What Causes Kidney Failure

The kidneys are a pair of organs that are located in the lower back. Each of the kidneys is one side of the spine. The function of a pair of healthy kidneys is to filter blood and remove toxins from the body.
The toxins from the kidneys are sent to the bladder, which is removed during urination. Apart from
Kidney transplant
Another treatment option is a kidney transplant. If the body accepts the transplanted kidney it will function normally which usually last from 10-20 years. Most patients go with a living donor from a family member. It is necessary for the kidney to 
being the bodies, the hormones that control blood pressure and red blood cells are made in the kidneys. They also balance some elements in the blood like sodium, potassium, and calcium.

Kidney failures are of two kinds acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failures. Chronic Kidney Failure is also known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Both, acute and chronic kidney failures, occur when the kidneys can’t filter waste from the blood properly. When this happens the wastes accumulates to a dangerous level causing the blood’s chemical to get imbalanced.

There are many reasons why the kidney’s health deteriorates or other kidney diseases may occur when:

●      Other chronic or acute problems that have done permanent damage over time

●        Polycystic kidney disease

●      Diabetes

●      High blood pressure

●      Urinary tract issues

●      Blocked kidneys due to recurring kidney stones

●      Heart attack

●      Blood clot in the kidney

●      Drugs, alcohol and smoking

●      Infection

●      Chemotherapy

Here are some of the common symptoms one may notice if suffering from kidney failure:

●      Itching

●      Muscle cramps

●      Nausea and vomiting

●      Not feeling hungry

●      Swelling in your feet and ankles

●      Too much urine (pee) or not enough urine

●      Trouble catching your breath

●      Trouble sleeping

In the case of acute kidney failure:

●      Abdominal pain

●      Back pain

●      Diarrhea

●      Fever

●      Nosebleeds

●      Rash

●      Vomiting

The signs of early-stage kidney disease are often subtle but the following are the common symptoms:

●      Decreased urination

●      Swelling in the limbs (fluid retention)

●      Shortness of breath

With acute kidney failure, the damage may not always be permanent. The kidneys may go back to normal or almost normal with proper treatment if other serious health problems don’t disturb the healing process.

When the patient has CKD the kidney treatment recommended is either dialysis or a kidney transplant. This is a serious treatment needed to live. While on kidney dialysis or with a kidney transplant many live long lives even as there is no cure for CKD.

The best hospitals for kidney failure treatment in Bangalore will suggest the following :

Kidney Dialysis

During dialysis, a machine is used to filter the blood and toxins out of the body. The kidneys functions are performed by the machine. While on it the doctors may suggest a low-potassium and low-salt diet along. It is important to understand that dialysis doesn’t cure kidney failure, but it can extend life so other treatments can be scheduled.

7 Early Warning Signs of Kidney Disease

While the only way to know if you have kidney disease is to get tested, but here are 7 possible signs that prove that you may have kidney disease. If you’re at risk for kidney disease due to high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure or if you’re older than age 60, it’s important to get kidney treatment at regular intervals. Be sure to mention any symptoms of kidney failure to your doctor.

• You’re more tired, have less energy or are having trouble concentrating

A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired and weak. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.

• You’re having trouble sleeping

When the kidneys aren’t filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can cause difficulty in sleeping. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease. So it’s important to keep a check of your weight.

• You have dry and itchy skin

Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They help in removing wastes and extra fluid from your body. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.

• You feel the need to urinate more often

If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidney filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate.

• You spot blood in your urine

Healthy kidneys typically keep the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine, but when the kidney’s filters have been damaged, these blood cells can start to leak out into the urine.

• Your ankles and feet are swollen

Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles.

• You have a poor appetite

This can be a general symptom but a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.

Equipped with some of the finest kidney specialists and world-class amenities, NU Hospitals has positioned itself as one of the best kidney hospitals in India.

How Can Cigarette Smoking Cause Urological Cancer

It is a known fact that smoking has dangerous repercussions on our body. It significantly increases the risk of many harmful conditions, aside from exacerbating their severity as well as having a negative impact on the treatment. Not surprisingly, smoking is also a major contributing factor for bladder cancer. This includes not just cigarettes, but also e-cigarettes, hookahs and smokeless tobacco. Here are some urologic conditions that are affected by smoking:

Kidney Cancer: Studies have shown smoking to be a risk factor for renal cell carcinoma, otherwise known as kidney cancer. The smoke gets drawn into the lungs, from where it makes its way through the bloodstream into the kidneys. This poses a formidable obstruction to an effective kidney treatment programme in the event of such an eventuality.

Erectile Dysfunction: Smoking damages the blood vessels and therefore adversely affects the blood supply to the penis resulting in an inability to get and/or maintain a firm erection for sexual intercourse.

Bladder Cancer: Due to the accumulation of harmful chemicals and drugs in the urine as a result of smoking, they affect the lining of the bladder and hence increases the risk of this disease. The risk is also dictated by the smoking quantity, duration of exposure and second hand smoke exposure.

Infertility: Tobacco and other sources of smoking not only causes a wide range of urologic diseases and cancers, but also has a marked bearing on infertility. Exposure to the toxic smoke impacts the genetic makeup of the sperm and the eggs, affects the production and regulation of hormones and creates an in conducive environment in the uterus, all of which combine to lead to infertility. Besides, it also increases the risk of a miscarriage and the chances of birth defects in the new born.  Therefore, urologists are of the unanimous opinion that smoking is a habit that is best avoided by those looking to have a child.

Incontinence: Due to disruptions in the bladder, smokers may experience leaking urine and overactive bladder, which leads to frequent urination.

Aside from the preventive measure of quitting smoking altogether, there are some treatment options available to treat urological cancers once it has set in. One of the specialties that NU Hospitals is renowned for is urology and infertility treatment, thanks to its fine team of urology specialists in Bangalore, who run a battery of tests to diagnose and treat such conditions effectively.

Get to Know Your Kidneys Working Efficiency

When properly functioning, kidneys help eliminate wastes and excess fluids from the blood and expel them from the body in the form of urine. Located on either side of the spine and posterior to the abdomen, they also control the quantities of various minerals and water in the body, apart from being indispensable for the production of red blood cells, blood pressure regulating hormones and Vitamin D. That said, there are many tests available to determine any signs of kidney failure or damage. Here are a few of them:

Serum Creatinine Test: Creatinine is a water product that results from the normal wear and tear of muscles. It is expelled by the kidneys at a constant rate. The normal levels for a healthy adult male ranges from 0.7 to 1.2 mg/dl and from 0.5 to 1.0 mg/dl for a female. A creatinine level of over 1.4 mg/dl is an early sign that the kidneys are not functioning optimally.

Urine Analysis: Kidney doctors also assess the level of proteins and urine in the urine to determine the extent of kidney damage. Of course, infection is just one of the reasons for proteins in the urine, another major reason being physical workout. Therefore, the nephrologists may also for a 24-hour sample or repeat this test after a few weeks to be sure of the cause.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN): This is a compound which forms in the liver from the breakdown of proteins that we eat. Normal BUN levels range between 7 and 20. Greater the BUN level, the lower the efficiency of kidney function.

Biopsy: This is performed using a thin needle to collect tiny samples of kidney tissue for the purpose of examining them under a microscope. This is usually done to identify a specific disease, evaluate the amount of damage or ascertain the reasons for an unsuccessful kidney transplant.

Micro albuminuria: This is a dipstick test used to detect the presence of albumin in the urine. This is usually performed in cases where a person is highly predisposed to develop kidney disease, or at a greater risk of getting affected by diabetes or high blood pressure.

These are some of the basic tests that are performed to assess the magnitude of kidney function. It is always a good idea to get your kidneys checked as part of your regular health checks for maximum effectiveness of kidney treatment, if found to be faulty.

Four Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

Keeping your kidneys functioning properly and free of any ailments is a vital aspect of your physical well-being. As with every other system in our body, ensuring this is quite simple; healthy diet, physical activity and relinquishing smoking and alcoholism are the broad outline of the fundamentals needed to be kept in mind to maintain kidneys in top nick. In a majority of cases, these prophylactic measures suffice. However, in case of more serious complications, medical intervention becomes necessary. NU Hospitals is a kidney hospital located in Bangalore that specializes in the intricacies and path breaking innovations in renal care.   But first, let us now examine the specific steps we can take:

Drink adequate amounts of water and fluids

A major reason for formation and accumulation of the stones is due to lack of water to dissolve them and flush them out of your system. However, it is also important to know the right type of fluids that can actually aid your body. Water is the best drink, followed by limited quantities of fruit juice with the fiber and minus added sugar. Do not drink sodas, caffeinated drinks and alcohol.

Egg whites

Egg whites are the richest sources of proteins and low in phosphorus and cholesterol. It consists of all the essential amino acids that keep your kidneys healthy. There are certain proteins which strain your kidneys and also produce lots of wastes while being metabolized in the body. The proteins in the egg white are the high-quality proteins that produce less waste and promote kidney health.

Olive oil

Olive oil is consists of an anti-inflammatory fatty acid, oleic acid. It consists of mono saturated fats and also has anti-oxidant properties that protects against oxidation and prevent inflammation. There are many studies that reveal that use of large amounts of olive oil reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, this considerably aiding in effective kidney treatment.

Monitor your blood sugar and pressure

Diabetes and high blood pressure are a welcome mat for a host of kidney diseases and damage. Therefore, if you have high blood sugar levels and/or pressure, or are prone to these due to hereditary and lifestyle factors, make sure you undergo regular tests to keep them in check.

A word of caution here. Kidney dialysis is sometimes mistaken to be a cure of sorts, or a process that can keep/ make the kidneys healthy. However, that’s not entirely true. Dialysis is at best an interim treatment option that can be carried out till such time as a matching donor becomes available for a transplant.

Notwithstanding the above steps, if there is a serious progression in the severity of kidney damage, please visit a nephrologists immediately. If diagnosed in the initial stages, the treatment options are relatively less complicated, but in the end stages, kidney transplant is the only reliable medical solution.

The Curious Tale of the Toiling Kidneys

The Curious Tale of the Toiling Kidneys

KIDNEY DISORDERS

Your kidneys may be small, but they perform many big and vital functions. However, we often forget the existence of this pair and with that ignorance, you may suddenly realize you've got acute or chronic disorders. In certain serious cases, there even may be the need for kidney treatments like dialysis or kidney transplant to stay alive.

Kidney disorders come under the medical bracket of Nephrology. Nephrotic syndrome, acute nephritic syndrome, acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, and diabetic nephropathy are some of the common albeit serious disorders we treat and cure at NU Hospitals. 

Nephrotic syndrome: You may not even know that you have nephrotic syndrome until you’ve got a urine or blood test. This syndrome isn’t a disease, but a group of symptoms indicating at kidneys that aren’t working right.

SYMPTOMS OF NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

• Cloudy urine
• Tiredness
• Swelling in legs, feet, ankles and sometimes hands and face
• Loss of appetite

Acute Nephritic Syndrome: It’s an immune reaction prompted by an infection or another disease. A doctor’s appointment and tests can show an enlarged liver, high blood pressure, abnormal heart and lung sounds, enlarged veins in the neck.

SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE NEPHRITIC SYNDROME

• A dark shade or cloudy urine
• Blurre vision
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness and aches 

Acute Renal Failure: This disorder tends to occur rapidly. There are three main categories of causes of acute renal failure, prerenal (caused by the low blood supply to the kidneys), intrinsic (harm caused by chemicals, illegal drugs or even prescribed ones), postrenal (kidney failure caused by problems in the urinary tract, bladder, urethra)

SYMPTOMS OF ACUTE RENAL FAILURE

• Vomiting, fatigue, and loss of appetite
• Irregular heartbeat
• Muscle weakness
• Loss of consciousness

Chronic Renal Failure: It is a slow and steady decline of the kidney functions. It usually is caused by another serious medical condition. It occurs over months as the kidney slowly stops working. 

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

• Increase urination, especially at night
• Decreased urination
• Blood in urination
• Cloudy urination

Diabetic Nephropathy: As the name suggests this kind of kidney disorder is caused Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. In worst case scenarios there even may be a need for a transplant. 

SYMPTOMS OF DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

• Tiredness
• Swelling of hands, feet, eyes, legs
• Worsening of BP control
• Loss of appetite
• Increased urination

In NU Hospitals there are treatments available for many kidney diseases, though these disorders can often be prevented with regular doctor’s check-up and advice. Our kidney doctors have specialized many innovative procedures that allow our patients to receive quality treatment, making one of the top Nephrology Hospitals in India. However, before you let your body down think of all the consequences you’d have to face for it.