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

You're said to suffer from the problem of acute kidney failure if your kidneys suddenly stop working and lose their ability to eliminate waste materials including excess fluids and salts from the blood. The condition usually develops quickly over a few days or even a few hours. When this happens, waste materials accumulate in your blood, disrupting the chemical balance of your bloodstream.

So, what causes this problem?

Acute kidney failure can occur because of any one of these reasons:

1. A drop or slowdown of blood flow to the kidneys - Adequate blood circulation to the kidneys is of great importance as without it the kidneys may end malfunctioning. If blood flow to the kidney is hampered, a part of or the entire kidney may die. You may suffer from acute kidney failure if blood flow to the kidneys gets impaired due to conditions like

Heavy blood loss
Sepsis (body's inflammatory reaction to an infection, which can bring about organ failure, tissue damage, and death)
Injury
Use of certain drugs
Dehydration
Burns
Heart disease
2. Urinary obstructions - A sudden blockage that hampers your kidney's ability to eliminate urine can also bring about acute kidney failure. When this happens, it leads to a build up of toxins in the body, causing an overload of the kidneys. Conditions that bring about this urinary obstruction include:

Cervical cancer
Colon cancer
Bladder cancer
Kidney stones
Enlarged prostate
Prostate cancer
3. Disease within the kidneys - Even instances of clotting within the blood vessels of the kidneys can lead to acute kidney failure. This is because if the movement of blood cells within the blood vessels gets hampered, kidneys are not able to filter out toxins from the body. The conditions and diseases that may cause clotting, and subsequently damage to the kidneys include:

Scleroderma (an autoimmune disease that affects connective tissues and skin)
Build-up of cholesterol deposits
Glomerulonephritis (an inflammatory condition of the kidney's ball-shaped structures called glomeruli)
Hemolytic uremic syndrome (a condition that occurs due to untimely death of red blood cells)
Lupus (a disorder of the body's immune system that brings about damage to the body's own organs and tissues)

3 Causes of Acute Kidney Failure!

Kidney failure and other kidney problems are the leading causes of death nowadays. Common problems that lead to kidney failure include chronic blood pressure and chronic uncontrolled diabetes. However, there are a number of ayurvedic medications which help solve kidney failure and other kidney problems including;

1. Punarnava

Punarnava is commonly called hogweed as well but the medical name for it is boerhavia diffusa. It is extremely helpful in preventing micturition, a disorder which is characterized by unexplained fainting after urinating. However, that is not the only symptoms hogweed helps with as it also removes excess water from the body due to kidney failure.

2. Varun

Varun is commonly known as caper and is medically known as crataeva nurvala. The diseases which varun is best at dealing with are urinary tract infections and renal stones. Varun also helps in stopping the swelling and extra fluid accumulation after kidney failure.

3. Gokshura

Gokshura is known as tribulus terrestris and is an herbal tonic for the genito-urinary system. Gokshura is one of the best ways to avoid dialysis. This is because it stops infections from occurring and also clears obstructions in the urinary tract. It is also very good at regenerating the kidney cells.

4. Raktachandan

Rakt chandan is known as p. Santalinus or red sandalwood and is another excellent remedy for kidney problems. It acts as both a diuretic and an anti-infectant.

5. Palaash

Palaash, medically, is known as butea monosperma. It is a type of urinary alkalizer and it also stops micturition. A urinary alkalizer is a medication which allows the urine to pass more easily. This is yet another great remedy for kidney failure.

6. Kaasni

Kaasni is commonly known as chicory but its medical name is cichorium intybus. Kaasni gives strength to the kidneys and is also a very good alkalizer. However, its most valuable property is the fact that it helps in nephritis and nephrotic syndrome (disorder of the kidneys characterized by protein loss).

Ayurveda and Kidney Problems

3 Causes of Acute Kidney Failure

You're said to suffer from the problem of acute kidney failure if your kidneys suddenly stop working and lose their ability to eliminate waste materials including excess fluids and salts from the blood. The condition usually develops quickly over a few days or even a few hours. When this happens, waste materials accumulate in your blood, disrupting the chemical balance of your bloodstream.

So, what causes this problem?

Acute kidney failure can occur because of any one of these reasons:

1. A drop or slowdown of blood flow to the kidneys - Adequate blood circulation to the kidneys is of great importance as without it the kidneys may end malfunctioning. If blood flow to the kidney is hampered, a part of or the entire kidney may die. You may suffer from acute kidney failure if blood flow to the kidneys gets impaired due to conditions like

-Heavy blood loss
-Sepsis (body's inflammatory reaction to an infection, which can bring about organ failure, tissue damage, and death)
-Injury
-Use of certain drugs
-Dehydration
-Burns
-Heart disease

2. Urinary obstructions - A sudden blockage that hampers your kidney's ability to eliminate urine can also bring about acute kidney failure. When this happens, it leads to a build up of toxins in the body, causing an overload of the kidneys. Conditions that bring about this urinary obstruction include:

-Cervical cancer
-Colon cancer
-Bladder cancer
-Kidney stones
-Enlarged prostate
-Prostate cancer

3. Disease within the kidneys - Even instances of clotting within the blood vessels of the kidneys can lead to acute kidney failure. This is because if the movement of blood cells within the blood vessels gets hampered, kidneys are not able to filter out toxins from the body. The conditions and diseases that may cause clotting, and subsequently damage to the kidneys include:

-Scleroderma (an autoimmune disease that affects connective tissues and skin)
-Build-up of cholesterol deposits
-Glomerulonephritis (an inflammatory condition of the kidney's ball-shaped structures called glomeruli)
-Hemolytic uremic syndrome (a condition that occurs due to untimely death of red blood cells)
-Lupus (a disorder of the body's immune system that brings about damage to the body's own organs and tissues)



3 Causes of Acute Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is happening even to 20-year-old Indians now! 4 Reasons why.

Usually more common in the elderly as a consequence of the chronic kidney disease, kidney failure is now increasingly becoming common amongst 20-somethings in the country. 

Why?
Mainly because of their unhealthy lifestyle habits, they are falling prey to a disease that normally strikes later on in life. 

Kidney failure, also known as renal failure, occurs when the kidneys stop functioning properly, that is, they are unable to filter out waste and toxins efficiently from the body. It is the most severe stage of chronic kidney disease. To ensure that toxins don't build up in the body, treatment usually involves dialysis (process for removing excess fluid and waste from the blood) or kidney transplant, among others. It is said that about 1 million people all over the world are on dialysis or are surviving on transplanted kidneys. The condition is permanent and can occur either very suddenly or slowly over time. 

These frightening habits of the young are leading to the rise of the incidence of renal failure:
1. A sedentary lifestyle - A research conducted by the University of Utah School of Medicine suggests that if you spend 80 minutes a day sitting, you see a 20% increase in the risk of developing chronic kidney disease and, in turn, renal failure.Sedentary behaviour can also increase your risk of diabetes, hypertension as well as obesity (causes of chronic kidney disease).India is said to have about 60% of patients who suffer from hypertension and diabetes also suffer from kidney problem. 

2. Poor eating habits - Studies suggest that the right diet consisting of fruits legumes, nuts, and whole grains can help in preventing kidney disease.On the other hand, a diet that is high in processed meats; salt and sugar can worsen the vicious cycle of high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and kidney disease. Furthermore, a BMI of over 30 can increase your risk of developing common kidney ailments by two-fold. With the proliferation of fast food outlets and junk food due to lack of time, Indians are increasingly now at a risk.

3. Smoking - Smoking brings about a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, rendering the organs inefficient. When you smoke, the arteries of your body harden and the blood vessels become narrow, leading to a worsening of conditions like high blood pressure. A study by the John Hopkins University says that smoking can increase your chances of developing kidney disease by about 60%. Many young Indians view smoking as fashionable and some even take it up to 'look cool', to beat stress or just to blend in with their peers. 

4. Drinking alcohol - Excessive alcohol consumption can bring about significant changes to the way your kidneys may function. Your kidneys end up becoming less efficient at removing alcohol from the blood due to regular drinking. Additionally, more than 2 drinks a day has been found to significantly increase your risk of high blood pressure, a common cause of kidney disease.



20-Year-Old Indians Experiencing Kidney Failure! 4 Killer Reasons.

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

Don't wait any longer, manage your Kidney Transplant online with a Lybrate doctor today

Consult for Kidney Transplant - Online and Easy!

FilterClear All

COMMON SPECIALITIES

COMMON ISSUES