Kidney Disease

The condition also termed as chronic renal failure is the result of a persistent and permanent damage occurring to the kidneys. As the functions of kidney are quite important, including blood flow regulation and waste product filtration, severe damage is often the result of serious metabolic conditions such as diabetes mellitus and elevated blood pressure.

Studies reveal that the risk of developing this condition increases with ageing and is high in the seventies. Every three among thousand people are likely to develop chronic renal damage. Ethnic groups of African and South Asian communities are more likely to develop this condition.

Symptoms

The notable manifestations include weakness, swellings over ankles, hands and legs (caused by lodging of water), breathing difficulty, traces of blood or protein in urine, increased frequency of urination particularly amid sleep, itchy sensation all over skin, nausea, and erectile dysfunction (in males, to erect or to maintain the erection).

Causes

Diabetes mellitus and elevated blood pressure are the chief identified causative factors.

Diabetes
In this condition body doesn’t produce or utilise insulin which is needed for managing the excess sugar in the body. Once the blood glucose level rises, nephrons, which are the structural and functional units of kidneys get damaged and affects the filtration process.

Hypertension:
Though many risk factors have been detected, the exact mechanism behind this disorder is yet unknown. There are number of tiny blood vessels present within the kidneys and these are damaged in case of elevated blood pressure. Once these tiny vessels are damaged, the filtration process becomes less effective.

Other possible causes:

• Glomerulonephritis (a condition of renal inflammation),
• Polycystic kidney disease (a genetic disorder featured by large sized kidneys due to presence of cysts)
• Congenital abnormalities in which kidneys are not completely formed.
• Systemic lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disorder in which the body’s immune system regards it as foreign tissues),
• A person with malaria or yellow fever (mosquito spread diseases) ,
• Over dosage of certain medications, especially nonsteroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), this include aspirin and ibuprofen,
• prohibited drugs like heroin and cocaine,
• Persistent exposure to lead, fuels, solvents etc,
• Obstructions – mostly by renal stones
• Trauma to the kidneys.

Treatment

Anaemia:

People with severe anaemia need to undergo blood transfusion and in minor cases, it can be corrected using iron and folic acid tablets.

An erythropoietin injection is also helpful in serious cases to promote RBC production.

Correction of phosphate balance

It is a salt normally eliminated by the kidneys through urine. In renal disorders a person need to limit the intake of phosphate. Phosphate binders like Adcal and Calcichew can be used to prevent its absorption.

Hypertension (high blood pressure)

ACE inhibitors like captopril, enalapril etc need to be administered to manage elevated blood pressure.

Oedema (fluid retention)

As the kidneys fail to produce adequate urine, the water intake needs to be restricted or else swellings will develop. Diuretics are drugs used in such instances to eliminate excess water from the body.

Kidney dialysis and kidney transplant

Dialysis may be needed when the damage progress to an advanced state and I the condition has worsened too much, the only management is to transplant the kidneys.