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

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

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!

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 !

One single kidney in place of two is a scenario which is often termed as solitary kidney.

Who has a solitary kidney?

Their body functions normally and are generally not unhealthy. This is also known as renal agenesis.
In some cases, people are born with two kidneys with just one of them healthy and fully functional. The other one does not function fully or partially. This condition is known as kidney dysplasia.
A person who had to undergo a kidney removal surgery (nephrectomy); such a surgery is conducted when a person has an infected kidney or diseased, malfunctioning/cancerous growths on the kidney.
A person who has donated a kidney to someone who required kidney transplantation.
What potential health risks does a person with a solitary kidney have?

Normally, a person born with a single kidney does not have any such potential health risks. They are generally healthy and lead normal lives.
Later in life, there may or may not be slight loss or degradation in the functioning of the kidney.
The life span of a person with a single kidney is normal. There is no apparent effect on the mortality rates.
What kind of special diet must a person with a single kidney follow?

There is no need of any such special diet for a person with a single kidney.
Normal healthy balanced diet with all the essential nutrients should suffice.
You must be careful about your animal protein intake and calcium supplements.
Drink sufficient quantity of water to remain hydrated all day and prevent the urine from turning acidic.
Controlled consumption of alcohol and caffeine is a must. It is also important to reduce the consumption of aerated drinks.
Exercises and Physical activities for a person with a single kidney:

A person with a solitary kidney can function like any other normal individual.
You may also participate in sports. However, you must take enough precaution to prevent injuries to your kidney. Proper padding and protection around your lower abdominal region and back is of utmost necessity.
You can hit the gym, run a marathon and nothing is impossible for you.

Living With Solitary Kidney - Things You Need to Know!

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!

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