Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a renal condition indicating that your kidneys are not appropriately working and are losing their function. CKD becomes worse with time, and there is no specific cure for this disease. The kidney filters the additional fluid and wastes from the blood and gets rid of them from the body through urine. CKD causes dangerous fluid, waste, and electrolyte levels to build up in the body.
The nephrologists treat CKD by slowing down the kidney damage progression by recognizing the cause and controlling it. In renal sciences, CKD can also progress to the final stage of kidney failure. In this case, the patient has to go for a kidney transplant or dialysis (artificial filtering).
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What are the Causes of CKD as per Renal Sciences?
In chronic kidney disease, the kidneys cannot filter blood due to severe damage, which happens over years. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the major CKD causes. However, other causes also lead to CKD and affect its function.
- Glomerulonephritis
This disease includes glomeruli damage which are the filtering units inside the kidney.
- Membranous Nephropathy
In this disorder, the immune system of the body attacks the kidney’s waste-filtering membranes.
- Vesicoureteral Reflux
In this condition, pee starts to flow backward up the uterus to the kidney.
- Diabetes Centric Nephropathy
It is dysfunction or damage of nerves due to diabetes.
- Polycystic Kidney Disease
It is a genetic disorder causing fluid-filled cysts to grow inside your kidney. It thus reduces the kidney’s ability to function.
- Nephrotic Syndrome
It is a symptom collection indicating kidney damage.
Diagnosis of CKD
The nephrologist goes through a physical examination, considers your medical history or medicines you are taking, and enquires about the symptoms. According to the renal sciences, the doctor conducts urine and blood tests to evaluate the kidney condition. The blood test checks for the GFR or Glomerular Filtration Rate and serum creatinine level. A urine test checks out for the blood and protein in the pee.
A perfectly working kidney indicates normal levels for all the tests mentioned above. The nephrologist might also suggest imaging tests like USG, CT scan, and MRI. These tests examine the kidney’s structure and size. Renal sciences also recommend a biopsy to study the specific type and amount of kidney damage.
What are the Treatments for CKD?
There are few treatments for chronic kidney disease that most nephrologists opt for after examining the patient’s condition.
- Medicines
- ACE (Angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitor or ARB (Angiotensin Receptor Blocker) for reducing the blood pressure
- A diuretic for helping the body eliminate additional fluid
- Erythropoietin for creating red blood cells if you are anemic
- Phosphate binder for eliminating the phosphate
- Medicines for reducing cholesterol levels
- Calcitriol and vitamin D for preventing blood loss
- Dialysis
It is a procedure for eliminating waste products from the human body when the kidneys cannot perform normally. In renal sciences, there are two types of dialysis: peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis.
- Kidney Transplant
Kidney transplantation is the process of replacing a damaged kidney with a healthy one. Transplantation kidney usually comes from two sources: living and deceased donors. Living donors include partners, friends, or family members. Deceased kidney donors are those who are dead and have signed up for organ donation.
Whether living or dead, all kidney donors are carefully screened to find the perfect and suitable match and prevent any complications or other transmissible diseases. People usually have to wait for 3 to 5 years for kidneys from deceased donors.
FAQ
Is it possible to reverse the effect of CKD back to normal?
No, it is impossible to reverse the effect of CKD back to normal. Unhealthy kidneys cannot keep you well and with CKD, the organ cannot filter the blood like normally they would. Thus, it can cause other health difficulties like stroke or heart problems. However, you can slow down the effect by going under treatments.
Final words
As per the renal sciences, early diagnosis of CKD has a profound impact on the patient’s life. They have to go for lifelong treatment, and it takes immense patience and time. Visit the best nephrologists in town and manage the disease. With early detection, many people are living with CKD for years with no problem.