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?

When your kidney function falls below a certain point, it is referred to as a kidney failure or renal failure. Fortunately, you can still continue to lead a normal life with the right treatment for renal failure. Here are the three best treatments that you can choose depending on your condition and lifestyle:

1. Dialysis: Dialysis is the process that takes over the function of your kidneys to filter out the waste from your blood and maintain the proper balance of chemicals in the blood. You may use dialysis for many years or as a short-term treatment while waiting for a kidney transplant. Dialysis is not a cure for kidney disease, rather it helps you deal with renal failure. It is life-saving and without it, the kidneys will no longer function.

There are two types of dialysis treatments that you can choose from:

Hemodialysis   This type uses a machine to remove waste from the blood and sends it back to your body. It can be done at home or at a dialysis center.
Peritoneal Dialysis   This type uses the lining of your belly called the Peritoneum to do the work of your kidneys. A catheter and dialysis solution is used to carry out the function.
There are benefits and complications for each type of dialysis. The treatment decision will largely depend on the patient s illness and their past medical history. Discuss with your doctor to decide the best option for you.

2. Kidney Transplant: Kidney transplants can provide a better quality of life than dialysis and can be seen as a potential cure for kidney failure. A healthy kidney from a live donor or deceased donor is surgically placed in your body as a replacement to the failed kidneys. Although this may be a better option for you, it has certain shortcomings. There is an element of rejection and you may have to wait for a long time to get a donor. Extensive testing and anti-rejection medications are prescribed with this treatment.

3. Palliative Care: Rather than cure, it is the care that people with serious illness need. With so much to deal with, the patients have an array of tough questions and challenges to deal with. Patients need to take into account all medical options and care options based on their condition and severity of the renal failure.

Making the right treatment choice is difficult and that too when you are ill. It is normal to be fearful and worried about the risks involved. Get support from your family and doctor to help you make the right treatment choice. It may also be helpful to visit a dialysis or transplant center to talks to others who have been through these treatments.

3 Best Treatments for Renal Failure!

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

The main task of the kidneys is to balance the electrolytes in the blood and maintain the pH homeostasis. The kidneys also remove waste products from the blood. Infections in the kidney aren t uncommon and affect women (majorly pregnant women) and children below the age of two in most conditions.

Kidney infections are of two types:

Uncomplicated kidney infection: The infections in this condition are minor and can be cured with minimal medication.
Complicated kidney infection: These infections are more complex and serious as compared to the uncomplicated ones.
If not treated on time, kidney infection can prove to become a serious condition and lead to various complications including kidney damage and blood poisoning (sepsis).

The most common causes of kidney infections are:

Weak immune system: If you have a weak immune system, you are prone to getting a bacterial or fungal infection on the surface of your skin which eventually enters the bloodstream. The infection might right reach the kidneys and cause an infection there.
Bacteria entering from the urethra: The pathogen which causes an infection can enter the body through the urethra and multiply in the bladder. The infection spreads to the kidneys and causes renal infection.
Kidney stones: People diagnosed with kidney stones are at a very high risk of developing kidney infections. Kidney stones are caused because of a build-up of dissolved minerals in the inner lining of the kidneys.
Enlarged prostate: Men with an excessively enlarged prostate are prone to developing kidney infections as compared to men with a normal-sized prostate.
Intercourse: Engaging in sexual (anal or vaginal) intercourse with an infected person can be a major reason for kidney infection as the bacteria can enter the body through the anus or the vagina and affect the kidneys.
It is not difficult to detect infection in the kidneys as they have very visible symptoms. A few symptoms of kidney infection are:

Excessive back pain
Sudden chills or fever
Nausea and puking
Blood in the urine
Pain while urinating

Kidney Infections - Factors That Put You At Risk!

The ideal diet after a kidney transplant

A kidney transplant is a surgical procedure where your kidneys are cleansed and rebuild using the kidneys of a deceased person, in order to flush out the excessive waste fluids from the kidneys. It is of paramount importance and your dietary patterns and lifestyle should be altered after you go through a kidney transplant. Your dietician will help you out by preparing your diet chart to clearly list out the foods that you should consume and those which you should avoid after the surgery. The diet chart that would be prepared for you would be highly subjective and it would totally depend  on your lifestyle, medical history, family health records, genetically transmitted conditions and such others. Apart from improving the condition of your kidney and assisting your transplant, the diet chart will also help you to lose weight, boost your metabolism and enhance your immune system. Some of the most common recommendations that your dietician may give you are as follows:

-Eating at least 5 full servings of fresh fruits and vegetables each day as both are an important part of a healthy diet for a person who has just undergone a kidney transplant. The vegetables should mostly be eaten after cooking/boiling as per the suggestions of your dietician.
-Having enough of fiber rich foods in your daily diet is essential as it speeds up the process of digestion and prevents constipation by promoting frequent and easy bowel movements.
-If you are a non-vegetarian, then you should be going for lean meat alternatives which are low on fat and high on nutritional value. -Examples of such meat are fishes and poultry. Additionally, you should also avoid all kinds of red meat as it is high on fat.
-Consume low-fat milk and dairy products as they help to prevent the fat accumulation inside the body and also maintain an acceptable level of calcium and phosphorus inside your body.
-Maintain a low level of iodized salt in your meals, as it helps to keep your blood pressure under control.
Over the counter health supplements like vitamins and proteins can also be taken, if recommended by your dietician.

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The Ideal Diet after a Kidney Transplant

Acute kidney failure is the kidney's inability to filter waste from the blood. As soon as the kidney loses the filtering ability, a humungous amount of body waste gets accumulated in the kidney and the chemical makeup of the body goes out of balance. Kidney or renal failure can progress tremendously from hours to days. This is a condition that is mostly witnessed in critical patients who are already hospitalized. This condition can prove to be fatal but can be reversed with treatment and medication. Here is a list of things one should do whilst suffer from kidney failure:

Lifestyle and dietary adjustments
During the phase of recovery, the medical team might assist a patient to go a special diet and limit the activity of the kidney so that they get the required time to heal. A nephrologist often routes this cases to a dietician or carefully analyses the present diet to lock up on the diet required for a speedy recovery:
Lower amount of potassium in food: Food with low potassium content is often recommended by the doctor. It ensures that kidney does not stress itself. Foods to avoid include spinach, bananas, oranges, tomato and potato. Some of the foods that need to be included in the diet are cabbage, strawberries, apples and grapes. Furthermore, food must be consumed in small quantities but in multiple servings.
Limit the amount of phosphorus in food: Phosphorus is found in abundant quantities in food items such as peanut butter, milk, dried beans, cheese and nuts. Along with skin itchiness, phosphorus can weaken the bone as well. A dietitian might share special instructions on how to cut down the amount of phosphorus and the substitute food to counter the effect of the above-mentioned ones.
Avoid salty products: It is extremely necessary to cut down food items that contain an excess amount of salt in it. Food products such as the canned soup, frozen dinner, and fast food are the major culprits in worsening the condition. Processed meats and cheese are equally bad.

Preventive measures to avoid kidney failure:

OTC pain medications: It is necessary to check the label of over the counter pain medications. Consumption of too many OTC medications can result in kidney failure. A pre-existing kidney condition can further aggravate this condition.
A healthy lifestyle: A sensible lifestyle with simple diet can do wonders for a kidney to be healthy in the long-term. Some of the other things to keep in mind include doing regular exercise, refrain from alcohol or drug abuse and remain active throughout the day.
Consult a doctor: Even a hint of a kidney problem should be discussed with a doctor to ensure that even the smallest of problems can be addressed at the earliest. 

Acute Kidney Failure - What Should You Do In Such A Case?

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