According to research, Kidney disease has become a global issue and millions of people die each year because they do not have access to affordable treatment most especially in Africa countries.
In most developing countries, the treatments of dialysis or kidney transplant have created a huge financial burden on people who suffer from kidney problems. People cannot afford the treatment, which results to death from untreated kidney failure.
What is Kidney?
The Kidneys are two-bean-shaped organ found on either side of the body and the main role of the kidney is to filter our waste products from the blood before converting them into urine.
The kidney disease becomes chronic when the kidney gradually failing to perform its function properly, when it falls below a certain point, it results to kidney failure, which will affect the general wellbeing of the whole body and if not treated, it becomes life-threatening and can lead to death.
Functions of the kidney
When it comes to components of the urinary system, the kidneys are multi-functional. Some of the core actions of the kidneys include:
- Waste excretion: There are many things your body doesn’t want inside of it, the kidney filters unwanted product like toxins, excess salts and urea (a nitrogen-based waste created by cell metabolism) from the body.
- Water level balancing: As the kidneys are key in the chemical breakdown of urine, they react to changes in the body’s water level throughout the day. As water intake decreases, the kidneys adjust accordingly and leave water in the body instead of helping excrete it.
- Blood pressure regulation: The kidney release hormones that regulate the blood pressure. The kidneys need constant pressure to filter the blood, when it drops too low, the kidneys increase the pressure. One way is by producing a blood vessel-constricting protein that also signals the body to retain sodium and water. Both the constriction and retention help restore normal blood pressure.
- Red blood cell regulation: When the kidneys don’t get enough oxygen, they send out a distress call in the form of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
- Acid regulation: As cells metabolise, they produce acids. Foods we eat can either increase the acid in our body or neutralise it. If the body is to function properly, it needs to keep a healthy balance of these chemicals. The kidneys do that, too.
What is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Chronic kidney disease is when the kidney ability is reduced to functions, which is caused by damage to the kidneys from some conditions such as high blood pressure or diabetes. By checking your blood pressure regularly will let you know your state of health and quickly prevent any terminal condition. CKD does not show any symptoms in the beginning until it gets to an advanced stage.
The people who are at risk of developing CKD are the people with high blood pressure, diabetes and people with the family history of CKD. CKD is mainly associated with ageing, the older you get the more likely you get some degree of kidney disease, one in five men and one in four women between the ages of 65 and 74 are more likely to have some degree of CKD among the people of South Asian origin and African.
Kidney failure
CKD can result to kidney failure in some people which is known as renal failure or end-stage kidney disease, which means that the kidney function stop working, for such person to survive, it would require artificial kidney treatment called Dialysis or a kidney transplant.
CKD Stages one, two, and three can usually be treated and monitored by Doctors. CKD stages four and five are usually refer to specialist
Kidney failure occurs when you have lost all your kidney functions and the condition has become life threatening. If you have kidney failure, you will need to decide on the next stage of treatment, which is one of the following:
- Dialysis
- Kidney transplant
- Supportive or conservative care
Early stage
- Early CKD has no signs or symptoms
- CKD do not go away but can be treated and managed
- Blood and urine tests are used to check for kidney disease.
- Kidney disease can progress to kidney failure.
- Swollen ankle, feet or hands because of water retention
- Tiredness
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Blood in the Urine
Chronic Kidney disease cannot be cured but it can be managed, treatment can slow the disease progressing and prevent other serious conditions developing. People who suffer from CKD are at the risk of developing a heart attack.
You can’t always prevent CKD. However, controlling conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes can help. You should get regular screenings for CKD if you’re at high risk. Getting an early diagnosis of CKD can help slow its progress.
Home Remedies for Kidney Disease
The treatments of dialysis or kidney transplant have created a huge financial burden on people who suffer from kidney problems. Below are some of the most popular and common home remedies for kidney disease:
- Reduce salt intake: If you suffer from kidney disease, having too much salt can make the situation get worse. The loss of potassium into the urine means there is too much salt in the body, therefore you should have a low-salt diet to make sure the fluid balance in the body remains appropriate.
- Dandelion: Every part of the dandelion plant is rich in antioxidants, which prevent damages to cells, it s a good source of vitamin. Dandelion helps the kidneys clear out waste, salt and excess water by increasing urine production.
- Herbal Tea: One of the most recommended herbal teas for kidney disease is green tea, gravel root tea and dandelion tea, they are packed with antioxidants and detoxifying compounds that help the kidney to function properly.
- Aloe Vera Juice: The antioxidant properties in Aloe Vera make it powerful to fight against kidney disease. It is also good for treating some conditions.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Extra virgin olive oil is used to soothe inflammation and it also detoxifies the body, therefore it is good for reducing the progression of kidney disease.
- Cranberry Juice: The properties present in cranberries are effective for slowing down the growth of kidney infections.
Being diagnosed with CKD can be worrying, but by obeying the rules from health professionals will help.
- Remember your Health letters BBBC, and monitor them regularly will help identify any conditions and prevent major conditions developing.
- Be active and exercise regularly for at least 30minutes a day, five days a week.
- If you have been diagnosed with CKD, ensure healthy lifestyle; take your medication regularly to prevent further damage to your kidneys and circulation.
- If CKD is detected early and properly managed, it can slow down or stop the decline in kidney function, which can reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases complications.
- Stop smoking
- Stay hydrated, drinking plenty of fluid
- Eating a healthy, low-fat, balanced diet
- Restricting your salt intake
- Don’t use over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen, except advised by medical professional
- Moderate alcohol intake
- Try losing weight if you are overweight or obese
Source: NHS Choices
No comments:
Post a Comment