering the toxins properly, they become diseased as harmful waste products and toxins begin to accumulate in the body. Following this, the patient has to go through treatment measures like dialysis or kidney transplant.

Read on to know the five things you should keep in mind about a kidney transplant.

Treatment: Transplant is one of the best ways to treat chronic kidney disease stage-V, until unless it is contraindicated. Life becomes near normal after transplant, though there is a possibility of rejection of transplant kidney. Patient has to take immunosuppressive medication life long. 
Medication: Medications are mainly for:
To prevent rejection: Patient takes immunosuppressive medications life long. 
Prevention of infection: Patient has to take care all the measures to prevent infections as they are more prone to infections. 
Other medication: To control diabetes, HTN etc. 
Family Only: The donors are from family or emotionally related or cadavers (after brain death). HLA-matched donors are better because of less chances of rejections and first reduction of immunosuppressive. 
Doing Your Part: Once transplant is done - patient becomes normal and he/she lives a normal life. However, they have to take regular medications and to protect themselves from various infection. 
End Stage Renal Diseases: These diseases includes diabetes mellitus, HTN, polycystic kidney disease, chronic glomerulonephritis or interstitial nephritis etc.
Consult your Nephrologist before going for renal transplant for detailed check up or line of action.

Kidney Transplant - 5 Things About it !

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?

Chronic kidney disease is defined as kidney damage or a decreased kidney glomerular filtration rate of less than 60, for 3 months or more, irrespective of the cause. This results in a progressive decline in kidney function, resulting in accumulation of toxic waste products, excess water and salts, increased blood pressure, anemia and many other complex symptoms. Chronic renal failure is divided into Stages I - V, out of which the first three stages are asymptomatic, and usually discovered incidentally, while doing routine blood tests.

Symptoms of chronic kidney disease

Most people do not have severe symptoms until the disease gets worse. However, you may:

Have less energy
Have trouble thinking clearly
Have a poor appetite
Have trouble sleeping
Have dry, itchy skin
Have muscle cramping at night
Have swollen feet and ankles
Have puffiness around your eyes, especially in the morning
Need to urinate more often, especially at night
The management of chronic renal failure consists of treatment of the underlying cause if possible, aggressive treatment of high blood pressure and other symptoms, liquid and diet control, cessation of smoking, and finally, with end-stage disease, resorting to dialysis or a kidney transplant.

The Ayurvedic treatment of chronic renal failure is based on three principles:

Treating the damaged kidneys
Treating the body tissues (dhatus) which make up the kidneys and
Treating the known cause.
For patients with chronic renal failure intending to take Ayurvedic treatment (or for that matter, any alternative treatment), the following points should be kept in mind:

All patients should be under the regular supervision and treatment of a qualified and experienced Urologist

Ayurvedic medicines should be taken in the form of additional treatment, and should not replace other, regular treatment or dialysis.

The advantage of using Ayurvedic medicines in chronic renal failure is that in most patients, the kidney damage can be either partly or fully reversed, the frequency of dialysis can be reduced, and the increased risk of death from cardiovascular diseases can be significantly reduced. Thus, Ayurvedic medicines have the potential for an important therapeutic contribution in all the stages of this condition. We are treating Kidney patients with excellent results. We have developed specific Panchakarma treatment protocol and specific medicines for kidney patients. 2 to 3 weeks Panchakarma treatments specially Basti karma, Shirodhara, abhayangam with medicated oil and special Ayurvedic diet plan gives tremendous relief.

Chronic Renal Failure - Ways Ayurveda Can Treat 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

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

A lot of bad things can and do happen when the kidneys fail.  The kidneys are vital for proper bodily functioning because they filter liquid and solid waste products out of the blood and allow vital chemicals (which the body needs for functioning) to flow into the body through the bloodstream.  People can become very sick when the kidneys either fail to perform these functions or fail to perform them properly.  Many people will get chronic kidney disease, therefore, they need to know what the causes and symptoms are in order to treat, and even prevent these diseases from occurring.

People who suddenly experience the following symptoms should see a nephrologist as soon as possible for a medical examination:  blood or protein in the urine, kidney stones, acute kidney injury, kidney infections, and/or pain, and Hepatitis C and kidney disease.  

Blood in the urine can be a sign of kidney problems which can lead to kidney disease.  Additionally, people who urinate frothy or bubbly urine, or have swelling in the hands, face, and feet should see a doctor because this is a sign of protein in the urine.  Protein in the urine can be detected by a urine test.  Kidney stones can be very painful and are problematic.  They are caused by mineral buildup in the kidneys.  Men and white people tend to get kidney stones more, and they can cause blood in the urine, painful urination, sharp lower abdominal or back pain, and nausea and vomiting.

Acute kidney injury occurs when the kidneys stop functioning altogether in a short period of time.  Because this disease can be deadly, those with this disease should get immediate medical help.  Usually, the very sick patients in hospitals get this disease, but it can also be caused by certain medicines, injury, or infections.  This type of kidney disease is easily reversible.  

Symptoms include

Not passing enough urine when urinating
Leg, ankle, or feet swelling
Fatigue
Breathing problems
Confusion
Nausea, and chest pressure or pain. 
Kidney infections tend to be caused by bacteria that have spread from the urinary tract.  Women, because of their anatomy, tend to get kidney infections more than men. 

Symptoms include:

Fever
Vomiting
Back, side or groin pain
Chills
Nausea
Frequent urination
Frequent urges to urinate
Painful or burning urination
Pus or blood in the urine
Cloudy or foul-smelling urine
Kidney pain in the lower back or sides can signify more serious kidney problems.  They can be caused by urinary tract infections, polycystic kidney disease, kidney infections, blood clots, and/or bleeding in the kidneys.  
Hepatitis C is a disease that attacks the liver and can cause kidney disease.  

Symptoms include

Loss of appetite
Nausea
Fever
Fatigue
Vomiting
Dark colored urine
Grey colored stool
Joint pain
Yellow skin and eyes
While kidney diseases are at best unpleasant, and at worst, life-threatening, they can be avoided by drinking lots of water, eating a healthy low salt diet, and watching for any changes in health and urine over time.



What Happens When Kidneys Fail & Signs That Indicate It

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