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 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

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.

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

Kidneys are an important part of the human body. From filtering wastes from the blood to maintaining the blood pressure and red blood cell count in the body, the kidney does it all. Both the kidneys are essential organs and should there be any discomfort in the kidneys, one should consult a medical practitioner as soon as possible. Kidney failure is a common problem in people. This issue manifests itself with certain signs and symptoms. One should listen to these symptoms and act quickly before the condition worsens. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of kidney failure.

Interestingly, in the initial stages, kidney failure portrays no symptoms. It starts developing slowly and steadily causing discomfort in other parts of the body and hindering the working of other organs.

Weakness: If you are suffering from kidney failure, you will start feeling weak. Weakness is however not a symptom which can confirm a kidney failure. Weakness is caused due to many other health issues and thus, you need to verify with other symptoms to be sure of the fact that you are suffering from kidney failure only.

Shortness of Breath: You may start experiencing heavy breathing right after doing some rigorous work. In fact, you might feel shortness of breath or be panting for long moments after climbing just a set of stairs. Shortness of breath is quite common indicating that the body is getting tired after doing work. Such indication, more than once a day, calls for an immediate check up of the body.

Lethargy: While most people, especially the young generation to those in the early thirties jokingly declare themselves as lazy people; lethargy, however, is a symptom of many diseases. Various health issues develop if you feel lethargic of working. Apart from kidney failure, diabetes is also manifested in lethargic body movements. At times, just getting out of the bed in the morning seems very tiring and one continues to lie on the bed even after he/she is fully awake.

Stomach Pain: If you experience pain in the stomach, especially in the sides, then it should be immediately checked by a medical practitioner. Doctors say that kidney failure can bring about stomach pains.

Unusual Urine Discharges: This would include clear urine discharges which indicate that the kidney has stopped filtering the waste products.

Thus, these are some of the most important and common symptoms of kidney failure. If you notice any of these, it is advised to visit a doctor for a check up.

Symptoms of Kidney Failure

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!

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