The term chronic kidney disease is the major reason for kidney treatment in India and it means severe damage to the kidneys that can get worse over time. If your kidneys are suffering too much damage, then they might stop functioning. This condition is called Kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD), which might need you to get dialysis or a kidney transplant if you want to continue living your normal life.
The reason behind chronic kidney disease (CKD)
Chronic kidney disease can happen to anyone at all however, some people are more at risk of catching this ailment than others and here are the few conditions that can add more to the risk of CKD:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Heart disease
- Diabetes
- History of kidney disease in the family
- People over 60 years of age are at a greater risk
- Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian
Symptoms of kidney failure
When one or more of the following symptoms start to appear in your body, it might be time for you to seek the opinion of nephrologists in India and look for the medical value travel for the best kidney treatment. These are the indications that your kidney is failing:
- Muscle cramping
- Nausea and vomiting
- Itching
- Loss of appetite
- Swelling in your feet and ankles
- Too much urination or not enough urine
- Trouble in breathing
- Difficulty in sleeping
In case your kidneys stop functioning all of a sudden i.e. acute kidney failure, you might start to notice one or more of these symptoms appearing in your body. These signs can be the indication that you are going through serious kidney issues and you must seek for kidney treatment right away :
- Abdominal (belly) ache
- Nosebleeds
- Rash
- Vomiting
- Back pain
- Diarrhea
- Fever
Complications of CKD
Kidneys play an important role in helping your body function properly but when you’re suffering from chronic kidney disease, your body faces trouble in carrying out important functions properly. Some of the complications faced by patients with Chronic Kidney Disease are anemia, heart problems, high potassium, bone disease, high calcium and fluid buildup. CKD takes place in 5 different stages of kidney damage, one more severe than the other. Stage 1 indicates mild damage to the kidneys while stage 5 denotes kidney failure and immediate need of treatment as per the nephrologists in India. These stages are based on how well the kidneys are capable of doing their job, that is to filter the waste and unwanted fluid from the blood.
How can Chronic Kidney Disease be prevented?
The most common causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. If one is suffering from diabetes or high blood pressure levels, then keeping in touch with your doctor to administer blood sugar levels and blood pressure is the most practical way to prevent kidney problems and ultimately chronic Kidney disease.
Living a healthy lifestyle and indulging in a great routine favorable for your body can help you in preventing diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease as well, or keep them in check. You can take these tips into consideration to lower the risk for kidney disease and the cases that are associated with it. Make sure that you seek a medical second opinion for kidney disease before deciding to go with a certain treatment plan:
- Include a low-salt, low-fat diet in your routine
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes frequently or regularly
- Schedule regular check-ups with your doctor
- Do not smoke or consume tobacco
- Limit the consumption of alcohol
How can a Chronic Kidney Disease be treated?
The damage done to the kidneys are not repairable and although it can’t be undone, you can seek for certain treatments to ensure that your kidneys are as healthy as it gets for a longer period of time. You can even try to stop any further damage from happening or your conditions getting worse by following the above mentioned tips.
If you are a patient of kidney disease, then there are chances for you to prevent kidney failure or stop the kidney damage from happening further. Nonetheless, if your kidneys fail, you will require dialysis or a kidney transplant to help your body function properly and survive.
Treatment plans for kidney failure:
There are two types of kidney failure: acute and chronic, in which Acute kidney failure can be reversed but in Chronic kidney failure, only its progression can be slowed down with the help of the right treatment plan. Acute kidney failure is not a lasting problem and it can be taken care of and your kidneys will get back to their usual functioning once the disease is treated. There are also some cases in which the kidneys don’t respond to the treatment in a favorable manner, so hemodialysis is conducted temporarily until they start to work normally again. Some examples of such treatments are:
- antibiotics are given for pyelonephritis
- corticosteroids are ideal for immune conditions
- intravenous fluids are inserted in case of dehydration
- transfusion is done for blood loss
- removal of an obstruction
Many patients from all corners of the world come for kidney treatment in India and medical value travel has made it quite easier for them to get access to cutting edge treatments. In case of progressive damage to your kidneys, you can suffer from chronic kidney failure and since this type of damage can’t be reversed, nephrologists in India utilize something else to replace the work done by your kidneys. These treatment options include:
- Hemodialysis, in which a dialysis machine is used to filter your blood in the place of kidneys. This treatment procedure is carried out at a dialysis center or it can also be done at home under suitable conditions.
- Peritoneal dialysis, in which the filtering takes place in your abdomen and it can also be done at a hospital or at home without any assistance.
A kidney transplant is also a feasible option for patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. In this case, a donated kidney is surgically placed in the patient’s body to replace their damaged one.
