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?

A kidney stone is like a small rock that forms in the kidney. Stones form when certain chemicals in the body clump together. A stone can either stay in the kidney or travel through the urinary system by passing though the urine and not causing any harm.

What are the symptoms?

Very small stones might pass through the urinary system without causing much pain. Larger stones can block the flow of urine if they get stuck in the ureters or urethra. Kidney stones do not usually cause any symptoms until they start to pass. Some symptoms might include:

Extreme pain in your back or side that will not go away

Nausea

Blood in your urine

Fever and chills

Who are at risk ?

Anyone can have a kidney stone, but it may be more likely if you:

Are male and are overweight

Have had kidney infections

Have a family member with kidney stones

Have had kidney stones before

Eat a lot of animal protein (such as meat and eggs)

Do not drink enough liquids

Have certain medicines which can cause kidney stones

How are kidney stones treated?

Treatment depends on the location and size of the kidney stone. Drinking plenty of water and taking some medicines can help a small stone to pass more easily. For problem stones, there may be a few options:

Lithotripsy uses shock waves to break a large stone into smaller pieces that can pass.

Ureteroscopic Stone Removal uses a small tool to get and remove stones stuck in the ureters.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy uses surgery to remove large stones from the kidneys.

Depending on the location of the kidney stone and many other factors the doctor decides on the most suitable procedure.

How can I prevent kidney stones?

If you have had kidney stones before, you are more likely to have kidney stones again. To help keep stones from forming, try to:

Drink 10 to 12 glasses of water each day

Eat less salt (sodium), meat and eggs

Find out what type of stone you have

Ask your doctor for a urine test

Talk to your doctor about your medicines and other tests for kidney stones

Do NOT reduce the calcium in your diet without talking to your doctor first! Studies show that limiting calcium in your diet may not stop kidney stones from forming and may harm your bones.

Kidney Stones - Are They Troubling You?

13 Wonder Foods to Fight Diabetes

Nutritious and healthy food is capable of arresting or even reversing diabetes. Here is a list of 13 such wondrous foods that, if eaten consistently, will ward off diabetes -

1. Sweet potatoes: Unlike regular potatoes, sweet potatoes are rich in fiber and Vitamin A along with a low Glycemic index.

2. Tomatoes: Tomatoes offset diabetes with its nutrients like Vitamin C, E, and iron. They can be eaten raw as well as cooked.

3. Fish: Consume fish like salmon, mackerel, tuna, and halibut etc that are rich in omega 3 fatty acids. Cook them in a simple way rather than deep-frying.

4. Apples: Apples are full of fiber and low in calories. Thus, they are able to effectively fight bad cholesterol and diabetes. It is best to eat them with their skin.

5. Avocado: This fruit comes packed with monounsaturated fats and balances blood sugar level. It also contains good fat that is capable of reversing insulin resistance.

6. Berries: Almost all kinds of berries are rich in antioxidants and fiber. They boost the production of insulin and lower down blood sugar.

7. Broccoli: Broccoli contains chromium that stabilizes levels of blood sugar.

8. Carrots: Carrots are extremely rich in beta-carotene that is known to lower the chances of diabetes.

9. Flaxseed: These are rich in fiber, protein, magnesium and good fats. They are known to helps cells in absorbing insulin.

10. Yogurt and Skim Milk: These dairy products are rich in calcium and protein for fighting against insulin resistance that leads to diabetes.

11. Oatmeal: Oatmeal comes loaded with soluble fiber that helps in delayed conversion of consumed carbohydrate into blood sugar.

12. Almonds: Regular intake of 4-5 almonds daily reduces the risk of diabetes as well as cardiovascular disease.

13. Garlic: Garlic is known to elevate the insulin level in the blood. It is rich in Allicin and vitamin B thiamine that activates pancreas for the production of insulin.

If you would like to consult with me privately, please click on 'Consult'.

13 Wonder Foods to Fight Diabetes

Exercise has a considerable number of benefits to offer people who have diabetes. As a result of doing exercise on a regular basis, the blood sugar level stays in check. Managing diabetes without indulging in any physical activity is near to no good as exercise is the backbone of diabetes treatment. Here are the ten exercises that prove to be great for people with diabetes.

Walking: Walking is considered to be one of the best exercises for treating diabetes and the most prescribed physical activity for people with Type 2 diabetes. A daily brisk walking of at least 30 minutes can be the easiest way of increasing one s physical activity level.
Running/jogging: By jogging or running daily, people can control their blood pressure and ensure good heart condition. It proves to be extremely beneficial for diabetes people who often develop risks of heart attacks or high blood pressure.
Weight training: As regular weight training helps in building the muscle mass, opting for this becomes necessary for people with Type 2 diabetes. Because losing muscle mass means difficulty in maintaining the blood sugar levels.
Tai Chi: Tai Chi helps in relaxing the body and mind as well as ensures trouble-free body movements. Tai Chi plays a crucial role in reducing stress and nerve damage, which is a common complication in diabetes.
Swimming: Swimming helps in relaxing and stretching the muscles, without exerting any pressure on the joints, which is why it is a great exercise for diabetic people. Often diabetic people lose sensation in their feet, which makes swimming the best option for them.
Yoga: Helping in lowering the body fat, improving the nerve function, and fighting the insulin resistance, yoga can benefit people suffering from diabetes in a lot of ways. By controlling the stress, it indirectly helps in lowering the blood sugar levels.
Stationary bicycling: A form of aerobic exercise, stationary bicycling ensures a strong heart and well-functioning lungs. Burning lots of calories, it improves the blood flow to the legs, which is important for diabetic people.
Water aerobics: Water aerobics, too, has a lot of benefits to offer to the diabetic people in terms of regaining the right body balance and strengthening the muscles.
Playing: For those who enjoy playing tennis or basketball, treating diabetes with exercise can be an easy job. All one has to do is play rigorously on a daily basis, and the body will stay fit and the blood sugar levels well controlled.
Dancing: Dancing can be a great way of doing exercise for the diabetic people as it helps in improving the flexibility of the body, reducing stress and lowering the blood sugar levels.
By including exercise as a regular part of their daily life, people with diabetes can not only experience positive effects on their diabetic condition but can also achieve an overall good health with desired fitness.

10 Exercises That Will Surely Help Diabetic Patients!

5 reasons you will see blood in urine

The condition in which blood appears in the urine is known as hematuria. The loss of blood in this condition could be gross or microscopic depending on the cause of the condition. There are several causes why blood may appear in the urine. Whatever the cause may be, hematuria is mostly indicative of a serious medical condition.

Here are 5 reasons that cause blood to appear in the urine.

1. Infection

Infections like urethritis, pyelonephritis, cystitis or infection in any other body organ along the urinary tract is one of the most common causes of hematuria. Such bacterial infection in the urethra can also infect the kidneys and the urinary bladder. It results in the urge to urinate frequently and also causes blood to appear in the urine.

2. Kidney stones and bladder stones

Another reason that can cause blood to appear in the urine is the presence of stones in the kidney or bladder. These stones are crystallized minerals that are formed in the kidney or the bladder but fail to pass through the urinary tract. They cause blockage and pain and result in hematuria.

3. An enlarged prostate

An enlarged prostate is a common cause of the appearance of blood in the urine in men who are in their middle ages or older. Enlargement of the prostate gland causes the urethra to be compressed. This prevents the urethra from getting fully emptied while urination.

4. Polycystic kidney disease

PKD is a kidney disorder in which cysts filled with fluid form in the kidneys and impair the kidneys, causing them to fail entirely at times. It is an inherited disease and causes blood to appear in the urine.

In children who are between 6-10 years of age, kidney disorder after streptococcal glomerulonephritis can be a possible cause of hematuria.

5. Cancer

A cancerous kidney, bladder or prostate gland can also cause blood to appear in the urine. It is another major cause of hematuria but usually occurs in older patients.




5 Reasons You Will See Blood in Urine

At present 3 out of the 5 people are suffering from diabetes and it is the 7th leading cause of death worldwide. Moreover, it is no more restricted just to adults and affects children as well. Diabetes is a metabolic disease resulting in increase in the level of glucose in the body. Glucose is a source of energy for the cells making up the muscles and other tissues in the body. But if the level of glucose goes up, it shows the sign of danger. Diabetes is of 2 types: 

1. Type 1: body fails to produce insulin.
2. Type 2: Body fails to produce enough insulin which is required by the body.

There are no definite signs of diabetes. It simply varies from person to person. In many of the cases it goes unnoticed. Such signs are as follows:

1. Sudden weight loss: You might experience a sudden weight loss of 5 to10 kgs within a month. This happens when sugar metabolism ceases very quickly.  Insufficient insulin prevents the body from taking in glucose in the body cells from the blood to use as energy. In such a scenario the body starts burning fat and muscle for energy. This results in weight loss.

2. Intense hunger: The cells in your body might not get enough energy either due to absence or improper functioning of insulin in your blood. This makes you hungry quite often.

3. Excessive urination and thirst: Due to diabetes, the glucose level in the body goes up. The kidneys are overloaded with the burden of working overtime for filtering and absorbing the excess glucose in your body. The excess sugar, which the kidney cannot store is excreted out of your body. This makes you urinate frequently.  Due to frequent urination the body gets dehydrated which makes you feel thirsty more often.

4. Blurred vision: Due to the high level of glucose in your body tissues gets pulled away from the lens of the eyes. This results in vision issues. If not treated on time, it may even lead to blindness.

5. Increased fatigue: The cells in your body might not get enough energy either due to absence or improper functioning of insulin in your blood. This makes you restless more often and you may even feel too weak to do your regular activities.

If you notice any of these signs, get the level of sugar in your checked and take the required remedies. It is good to get it treated as early as possible rather than facing immense trouble in future.

5 Common Signs of Diabetes That Often Go Unnoticed

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