Chronic Kidney disease- the Risk Factors and Treatment

Chronic kidney disease commonly known as chronic renal failure, this condition entails a slow decline in kidney function. Wastes and extra fluid are removed from your blood by your kidneys and then passed through your urine. Your body may accumulate hazardous amounts of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes if you have advanced chronic renal disease.

You may not have many signs or symptoms when chronic kidney disease is first developing. It’s possible that kidney illness goes unnoticed until it’s already advanced.

The goal of chronic renal disease treatment is to slow the development of kidney damage, usually by addressing the underlying cause. However, even stopping the cause of kidney disease could not stop the damage from getting worse. End-stage renal failure brought on by chronic kidney disease can be lethal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a a kidney transplant.

The Facts

There are 37 million adults in the US, or 15% of the population, who have CKD, according to reports. Up to 90% of persons with CKD are unaware of their condition. Nearly 25% of persons with severe CKD are unaware of their condition.

As of current estimates, people with CKD are more likely to be over 65 (38%) than between 45 and 64 (12%) or between 18 and 44 (6%). Women (14%) have CKD at a somewhat higher rate than males (12%).

Compared to non-Hispanic White adults (13%) and non-Hispanic Asian adults (13%), non-Hispanic Black adults (16%) have a higher prevalence of CKD. Approximately 14% of adult Hispanics have CKD.

Function of Kidney

Two kidneys, each about the size of a fist and situated on either side of the spine near the waist and located right below the rib cage, are present in healthy individuals. The principal function of the kidneys is to assist the body in cleansing, by eliminating waste materials.

Extra fluids, digestive system waste, sodium, salt, other electrolytes, and several other compounds found in the blood are among the waste materials that the kidneys filter. The kidneys assist in controlling blood pressure, eliminating medications or toxins, regulating hormones, and maintaining a strong skeletal system in addition to removing waste from the body through urine (strong bones).

As a result, kidney failure can be a very dangerous condition that necessitates intensive treatment, such as dialysis sessions, to perform the filtering function that the kidneys are no longer able to do.

Kidney failure symptoms include a buildup of waste products and fluids, nausea (feeling sick to your stomach), mental confusion, and changes in blood pressure. A history of diabetes, high blood pressure, eating a poor diet, and having high levels of inflammation are all risk factors for kidney failure.

You can reduce your risk of developing kidney issues by keeping a healthy weight, ingesting sufficient electrolytes from whole foods (particularly potassium and calcium), and avoiding exposure to specific poisons or chemicals.

Now let’s look into and understand what is kidney failure

When the kidneys cannot maintain a person’s life, renal failure occurs. Patients whose kidneys abruptly stop working as they typically should are commonly referred to as having an acute kidney injury (also known as acute renal kidney failure).

According to the definition, this is the “sudden loss of the kidneys’ capacity to eliminate wastes, concentrate urine, preserve electrolytes, and maintain fluid balance.”

There are methods to assist manage the symptoms brought on by failing kidneys and to keep a person as healthy as possible, but there is no permanent cure for renal failure.

Several types of continuous therapies are used to clean the blood, stop dehydration or fluid retention/swelling, eliminate waste materials from the digestive tract, and finally replace the kidneys when the kidneys are badly damaged or “fail.” Hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis are frequently the go-to treatments for renal failure.

When a total kidney transplant is a potential option, it may occasionally be preferred by some patients with kidney failure or required for certain individuals with kidney failure.

Acute kidney failure is a highly serious condition, so individuals with it typically work with a team of medical specialists to manage their overall health, monitor their symptoms, and receive continuous (sometimes lifelong) treatments.

A patient’s treatment team typically consists of nephrologists, doctors who specialize in the kidneys, nurses who perform dialysis treatments on average several times per week, a dietician to ensure the patient is getting enough essential nutrients from their diet, and occasionally technicians or social workers to help with other aspects of quality of life.

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