KIDNEY DISEASE Symptoms
Chronic kidney disease is a dangerous disease as it may lead to the failure of many other body functions that are directly or indirectly related to our kidneys. In Chronic Kidney Disease, a person’s kidney is damaged and can’t do the basic functions of filtering all sorts of fluids in our body, and urine production is also ceased. CKD also hampers the kidneys from maintaining the minerals like potassium, sodium, calcium, etc., the flow in our veins within the blood.
Functions like the production of hormones that control blood pressure, manufacturing of red blood cells, and even strength of our bones are compromised due to chronic kidney disease .It is also capable of causing nerve damage to the system. As the name suggests, “chronic” is a disease that developed for a long period. If diagnosed and treated early, all the complications mentioned above and struggles can be avoided. Kidney diseases tend to show severe symptoms, usually in the later stages, in which major damage has been caused already. The only options viable to maintain health and life if the kidney fails are dialysis or getting a kidney transplant.
Symptoms and Signs of Chronic Kidney Disease
The kidney is an organ that works very efficiently, even at higher levels of damage. Its efficiency can also be proved by the fact that we can donate one of the kidneys and yet live a long healthy life .so, early stages of CKD can’t be detected easily as they have no symptoms. Usually, one finds out about the early stages of CKD while testing for other conditions and diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart diseases, and urine tests.
It is only in the later stages that one starts showing symptoms of CKD. Some of those symptoms are:
- skin drying
- Numbness and /or itching
- Fatigue
- headaches
- chest pain
- urination change
- lost hunger
- muscle cramps
- the feeling of nausea and vomiting
- breathing issue
- sleeping issue
- concentration issues
- weight loss
Treatment for End-Stage Kidney Disease
Usually, people find out about their CKD in the end-stage or the second last stage. Till then, most of the damage is irreversible damage. If the kidneys can’t filter the waste and fluid on their own and develop complete or near-complete kidney failure, you have end-stage kidney disease. At this catastrophic point, you need either dialysis or a kidney transplant immediately.
Dialysis
We all know that dialysis artificially eliminates waste products and excess fluid from your blood and body when the kidneys are no longer capable of doing it. There are two major types of dialysis techniques: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, a machine screens the waste and surplus fluids from your blood. You generally need to go to a hospital 3-4 a week for it.
In peritoneal dialysis, a tinny duct is implanted into your abdomen, filling your abdominal hole with a dialysis fluid or solution that absorbs all the waste and spare fluids. After some time (generally after 3-4 hours), that fluid is drained from the patient’s body, carrying the waste with it.
Kidney Transplant
A kidney transplant includes surgically inserting a healthy kidney from a donor’s body into the person’s body with a damaged kidney and removal of the damaged kidney. Dead or living, both kinds of donors can give their kidneys for transplantation. It must be noted that the recipient of the kidney needs to take medications for a lifetime to keep the body from refusing the new organ. Once the transplant is done, you don’t need dialysis anymore.
Those who choose not to do any of these can take the help of the conservative treatment methods. Though, once the kidney fails, a person only has a few months to live.
Risk Factors Included
Apart from a person’s lifestyle, various factors pose a risk to developing CKD in a person. While some can be changed, some are non-modifiable factors.
Factors that may increase your risk of CKD are as follows:
- High blood pressure
- Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Obesity
- African-American, Native American, or Asian-American lineage
- Family history of kidney diseases or related factors
- Atypical kidney structure
- Old age
- Low birth weight (generally related to weakened kidney growth, resultant in smaller nephrons.)
Complications
CKD is a disease that not only affects just the kidney but the whole body in general. The function of the kidney is so important that as soon as it stops working or gets damaged, the whole system of organs starts collapsing one by one. Potential complications consist of:
- Fluid retention
- sudden rise in potassium levels in your blood
- Heart and cardiovascular disease
- Weakening of bones
- Anemia
- erectile dysfunction and/or reduced fertility
- The nervous system gets affected
- weakened immune system
- Complication in Pregnancy
- Irreversible damage to the kidneys
Meet Areas Best Nephrologist
Dr. Dhairya Prakash
M.B.B.S , M.D , DNB , Nephrology.
DNB – Nephrology from Max Hospital , Saket , New Delhi .
Member of ISN ( Indian Society of Nephrology ).
Member of ISOT ( Indian Society of Organ Transplant ).
Dr. Dhairya has special interest in live and cadaveric renal transplant.
Dr. Dhairya Prakash Prajapati is a highly skilled and experienced Nephrologist. With over over a decade of experience, Dr. Dhairya Prakash Prajapati is known for his exceptional medical expertise and compassionate patient care. He has dedicated his career to diagnosing and treating a wide range of medical conditions while providing personalized healthcare services to his patients.
He Completed his M.B.B.S from Government Medical College , Surat , Gujrat in 2008 and M.D from Nalanda Medical College , Patna , Bihar in 2015 .
Dr Dhairya is one of the best nephrologists in Lucknow to treating chronic kidney diseases, disturbance of electrolytes, post-dialysis side effects with his rich experience and compassionate behavior towards the patients. He has performed some 100+ transplant cases successfully and has earned high-level applause at different intervals which is continuing. He also spares time for spreading awareness of kidney diseases and their symptoms, its causes, and how to treat them at initial level.
Nephrologist Dr Dhairya specialized in Kidney care and treating Chronic Kidney diseases is one of the top Nephrologists in Lucknow, & Nearby cities. He mainly treats Chronic Kidney diseases and performs/prescribes the best treatments. He is currently a senior consultant in the Department of Nephrology in Chandan Multispecialty Hospital Lucknow. He is one of the best consultants crowned by various renowned medical institutions.
