Patient Information
Kidney Disease
Kidney Disease
Kidney Failure
- Decreased urine output, although occasionally urine output remains normal.
- Fluid retention, causing swelling in your legs, ankles or feet.
- Shortness of breath.
- Fatigue.
- Confusion.
- Nausea.
- Weakness.
- Irregular heartbeat.
Dialysis
Process
When kidneys fails to function properly , dialysis is the treatment given to a patient in order to filter and purify blood. This machine based purification process helps to keep the fluids and electrolytes in balance. Dialysis helps a patient to maintain blood pressure and regulate the levels of sodium and potassium.
Types
Haemodialysis
In this process, the filteration of blood is done in an external machine and then the clean blood is returned to the body. It is usually done 3 times per week and for around 4 hours at a time.
Peritoneal dialysis
In this process, the dialysis fluid ( cleansing fluid) is pumped into the space inside the abdomen through a tube (catheter) to remove the wastes from blood flowing through the vessels lining the abdomen (peritoneum).
Organ Transplantation
When a kidney reaches its end – stage , it is replaced by a healthy kidney of an organ donor. This process is called as kidney transplantation. The replaced kidney may be from a living related donor, living unrelated donor, or a deceased donor.
A kidney transplant may not be advisable in a few cases which include
- Severe heart disease
- Severe mental illness
- Active cancer
- Alcohol or drug abuse
Always consult a doctor to make sure that it is safe to transplant and take medication to prevent organ rejection.
Kidney Disease
Chronic Kidney Diesease
Signs and symptoms
- nausea
- losss of appetite
- improper sleep
- urination changes
- cramps and swelling of feet and ankles
- hypertension ( high blood pressure)
- itching
There are 5 stages of kidney damage in a chronic kidney disease. As the kidneys move from stage 1 to stage 5, the condition becomes worse. Neglecting proper medication may result in signing up for dialysis or organ transplant. Hence, the patient needs to take proper care of his/ her kidneys since the beginning of stage 1.
Kidney Disease
Guideline to prevent CKD
- Have a balanced diet
- Get enough sleep
- Stop smoking ( in case you do ) and limit alcohol
- Involve in activities to control blood pressure and diabetes
- Exercise for atleast 30 minutes everyday
- Involve stress reducing activities