Kidney Problems , Kidney failure ,Initial Symptoms , General Causes and Possible Cures

                                                                           A pair of bean-shaped organs Kidneys remove the toxic and waste material from the body and maintains electrolyte balance apart from regulating blood pressure. Kidneys are one of the most important organs of the body. Kidneys are located at the back of the abdominal cavity one each on both sides of the spine. Male kidneys weigh around 125-170 grams while female kidneys weigh around  115-155 grams.

Functions of the Kidney:-

 In the process of converting food into energy, a large amount of harmful toxic materials are produced which if not flushed out timely could be life-threatening.

 Kidneys maintain the fluid balance in the internal environment of the body. They remove the waste product like urea resulting from proteins and uric acid from the body through the urine.

The kidneys re-absorb nutrients from the blood and carry them to different places to maintain the body system .kidneys maintain the healthy balance of water, salt, and minerals -such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium - in our blood without this balance muscles, nerves and other tissues will not be able to perform their normal functions.

Kidneys also release certain hormones that help control blood pressure, make your bones strong and healthy, and produce red blood cells.

The main function of the Kidney is to make urine and purify the blood. In one day around 1700 liters of blood are purified by the Kidney. 

Symptoms:- 

If the early signs of the Kidney problems are duly taken care of the serious damage to the Kidney can be avoided otherwise the damage can get worse over time and lead to kidney failure. Early treatment can prevent chronic kidney disease ( CKD ) from becoming kidney failure. If the following symptoms are seen or felt the patient must seek medical assistance without wasting time.

• Kidney infections
• Kidney pain 
• Blood in urine
• Kidney stones
  
  
• Protein in urine
• Acute kidney injury
• Hepatitis C and kidney disease
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Kidney pain:- 

 Pain is felt in the middle to the upper back or sides but such pains are not necessarily kidney problems always, therefore, one must consult the medical specialist.

Blood in urine:-

Blood in the urine is an alarming sign but not necessarily the sign of kidney problem therefore immediate medical intervention is necessary to ascertain the real cause so that proper preventive measures could be taken.

Kidney stones:-

Build up of certain minerals that get clumped together in the kidney cause stones in the kidney. Presence of stones in the kidney cause pain when they move through the urinary tract.

Protein in urine:-

Blood contains protein. The kidney filters toxic and waste fluid from the blood and retains healthy nutrients such as protein in the blood. Due to damage, the kidney allows the protein to escape from the blood to the urine. Early treatment can prevent further damage to the kidney.

Acute kidney injury:-

Acute kidney injury is caused by the presence of some special circumstances like an injury, infection or it might be the result of some medicine.

Hepatitis C and kidney disease:-

Sometimes kidney patients contract hepatitis C from a treatment of kidney failure when there is some negligence and guidelines of infection control are not followed. 

Apart from the above, the patients have swellings of legs, ankles, and feet when the kidney fails to flush out water waste. Patients pass less amount of urine. Shortness of breathing, seizures, nausea, pain in the chest, and in rare cases patients may slip into coma.

General Causes:-

A sudden loss of blood flow to your kidneys can prompt kidney failure. Some conditions that cause loss of blood flow to the kidneys include:

• Heart Attack
• Heart Disease
• Liver Failure
• Dehydration
• Severe burn
• Allergic Reaction
• Sepsis
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 Diagnosis:-

In the beginning, the doctor talks about the personal and family history of the patient to find out whether any family member has a kidney problem. Then he enquires about whether the patient has high blood pressure medical condition that may have affected the kidney. He might further check whether the patient has noticed any changes in urinary habits. 

Blood tests. A blood test is conducted to check the level of waste products, such as creatinine and urea, in the blood.

Urine tests. A urine test is conducted to analyze the presence of abnormalities that point to chronic kidney failure and help identify the cause of chronic kidney disease.

Imaging tests.  An ultrasound test is conducted to find whether there are any noticeable changes in the size and structure of the kidney. 

Removing a sample of kidney tissue for testing.go for biopsy:-   If the doctor thinks it necessary he may go for biopsy under which a sample of kidney tissues is removed with the help of a needle using anesthesia. The tissues are examined in a lab to ascertain the causes of the kidney problem.

Treatment:-

 Some types of kidney disease can be treated. But chronic kidney disease has no cure.   Initially, the treatment starts with the aim to control signs and symptoms, reduce complications, and slow the pace of the disease. If the kidneys have serious damages then the patient needs treatment for end-stage kidney disease.

Certain measures can be taken to reduce the complications which provide relief to the patients such as

 People with kidney disease may experience worsening high blood pressure.  High blood pressure medications can initially decrease kidney function and change electrolyte levels, so you may need frequent blood tests to monitor your condition.
 People with chronic kidney disease often experience high levels of bad cholesterol, which can increase the risk of heart disease. Medication is provided to control the level of cholesterol.
 Doctors sometimes administer hormones to aid in the production of more red blood cells, which may relieve fatigue and weakness associated with anemia.
 Due to the failure of the kidney to flush out unwanted toxic wastes the body retains fluids that lead to swelling in the legs, ankles. Medications can help maintain the balance of fluids in the body.
Food is processed by the body to obtain protein but this process creates a lot of waste product which must be filtered by the kidney. To reduce the load of work on kidneys the doctor may recommend eating less protein diet. Sometimes doctors advise the patient to meet with a dietitian who can suggest ways to lower your protein intake while still eating a he

Treatment of end-stage Kidney problem

Dialysis. In dialysis waste products and extra fluid from the blood are removed with the help of a machine when the kidneys fail to do this. After some time, the dialysis solution drains from your body, carrying the waste with it.
Kidney transplant. A kidney transplant involves surgically placing a healthy kidney from a donor into the body. Kidneys for transplantation can be obtained from the deceased as well as living donors.  Medications are required for the rest of the life to prevent the body from rejecting the new organ. 

• • 👉This blog aims only to create general awareness among the people about kidney problems so that they can get timely treatment. In no way, we recommend any medicine or any other medical intervention that should be at the sole discretion of the patient.