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Chronic Kidney Disease – Key facts and Remedies

Chronic Kidney Disease – Key facts and Remedies

Also known as chronic kidney failure, chronic kidney disease involves gradually losing kidney function. Kidneys filter excess fluids and waste from the blood through urine. When affected by kidney disease, the organs fail to eliminate the waste, resulting in the accumulation of toxins in the body. One may not experience any symptoms in the early stages. However, if detected, the treatment focuses on slowing the disease progression by addressing the cause.

Causes
Some of the primary causes of chronic kidney disease are:

High blood pressure: Also known as hypertension, this develops when the pressure of the blood against the vessel walls increases. If left unchecked, it might result in kidney disease, strokes, and heart attacks. Conversely, even chronic kidney disease can result in high blood pressure.

Diabetes: One is affected by diabetes when their blood sugar levels are too high. If left unchecked, diabetes might cause damage to various parts of the body, like blood vessels, the heart, kidneys, eyes, and nerves.

Hypertension and diabetes are the primary conditions responsible for approximately two-thirds of all chronic kidney disease cases. Additionally, the following factors also contribute to the risk of developing kidney problems:

  1. Inherited diseases: Conditions like polycystic kidney disease are prevalent causes of kidney failure. PKD leads to large cysts in the kidney that damage the surrounding tissue.
  2. Autoimmune diseases: Here, the immune system works against the body. One such disease is lupus nephritis, which causes inflammation, scarring, or swelling in the small blood vessels that filter the waste from the kidney.
  3. Glomerulonephritis : This is a cluster of diseases that causes inflammation and hampers the kidney’s filtering units.
  4. Urinary tract and kidney abnormalities: This includes malformations, which may develop when the baby is in the womb. For instance, a narrowing might develop, which intervenes with the natural outflow of urine, resulting in it flowing back to the kidney. This might damage the kidneys and cause infections.
  5. Other causes: Obstructions from tumors or kidney stones might also be responsible for kidney disease. Repeated urinary infections or enlarged prostate glands in men might also trigger the condition.

Unusual causes
A few relatively less common causes of the condition in children and adults are:

  1. Hepatitis C and B are related to renal vascular inflammation and glomerulonephritis.
  2. Heavy metal poisoning, like lead poisoning
  3. Pyelonephritis—a prevalent bacterial infection that affects the kidneys
  4. Recurring kidney infections
  5. Interstitial nephritis resulting from long-term use of specific treatment options
  6. Reflux nephropathy or urine backing up into the bladder
  7. Hemolytic-uremic syndrome, wherein the ruptured red blood cells hinder the renal filters

Risk factors
Several factors aggravate the chances of developing chronic kidney disease. While some can be controlled, others may not:

Non-modifiable risk factors:

  1. Race: The risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is approximately four times higher in African-Americans than Caucasian Americans. Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, and Asian Americans are also at risk because they are more likely to develop diabetes (a leading cause) than their Caucasian counterparts.
  2. Genetics: Those with a family member affected by ESRD are three to nine times more likely to develop chronic kidney disease.
  3. Age: CKD is more prevalent in people aged 65 or more than in people between 45 and 65 (38% versus 13%) or between 18 and 44 (7%).

Modifiable risk factors

  1. Poor blood glucose control in people with type 1 or 2 diabetes
  2. Unchecked high blood pressure
  3. Type 1 diabetes, where the disease starts before one turns 20

Symptoms
One may not experience any symptoms in the early stages of kidney disease, but as the kidney loses the ability to filter waste from the blood, one might observe the following symptoms:

Muscle cramps
Trouble catching your breath
Feeling less hungry than usual
Itchy skin
Trouble staying or falling asleep
Frothy, bubbly, or foamy-looking urine, indicating the presence of excess protein
Peeing or urinating less or more than usual
Swelling of the feet, ankles, and legs
Throwing up
Feeling sick
Constantly feeling tired or weak

One must immediately consult the doctor if they notice one or more of these symptoms.

Lifestyle changes and natural remedies
While treatment can focus on addressing the underlying condition, it may not stop the disease progression, resulting in end-stage kidney failure. So, here are some natural remedies and lifestyle changes that can help one avoid chronic kidney disease and also manage its symptoms:

Stay hydrated: Inadequate water intake is one of the primary causes of kidney diseases. Water helps flush the toxins from the body, so one should have at least eight glasses of water every day to maintain kidney function and overall health. However, if affected by kidney disease, the doctor might recommend reducing one’s water intake. So, one should consult the doctor before making drastic changes to their routine.

Reduce salt intake: If diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, one of the first changes one must make in their meal plans is limiting the salt intake. When the kidneys are not functioning as they should, the additional fluids and sodium might build up in the body, resulting in symptoms like shortness of breath, a spike in blood pressure, puffiness, swollen ankles, fluid build-up around the lungs and heart, or edema.

Monitor the blood pressure: One should keep blood pressure in check, as when blood pressure increases, it aggravates the risk of kidney diseases.

Stay active: Certain lifestyle changes for lowering blood pressure can also help with preventing chronic kidney disease, as hypertension or high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney diseases. So, one should opt for light exercises to reduce blood pressure and keep it in check. Dedicating at least 30 minutes every day to low-impact activities like jogging, biking, yoga, and walking can make a significant difference.

Reduce protein intake: When digesting a protein-based meal, the body only uses what it needs and filters out the rest with the help of the kidneys. So a protein-rich nutritional regimen makes the kidneys work harder, which should be avoided when dealing with chronic kidney disease.

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