Treatment of kidney failure first understand what this is
Kidney failure (also called renal failure) is the failure of one or both kidneys to work properly. Sometimes, kidney failure is temporary and develops quickly. Other times, it is a chronic disease that slowly gets worse over a long period of time.Therefore, prompt treatment of kidney failure is needed
Kidney failure may sound serious, and it is. But treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplants help many people with kidney failure continue to live full lives.
The kidneys have several functions. The most important of these is to help your body get rid of toxins. The kidneys filter the blood and remove waste products from the body through the urine.
Kidneys are bean-shaped organs, about the size of your fist. They sit under your chest cavity and face toward your back. Most people have two working kidneys, but as long as at least one is working properly, people can live well.
When the kidneys don't work efficiently, waste builds up in your body. If this happens, you may feel nauseous. In the most severe cases, kidney failure can be life-threatening. However, many people can have the right treatment of kidney failure.
Causes of Treatment of Kidney Failure
The most common causes of treatment of kidney failure are diabetes and high blood pressure. However, sometimes kidney failure can happen quickly for unexpected reasons.
When a kidney suddenly loses function (within hours or days), it is called acute kidney failure (or acute kidney injury). This type of kidney failure is usually temporary. Common causes of treatment of kidney failure include:
- Autoimmune kidney disease
- Certain medications
- Severe dehydration
- Urinary tract obstruction
- Uncontrolled systemic disease, such as heart or liver disease
The biggest causes of treatment of kidney failure from chronic kidney disease are:
- Diabetes:Uncontrolled diabetes can cause blood sugar levels to get out of control. Persistent high blood sugar can damage body organs, including the kidneys.
- High blood pressure:High blood pressure (hypertension) means an increase in the force of blood flowing through your body's blood vessels. Over time, untreated high blood pressure levels can damage kidney tissue.
- Polycystic kidney disease, a genetic disorder in which cysts (fluid-filled sacs) grow inside your kidneys.
- Glomerular disease, such as glomerulonephritis, which affects the kidneys' ability to filter waste.
- Lupus erythematosus and other autoimmune diseases that can affect multiple body systems.
What are the symptoms of treatment of kidney failure?
In the early stages of kidney disease, many people have few or no symptoms. It is important to note that chronic kidney disease can still cause damage, even if you feel well.
Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure can cause different people to have different symptoms. If your kidneys are not working properly, you may notice one or more of the following signs:
- Fatigue (extreme fatigue)
- Upset stomach or vomiting
- Confusion or difficulty concentrating
- Swelling, especially around the hands or ankles
- More frequent trips to the bathroom
- Muscle cramps (muscle spasms)
- Dry or itchy skin
- Poor appetite or a metallic taste in food
- Diagnosis and Tests
How to treatment of kidney failure?
A variety of tests are used to measure kidney function and diagnose kidney failure.
The easiest, most convenient, and most private test to find out how your kidneys are doing is to test your Uric Acids (UA), Creatinine (UC), and Urea (UR) data with a kidney function analyzer. Thus, you can determine whether you have kidney problems or not. The kidney function analyzer can effectively detect the data you need while protecting your privacy.
There's no cure for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but treatment of kidney failure can help relieve the symptoms and stop it getting worse.
Your treatment of kidney failure will depend on the stage of your CKD.
The main treatment of kidney failure :
- lifestyle changes – to help you stay as healthy as possible
- medicine – to control associated problems, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- dialysis – treatment to replicate some of the kidney's functions, which may be necessary in advanced (stage 5) CKD
- kidney transplant – this may also be necessary in advanced (stage 5) CKD
Treatment of kidney failure in Lifestyle changes
The following lifestyle measures are usually recommended for people with kidney disease:
- stop smoking if you smoke
- eat a healthy, balanced diet
- restrict your salt intake to less than 6g a day – that's around 1 teaspoon
- do regular exercise – aim to do at least 150 minutes a week
- manage your alcohol intake so you drink no more than the recommended limit of 14 units of alcohol a week
- lose weight if you're overweight or obese
- avoid over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen, except when advised to by a medical professional – these medicines can harm your kidneys if you have kidney disease
Treatment of kidney failure in Medicine
There's no medicine specifically for CKD, but medicine can help control many of the problems that cause the condition and the complications that can happen as a result of it.You may need to take medicine to treat or prevent the different problems caused by CKD.
Treatment of kidney failure in High blood pressure
Good control of blood pressure is vital to protect the kidneys.People with kidney disease should usually aim to get their blood pressure down to below 140/90mmHg, but you should aim to get it down to below 130/80mmHg if you also have diabetes.There are many types of blood pressure medicines, but medicines called angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors are often used. Examples include ramipril, enalapril and lisinopril.Treatment of kidney failure in High cholesterolPeople with CKD have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.This is because some of the causes of kidney disease are the same as those for cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.You may be prescribed medicines called statins to reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Examples include atorvastatin and simvastatin.
Side effects of statins can include:
-
headaches
-
feeling sick
-
constipation or diarrhoea
-
muscle and joint pain
Treatment of kidney failure in Water retention
You may get swelling in your ankles, feet and hands if you have kidney disease.This is because your kidneys are not as effective at removing fluid from your blood, causing it to build up in body tissuesYou may be advised to reduce your daily salt and fluid intake, including fluids in food such as soups and yoghurts, to help reduce the swelling.In some cases you may also be given diuretics (tablets to help you pee more), such as furosemide.Side effects of diuretics can include dehydration and reduced levels of sodium and potassium in the blood.
Treatment of kidney failure in Anaemia
Many people with advanced-stage CKD develop anaemia, which is a lack of red blood cells.Symptoms of anaemia include:
-
tiredness
-
lack of energy
-
shortness of breath
-
a pounding, fluttering or irregular heartbeat
If you have anaemia, you may be given injections of a medicine called erythropoietin. This is a hormone that helps your body produce more red blood cells.If you have an iron deficiency as well, iron supplements may also be recommended.
Treatment of kidney failure in Bone problems
If your kidneys are severely damaged, you can get a build-up of phosphate in your body because your kidneys cannot get rid of it.Along with calcium, phosphate is important for maintaining healthy bones. But if your phosphate level rises too much, it can upset the balance of calcium in your body and lead to thinning of the bones.You may be advised to limit the amount food you eat which are high in phosphate, such as red meat, dairy products, eggs and fish.If this does not lower your phosphate level enough, you may be given medicines called phosphate binders. Commonly used medicines include calcium acetate and calcium carbonate.Some people with CKD also have low levels of vitamin D, which is necessary for healthy bones.If you're low in vitamin D, you may be given a supplement called colecalciferol or ergocalciferol to boost your vitamin D level.
Treatment of kidney failure in Glomerulonephritis
Kidney disease can be caused by inflammation of the filters inside the kidneys, known as glomerulonephritis.In some cases this happens as a result of the immune system mistakenly attacking the kidneys.If a kidney biopsy finds this is the cause of your kidney problems, you may be prescribed medicine to reduce the activity of your immune system, such as a steroid or a medicine called cyclophosphamide.
Treatment of kidney failure in Improving muscle strength
If you are having a bad flare-up and are unable to exercise, you may be offered electrical stimulation to make your muscles stronger.This is where electrodes are placed on your skin and small electrical impulses are sent to weak muscles, usually in your arms or legs.
Treatment of kidney failure in Dialysis
For a small proportion of people with CKD, the kidneys will eventually stop working.
This usually hapens gradually, so there should be time to plan the next stage of your treatment.
One of the options when CKD reaches this stage is dialysis. This is a method of removing waste products and excess fluid from the blood.
There are 2 main types of dialysis:
- haemodialysis – this involves diverting blood into an external machine, where it's filtered before being returned to the body
- peritoneal dialysis – this involves pumping dialysis fluid into a space inside your tummy to draw out waste products from the blood as they pass through vessels lining the inside of your tummy
Haemodialysis is usually done about 3 times a week, either at hospital or at home. Peritoneal dialysis is normally done at home several times a day, or overnight.
If you don't have a kidney transplant, treatment with dialysis will usually need to be lifelong.
Talk to your doctor about the pros and cons of each type of dialysis and which type you would prefer if your kidney function becomes severely reduced.
Treatment of kidney failure in Kidney transplant
An alternative to dialysis for people with severely reduced kidney function is a kidney transplant.
This is often the most effective treatment for advanced kidney disease, but it involves major surgery and taking medicines (immunosuppressants) for the rest of your life to stop your body attacking the donor organ.
You can live with one kidney, which means donor kidneys can come from living or recently deceased donors.
But there's still a shortage of donors, and you could wait months or years for a transplant.
You may need to have dialysis while you wait for a transplant.
Survival rates for kidney transplants are very good. About 90% of transplants still function after 5 years and many work usefully after 10 years or more.
References
1. Treatment-Chronic kidney disease
See also:
2. 9 Best At-Home Kidney Tests Buyers Guide In 2022
3. What's creatinine with kidney test in blood?
4. How important is a tester with kidney test function?
5. Chronic Kidney Disease: Causes, Symptoms And Management