Nephrology & Dialysis
What is Nephrology?
Nephrology is the department where comprehensive care is provided to patients suffering from chronic kidney disease. In the nephrology department, the service of kidney transplant and dialysis is also offered. A nephrologist is the one who delivers the treatment for kidney disease.
Who are Nephrologists?
A nephrologist is the one who delivers treatment for kidney-related disease. A nephrologist also diagnoses the other conditions that affect the kidney of the body. Dialysis and kidney transplant services are also provided at the department of nephrology.
When to see a Nephrologist?
Your primary care doctor can help you prevent and give you the treatment to cure your kidney disease at an early stage. But if the symptoms are major, then you must consult the nephrologists for the proper treatment.
You must consult with the nephrologists if you are suffering from the following:-
- ● Excess amount of blood in your urine.
- ● Having a kidney stone
- ● If you have advanced chronic kidney disease.
- ● If you are suffering from high blood pressure and hypertension.
- ● An inherited and rare cause of kidney stones.
What Nephrology includes
Nephrology is the study of all kidney-related diseases. It also includes the analysis of kidney transplants and the dialysis process. Let’s discuss all these in detail-
Kidney disease
A kidney in the body is essential to have healthy food. Our kidney is mainly responsible for filtering waste material like impurities out of the body’s blood and excess water.
Kidney disease occurs when the kidney is damaged and unable to perform its function. A kidney gets damaged by various factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and various other chronic diseases. Kidney disease patients may face other health problems due to kidney disease. If the kidney disease is not cured at the right time, it may cause kidney failure that means a kidney can stop working functions completely.
Tips to keep your kidney healthy
The following are the ways to keep your kidney healthy
Eat less sodium
If you are concerned about your kidney, then you should consume less sodium. You have to say “NO” to the packaged snacks, fried food, and other food that have a high quantity of sodium.
Drink plenty of water
By drinking plenty of water, you can save your kidney from damage. It is necessary to consume 1.5 to 2.5 L water in a day.
Eat healthily
Healthy food can keep you away from nephrologists. Eat whole-grain food to keep your kidney healthy for the long term.
Keep your vitals in check
If you have diabetes, hypertension, and high blood pressure, you must be very careful about your health. You should check your average sugar level and blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause a lot of stress on your kidney.
Go for regular checkups
You must go for regular checkups if you are suffering from other chronic diseases. You should not miss the scheduled appointment with your doctor.
Be physically active
For your health, do regular exercises and always be active. An active person will recover faster than an inactive one.
Quit smoking
Smoking habits can become a significant issue for your kidney failure. You have to stop smoking if you are concerned about your healthy kidney.
Have your medicine daily
A skip to the medication procedure may lead to health issues. Follow the medication procedure as provided by your doctors.
Symptoms of kidney disease
The symptoms of kidney disease include the following:-
- ● Painful urination
- ● Frequent urge to urinate
- ● Blood in urine
- ● Difficulty in urinating
- ● High blood pressure
Kidney transplant
A kidney transplant is a surgical process to change a failed kidney with the working one. A person goes for a kidney transplant when his kidney completely stops functioning.
Whom kidney transplant is offered
A kidney transplant is offered to a person who has reached the last stage of kidney disease.
Suppose a person is suffering from end-stage renal disease or end-stage kidney disease. In that case, the doctor will recommend the patients for dialysis, and he/she fits for the kidney transplant surgery, then your nephrologists will suggest you for the kidney transplant.
Who is not fit for the transplant
- ● If the person has the following disease and habits, then the kidney transplant may be unsuccessful.
- ● If a person has cancer, liver disease, severe cardiovascular disease, or severe infection in the bone, then the chances of a successful kidney transplant may decrease.
- ● If the person is having the habits of smoking, drinking excess alcohol, and consuming illicit drugs, the chance for a successful kidney transplant decreases.
Who donates kidney
For the kidney transplant, a nephrologist needs a healthy kidney to replace it with a damaged kidney. The person who donates the kidney is known as a kidney donor. A kidney donor can be a living donor or a deceased donor.
The risk associated with a kidney transplant
There are the various risk associated with the kidney transplant, and that is as follows:-
Bleeding
- ● A blockage of the ureter
- ● Blood clots
- ● Allergic reaction
- ● Heart attack
- ● An infection
- ● A stroke
- ● Failure of the donated kidney
Side effects of the surgery
The person may face the following side effects after the surgery
- ● Bone thinning
- ● An increase in hair growth
- ● Weight gain
- ● Acne
- ● Skin cancer
Dialysis
Dialysis is the treatment procedure to filter the blood of a person whose kidney is failing. Dialysis performs the function of the kidney.
Dialysis is a treatment that purifies and filters the blood using a machine. It helps keep your electrolytes and fluids in balance when the kidneys can’t do their job.
Dialysis performs the following function:-
Keeps a safe level of certain chemicals in the blood, such as sodium, potassium, and bicarbonate.
It helps to control blood pressure.
Remove waste, extra water, and salt.
Filter and purify blood in the body.
To whom dialysis is offered
The dialysis treatment is offered to the person whose kidneys stopped working. Dialysis is used to filter the impurities in the blood of a kidney disease person. Failure of the kidney may lead to going through the dialysis process.
The risk associated with dialysis
The risk associated with dialysis includes the followings:-
- ● Muscle cramping
- ● Difficulty in sleeping
- ● Itching
- ● Anemia
- ● Sepsis
- ● High blood potassium level
- ● Low blood pressure
- ● Irregular heartbeat
- ● Fever
- ● Stomach pain