If your doctor ever diagnoses you with chronic kidney disease, he/she will give you two options to choose from. The first option is to undergo dialysis for the rest of your life, while the other option is to undergo a kidney transplant. While you may prefer avoiding a major surgery, such as a transplant, dialysis is not the best solution for your condition.

Here are some reasons why you should consider kidney transplant surgery over dialysis if you are looking for better health for the long-term:

1. Increases your life expectancy: What you may not know is that people on dialysis treatment have a severely reduced life expectancy. For instance, if you are 30 years old when dialysis starts, the treatment will keep you alive at most for 15 more years. Therefore, you may not even survive until your fifties with dialysis treatment for your damaged kidneys.

However, if you transplant a healthy kidney your life expectancy increases by 30 to 40 years. Keep in mind that kidneys from living donors are better and will help you live longer.

2. Eliminates the need for undergoing dialysis: If you choose dialysis over transplant surgery, you will need to undergo the treatment on a daily basis. This is not only costly but also affects your quality of life. For instance, a patient on dialysis will need to make special arrangements if he/she wants to go on a vacation with family so that his treatment continues even during the trip.

With a kidney transplant surgery, once you recover from the operation, you can live a normal life, without the need for daily treatment.

3. Lower cost of treatment: While you may think kidney transplant surgery is the costlier option between it and dialysis, you would be wrong to assume so. In kidney transplantation surgery, you pay a hefty amount at the time of the operation. However, in the case of dialysis, you pay smaller sums over very long periods. When you add up these small sums over 10-15 years of dialysis, you will find that transplantation is the cheaper option.

If you are young and have a long life ahead of you, kidney transplantation should be the first and foremost choice of treatment for chronic kidney disease. You can undergo dialysis while you wait for a donor and then receive a healthy organ.

Why Kidney Transplant Should Be Preferred Over Dialysis?

With sedentary lifestyle, refined and processed food habits, obesity and diabetes is the new age epidemic. India, in fact, is being termed as the diabetes capital of the world given the huge rise in the number of cases over the last couple of decades.
There are well established risk factors for diabetes and if these can be managed, then the chance of delaying onset, controlling progress and containing complications are highly possible. Read on to know how simple things can be effective in preventing and managing diabetes.


Weight control: Obesity is the most important risk factor for developing diabetes. A person with normal BMI is 20 to 40 times less likely to develop diabetes than an overweight person. Losing about 10% of the excess weight can help prevent diabetes by more than 50%. Check with your doctor what should be the ideal recommended weight for you and draw up a routine (diet, exercise, etc.) that will help you achieve and stay around that weight range.
Exercise: All methods of exercise help in moving the muscles, which is drastically reduced given our sedentary lifestyle. Moving the muscle (as much and as often as possible) ensures they absorb more glucose and reduce the stress on insulin production. Something as simple as brisk walking for 30 minutes is good enough to reduce the chances of developing diabetes by 50%.
Don t be a couch potato: If watching television is your favourite pastime, it is time to change it. This puts people at risk of developing obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Also, watching television is usually associated with overeating, further adding to the risk of diabetes.
Fibrous foods: Eating fibrous fruits and vegetables as compared to refined and fried foods helps prevent diabetes. 
Whole grains vs processed foods: When you have to choose between a pizza and a bowl of brown rice, go for the latter.
Good fats vs bad fats: Polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds and help control diabetes. Trans fats present in margarine and baked foods are best avoided.
Non-vegetarian foods: If you have a choice, pick fish and poultry versus red meat (processed or otherwise). The fish is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and helps control inflammation.
Leave the whites: Get off white rice, white refined sugar and white flours. Include brown rice, brown or demerara sugar and wheat flour instead. 
Smoking: Quit smoking and you will note how beneficial it is in preventing diabetes. 
Alcohol: Moderate amount helps in effective functioning of the insulin.
If you have a family history or have risk factors, follow the above to prevent diabetes.

Diabetes - 10 Easy Steps To Help You Prevent it 

Diabetes refers to the condition when there is an excess of glucose in your body. Though glucose is beneficial for the proper functioning of the body, an excess can lead to serious consequences. Over the years, diabetes has over the years emerged as one of the fatal diseases, one that once developed has no known cure. This condition is preceded by various perceptible symptoms, some of them are-

1. Insatiable thirst

The onset of diabetes is almost always accompanied by a nagging thirst, one that refuses to be quenched despite drinking plenty of water.

2. Frequent tendencies of urination

A frequent tendency of urination is one of the primary precursors of diabetes.

3. Acute hunger

Having bouts of acute hunger is one of the most predominant premonitions of diabetes.

4. Exhaustion and fatigue

In case you are suffering from diabetes, you will inevitably feel tired and exhausted all the time.

5. Blurring of vision

Diabetes is one of those rare conditions that threaten to affect and damage the eyesight. The blurring of vision comes hand in hand with the onset of diabetes.

6. Sores which take a long time to heal

One of the most fatal symptoms of diabetes is when the sore that you have suffered from takes a longer time than necessary to heal.

Some of the complications which diabetes invite are-

1. Cardiovascular problems

Diabetes considerably increases the risk of a host of cardiovascular problems and ailments like heart attacks, chest pain, and stroke.

2. Damage to the kidneys

The pair of kidneys that human beings are endowed with has the responsibility to remove the toxins from the body. An excess of diabetes in the body unsettles the purging ability of the kidneys.

3. Damage to the eyes

The onset of diabetes, among other things, puts your eyes at great risks. The condition tends to damage the blood vessels of the retina and can even cause blindness in some.

4. Skin disorder

Diabetes puts your skin at great risks. You may suffer from various bacterial and fungal infections among other ailments, due to an excess of glucose in your body.

Symptoms and Complications of Diabetes

Diabetes is a metabolic disorder, chiefly caused by insulin fluctuation in the body. A study shows that, 1 out of 3 people suffering from diabetes are likely to develop a skin condition sooner or later; and in some cases, these skin problems serve as symptoms of diabetes. Although these skin problems can be cured easily if treated early, proper care must be administered at all times. Here are 7 skin conditions that affect diabetics:

1. Bacterial infection

Although anyone can get a bacterial infection, people suffering from diabetes are likelier to contract them. Usual bacterial skin problems that tend to trouble diabetics are boils, lumps near the eyelids, nail infections and carbuncles. Diabetics are also prone to infections deep in the skin and of the underlying tissues. The affected area is usually warm, red and swollen.

2. Fungal infections

People who have diabetes have an increased risk of contracting the fungal infection, especially the one known as candida Albicans. The fungus tends to create a red, itchy rash, which is surrounded by blisters and scales. These are usually found in warm places of the body like the armpits, or between the fingers of the hand or perhaps even the toes. Common fungal infections in diabetic people include athlete's foot, jock itch and ringworm.

3. Tingling and itching

Among the many causes of itching, diabetes is one. Yeast infection, dry skin and poor circulation are the primary causes of itching among patients of diabetes. Usually, the lower part of the leg tends to itch the most, if poor circulation is to be blamed.

4. Skin problems related to neuropathy

Diabetes can be the cause of nerve damage in some cases; and neuropathy is a common symptom of diabetes. This type of damage can cause a loss of sensation in a part of the body. On event of an injury, one may not be able to feel it. As a result, an open sore or wound, if left unattended, can develop into an infection.

5. Digital sclerosis

Digital sclerosis, a condition marked by tight, waxy, thick skin that develops on the back of the hand, is common among people who have type 1 diabetes. In this condition, the joints of the fingers get stiff and, thus, lose their mobility and elasticity. Skin of the toes, forehead and knees may also get affected.

6) xerosis

Xerosis is another common skin condition that accompanies diabetes. In this condition, the skin becomes very dry and itchy.

7) acanthosis nigricans

Acanthosis nigricans is the condition where diabetics get darkening of skin leading to skin tags around neck and armpits.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'consult'.
Related Tip: Does Hormonal Imbalance Hint the Risk of Diabetes?
 

7 Skin Problems Diabetes Gives You

Diabetes is growing to be the epidemic of modern days. The challenge here is it is not just about managing your sugar levels, but the whole lot of symptoms that diabetes brings with it. From bones to teeth to kidneys to wounds, diabetes affects all body systems. It is therefore very essential to watch out for symptoms of diabetes and curb it in its early stages. This will help control diabetes significantly along with its effects on the whole body.

Diabetes Complications-

Long-term complications of diabetes develop gradually. The longer you have diabetes   and the less controlled your blood sugar   the higher the risk of complications. Eventually, diabetes complications may be disabling or even life-threatening. Possible complications include:

Cardiovascular disease. Diabetes dramatically increases the risk of various cardiovascular problems, including coronary artery disease with chest pain (angina), heart attack, stroke and narrowing of arteries (atherosclerosis). If you have diabetes, you are more likely to have heart disease or stroke.
Nerve damage. Excess sugar can injure the walls of the tiny blood vessels (capillaries) that nourish your nerves, especially in your legs. This can cause tingling, numbness, burning or pain. Left untreated, you could lose all sense of feeling in the affected limbs. 
Kidney damage. The kidneys contain millions of tiny blood vessel clusters (glomeruli) that filter waste from your blood. Diabetes can damage this delicate filtering system. Severe damage can lead to kidney failure or irreversible end-stage kidney disease, which may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Eye damage. Diabetes can damage the blood vessels of the retina (diabetic retinopathy), potentially leading to blindness. 
Foot damage. Nerve damage in the feet or poor blood flow to the feet increases the risk of various foot complications. These infections may ultimately require toe, foot or leg amputation.
Skin conditions. Diabetes may leave you more susceptible to skin problems, including bacterial and fungal infections.
Hearing impairment. Hearing problems are more common in people with diabetes.
Alzheimer's disease. Type 2 diabetes may increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease. 
The following are some of the basic must do's if you have diabetes. These can go a long way in preventing adverse diabetic side effects.

Diet: Whether diabetic or not, it is always important to watch your diet. You are what you eat. Eat what your body needs, reduce refined foods, processed foods and increase the amount of whole grains and fruits and vegetables. Eating small frequent meals goes a long way in managing sugar levels than binging at one meal and starving the rest of the day. Reduce intake of saturated fats; include more lean meats. Choose grilling and steaming over frying and roasting. Diet is very important in diabetes. Recommended foods - Healthy carbohydrates, Fiber-rich foods, Heart-healthy fish and Good fats. Foods to avoid - Saturated fats, Trans fats, Cholesterol and Sodium
Exercise: Every week, make sure about 2 hours is dedicated to physical activity. This could include any exercise of your choice, brisk walking, swimming, cycling, aerobics, hiking, jogging, skipping, gymnastics, or playing games like football or basketball. While in most cases, the person can do these on their own, in some people, supervision may be required.
Watch your weight: For a diabetic person, controlling weight to a desirable level of BMI of 18 and 23 is very important. Obesity is one of the predisposing factors for diabetes, and reducing weight controls the onset of diabetes and helps the progression of symptoms in diabetics.
Smoking: Another risk factor for diabetes onset, quitting is the best option. If not feasible, reducing smoking and gradually quitting should be aimed at. Not just diabetes, the effects on overall health will be evident almost immediately after quitting.
Stress management: One of the main risk factors for diabetes, there is no getting away from stress. Everybody has their stresses but the trick is to manage it well. Whether it is music or meditation or medication or counselling, make sure stress levels are managed. This also helps prevent diabetic complications like heart disease and stroke and promotes well-being.
Constant Checkups: Periodic check-up of blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, eye exam, dental checkup, foot checkup to test for nerve damage are all extremely important. Take your medications regularly without fail.
Diabetes requires a change in lifestyle, which may seem tedious initially. But after a while, it will become the norm and then diabetic control does not feel like something additional that is to be done.

Diabetes - 6 Ways You Can Prevent it

Are you suffering from kidney stones and looking for an effective, natural treatment? You should choose homeopathy, as it works well in treating kidney stones. A kidney stone is a hard, crystalline, mineral development in your kidneys or urinary tract. The condition is called nephrolithisis. Kidney stones occur due to a reduction in your urine volume, and because of the presence of excess stone-forming substance in your urine. Homeopathic treatment of kidney stones does not involve any side effects, and various homeopathic medicines are used as a part of the treatment. Some of them are as follows:

Belladonna
This medicine is used when a sharp pain is experienced because of kidney stones.
A patient experiences strains and cramps along the ureter during the passage of calculus.
Fever and irritation are also likely.
Benzoic acid
Benzoic acid is prescribed in case of nephritic colic.
Offensive urinary symptoms are experienced. The urine is usually deep red with strong and foul odor.
The urine may alternatively be thick, and clear.
Argentinum nit
This homeopathic medicine is used for treating kidney stones, which develop because of kidney congestion.
Dull backache and ache in the bladder are experienced, along with dark urine, containing deposits of uric acid and blood.
A patient experiences an increased urge for urination, but a very small amount of urine is passed at once.
A burning sensation while passing urine is indicated along with swelling of the urethra.
Cantharis
This homeopathic medicine is used during the paroxysms of renal colic. Extreme pain and excitement are indicated.
The pain may be cutting in nature, and it shoots in various directions, affecting your limbs and different parts of the body.
There is an increased urge to urinate, and an aversion to fluids is developed by a patient in spite of feeling thirsty.
Berberis
This is another effective homeopathic remedy used for treating kidney stones, when the patient experiences a shooting pain radiating from a certain point and he or she becomes unable to move because of the pain.
Also there is a darting pain experienced in the ureter, extending down to your legs.
There is an indication of the development of little pinheads in the pelvis that starts growing down your bladder.
You must consult a licensed homeopathic practitioner before taking homeopathic medicines for the treatment of kidney stones. A doctor will suggest you the best homeopathic medicines based on the symptoms you experience and the severity of the condition.

Kidney Stones - Can Homeopathy Treat Them Effectively?

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