Kidney Disease: It's More Common Than You Think

You must have heard of chronic kidney disease taking lives of many people around you. The name is not so unfamiliar, is it? Terms such as kidney transplant, dialysis, kidney failure have somewhat become common in the medical field and way too many people are coming across kidney problems due to many reasons both explainable and unexplainable. But then the point is, you must know what actually causes kidney disease and what are you supposed to do in case you are diagnosed with it.

So let us begin with having a basic idea of chronic kidney disease followed by its symptoms and finally the treatment. Now, if you didn't know it already, your kidneys play a very important role in your body. They are located at the back of the abdominal cavity and their function is to remove unwanted toxins, balance chemical neutrality (the acid-base balance) and filter the blood plasma (through key processes such as filtration, reabsorption, secretion, and excretion). The nephrons present in kidneys are basically what carry these jobs and hence, make this organ a vital one to be taken care of.

Now, there are times when your kidneys aren't able to perform to their best ability and there are reasons for why it happens so. More often than not, diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are what hampers the functionality of your kidneys. It also happens in case you have been hit by urinary tract infection in the past (UTI). Certain other problems such as heart attack are also sometimes responsible for it. In short, it's all about the kind of lifestyle you lead, and how it affects not one but different systems of your body.

Let us see how you can actually figure out if you are suffering from chronic kidney disease, via understanding these symptoms.

In the initial days, you might notice:

• Loss of appetite

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Alteration in urination

• Muscle cramps

Though you might notice the following if it is acute:

• Diarrhea

• Back pain

• Swelling of feet and ankles

• Fatigue

• Hypertension

• Chest pain

These symptoms though might replicate that of another disease, we suggest you must visit your doctor to check chronic kidney disease as they might be so due to the same problem. The fact that the health of your kidneys depends on your overall lifestyle, it becomes a matter of crucial understanding regarding the fragility of the situation.

Chronic kidney disease though has several treatment options that guarantee a successful cure, there are chances of it proving to be fatal and taking lives when you least expect it to do so. So first and foremost, the treatment option that you can begin with are controlling your blood pressure, eating healthy, and following a lifestyle that does not stress your body in any manner.

Apart from that, you can eat food that is rich in potassium such as spinach, banana, and yogurt.

Chronic kidney disease (in its last stage) only has options such as kidney transplant or dialysis as its surviving option though there's no guarantee of it proving to be successful and you may actually lose your life eventually.

Hence, it is important you look at your lifestyle and ensure you don't deteriorate the health of your kidneys for the sake of your life if not anything else. Chronic kidney disease is becoming common these days only due to the lifestyle changes people have adapted to put stress on their body, and it is important you educate yourselves about how it's affecting your health at the end of the day.