How Can I Prevent Acute Kidney Injury
Because AKI happens suddenly, it can be hard to predict or prevent it. But taking good care of your kidneys can help prevent AKI, chronic kidney disease and kidney failure/ESRD. Follow these general rules to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible:
- Work with your doctor to manage diabetes and high blood pressure.
- Live healthy! Eat a diet low in salt and fat, exercise for 30 minutes at least five days per week, limit alcohol and take all prescription medicines as your doctor tells you to.
- If you take over-the-counter pain medicines, such as aspirin or ibuprofen, do not take more than is recommended on the package. Taking too much of these medicines can hurt your kidneys and can cause AKI.
Nutrition And Low Kidney Function
Food is what our bodies use for growth, homeostasis, and healing. This is why its important for you to consult with a dietician who is knowledgeable about kidney disease. Youll need to find and maintain a balance between the levels of electrolytes, minerals, and fluid in your body.
A modified diet for chronic kidney disease may include adjustments to your intake of the following food items:
Can Alcohol Cause Kidney Stones
Kidney stones are crystals that form from some of the materials in urine. While liquor does not directly cause them, it can contribute to the increased risk for the formation of the stones. This is because the intoxicant has a high purine count. Purines are the chemical compounds that result in uric acid kidney stones. The presence of excessive amounts of purines can lead to the accumulation of uric acid, hence resulting in a kidney stone.Dehydration generally can lead to the formation of the stones. With ethanol being a dehydrating agent, calcium oxalate stones can form as a result.
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Medications To Discuss With Your Doctor
Some medications may be harmful for people with AKI or AKFespecially if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. Talk to your doctor about what to avoid or adjust.
- Blood pressureTake and record your blood pressure each day, then share your results with your care team.
- New symptomsReport any new symptoms you experience, such as: fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, swelling, or changes in appetite or mood.
- MedicationsTell your care team immediately if any of your doctors prescribe new medication, change your dose for an existing medication, or schedule a procedure that requires using a contrast dye .
Since Chronic Kidney Disease Is Basically Just A Wearing Out Process How Is It Treated
The treatment of chronic kidney disease depends on the results of blood tests, and specific treatments are aimed at resolving specific abnormalities. In some cases, the kidneys are damaged beyond repair before diagnosis and medical treatment is ineffective. However, with early diagnosis and aggressive treatment, many dogs will live a normal lifestyle for many months or years.
Treatment usually occurs in two phases, first flushing the kidneys and removing the accumulated toxins from the blood, and then providing treatments to manage the disease and delay its progression.
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Symptoms Of A Bruised Kidney
A bruised kidney is also called a renal contusion. One of the main symptoms is blood in the urine. This is called hematuria. It can be enough blood to be seen by the naked eye, or the amount of blood may be seen only by a microscope.4 Other symptoms of a bruised kidney include abdominal pain and bruising on the back of the abdomen.5
Kidney injuries can cause other, more severe symptoms. If, in addition to blood in the urine, you have nausea, vomiting, fever or increased heart rate, you should go to the emergency room immediately.
How Is Chronic Kidney Failure Diagnosed
There are two basic tests for kidney function: a complete urinalysis and a blood chemistry analysis.
A urinalysis is needed to evaluate kidney function. A low urine specific gravity is the earliest indication of kidney failure. An increase in protein in the urine also indicates decreased kidney function.
A blood biochemistry analysis assesses the function of various internal organs. Measuring the level of two waste products in the blood, namely blood urea nitrogen and blood creatinine , indicates decreased kidney function. Tests to measure the blood levels of other substances such as albumin, globulin, potassium, sodium, phosphorus, and calcium, as well as the red and white blood cell counts are important in order to determine the extent of failure and the best course of treatment.
A recently developed blood test to assess levels of SDMA has been used to determine if early renal failure is occurring. SDMA concentrations increase above the normal reference interval well before serum creatinine becomes elevated. This will help your veterinarian provide treatment for your dog at a much earlier stage in the disease.
“SDMA concentrations increase above the normal reference interval well before serum creatinine becomes elevated.”
A dog diagnosed with low urine specific gravity as well as elevated BUN and CREA is said to be azotemic.
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How Long Does It Take For A Kidney Infection To Heal
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How Is A Kidney Infection Treated At Home
Your treatment will be based on a clear diagnosis of the problem. Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics. This medicine is offered as a pill to be taken at home. If the infection is very bad, or if the patient is vomiting, then you may need to go to a hospital to get antibiotics in your vein .
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What Are The Symptoms Of Acute Kidney Injury
You might not notice any symptoms of AKI at first. If you do have symptoms, you may notice some or all of the following problems:
- Not enough urine
- Pain or pressure in your chest
If you have very severe AKI, you may have seizures or fall into a coma.
If you notice any of these symptom, contact your health care provider immediately.
What Is Kidney Failure In Cats
Kidney failure can be caused by a number of conditions that affect the kidneys and related organs.
Healthy kidneys eliminate waste from the blood, maintain a normal electrolyte balance, regulate hydration and calcium, manage blood pressure and stimulate production of red blood cells. If your cat experiences kidney failure, the kidneys are no longer functioning efficiently.
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Kidney Damage Treatment Options
There are two levels of healthcare to treat kidney damage, depending on the severity of the kidney damage. In cases where damage is acute, or minimal, its possible to treat the complications of the disease with medication until lifestyle changes can be made.
However, in the case of severe or end-stage kidney damage, the only treatment options are dialysis and kidney transplant.
Before any treatment for kidney damage, we highly recommend talking to your trusted healthcare professional, as they can determine exactly the stage of your kidney damage and the best solution.
Acute Kidney Failure Medications
The patient may be given medicines to treat the cause of the acute renal failure or to prevent complications.
- Antibiotics: To prevent or treat infections
- Diuretics : Quickly increase urine output
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Sudden Loss Of Kidney Function: Do You Know What To Do In This Emergency
Some people suddenly lose their kidneys function. All at once, the kidneys stop doing their important tasks: eliminating excess fluid and salts and removing waste material. When the kidneys go on strike, dangerous levels of fluid, salts and wastes build up in the body. Without functioning kidneys, the persons life is at risk.
Acute kidney failure is the name of this problem. Most people with chronic kidney failure gradually lose the function of their kidneys. In people with acute kidney failure, though, kidney failure develops rapidly over a few hours or a few days. People at high risk are those who are already hospitalized, or who are critically ill from other causes and need intensive care.
Acute kidney failure requires immediate treatment. The good news is that acute kidney failure can often be reversed. The kidneys usually start working again within several weeks to months after the underlying cause has been treated. Dialysis is needed until then. If the kidneys fail completely, the only treatment options available are dialysis for the rest of your life or transplant.
Acute kidney failure almost always occurs in connection with another medical condition, infection or use of kidney-harming medicines. There are many possible causes of kidney damage. Many other serious conditions can increase your risk of acute kidney failure. Some of the situations that put you at risk of acute kidney failure include:
Kidney Damage From High Blood Pressure
One of the most common causes for kidney damage is high blood pressure, which can occur as a result of a wide number of different risk factors .
Think of your kidneys as one of your bodys natural filtration pumps, which function ideally at normal blood pressure. Hypertension due to heart disease, high cholesterol, or any number of other conditions that can increase your blood pressure puts an excess strain on this filtration system.
Over a long time exposed to high blood pressure, the blood vessels in the kidneys can be damaged, worn down, or hardened, which limit the kidneys ability to filter your blood and perform its vital functions.
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Which Patients Require Follow
Follow-up for development of CKD should be considered in all patients who developed AKI, irrespective of the apparent degree of renal recovery. Importantly, while only a small proportion of AKI survivors may develop ESKD over time, many instead die, especially from cardiovascular causes . CKD is indeed strongly associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality . In younger survivors, development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease may accelerate CKD progression, so that ESKD may develop after many years even if there is an apparently good initial recovery. Thus, in all groups of AKI survivors there is great potential for interventions to improve longer-term outcomes.
What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Failure
When your kidneys begin to fail, there are often little to no outward symptoms. Often, your doctor will find that you have early stages of kidney failure during laboratory tests or examinations for some other health condition.
If you do experience symptoms, however, they may include:
- Less urine than normal
- Water weight accumulation causing your legs, feet, and ankles to swell
- Tiredness
- Feeling like youre going to vomit
- Twitching muscles
- Pain in the stomach or back
- Rash
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Talk To Your Doctor About Your Current Medications
Talk to your doctor immediately about any medications, vitamins, or supplements youre taking. When your kidneys are injured, many medications require close adjustment because theyre cleared through your kidneys and could cause additional harm. Ask questions and make sure you understand any new medication instructions.
If The First Phase Of Treatment Is Successful What Happens Next
The second phase of treatment is to help keep the kidneys functioning as long and normally as possible. This is usually accomplished with one or more of the following, depending on your pet’s condition:
A special diet – Nutrition is one of the cornerstones in the effective treatment of dogs with chronic kidney failure. The ideal diet for a dog in the advanced stages of kidney failure is lower in protein, low in phosphorus, and is not acidified. This type of diet helps reduce the amount of protein wastes or metabolic toxins that may make your pet feel sick and lethargic. In advanced kidney disease, a decreased protein diet will also decrease the workload on the kidneys.
Nutritionists have developed commercial therapeutic diets that are designed for treating various stages of chronic kidney disease. Your veterinarian will recommend the most appropriate diet, containing the necessary quantity and quality of nutrients for your dog.
A phosphate binder – Phosphorus is removed from the body by the kidneys. Once the filtration process is impaired, phosphorous begins to accumulate in the blood. Elevated blood phosphorus levels also contribute to lethargy and poor appetite. Certain drugs will bind excess phosphates in the intestinal tract so they are not absorbed into the bloodstream, resulting in lower blood levels of phosphorus.
“The second phase of treatment is to help keep the kidneys functioning as long and normally as possible.”
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How Long Does It Take For Kidneys To Heal
Our kidneys have immense self-healing ability. That is why acute kidney failure patients can restore their function completely as long as there are no other factors complicating things. For chronic kidney failure patients, they can also heal kidney damage to a certain extent. How long does it take for kidneys to heal? Now go on reading to learn more information.
How long it takes for kidneys to heal depends on the severity of kidney damage.
If your kidney tissues have been scarred or severely damaged, no treatment can help you revitalize them. If your kidneys tissues are just inflamed, proper treatment can help them restore their function in several months.
Treatment in Shijiazhuang Hetaiheng Hospital to help the kidneys to heal
In our hospital, after about one weeks treatment, you will see floccules in urine, which are those waste accumulating in body. After about half months treatment, your high creatinine level, high urea level and high uric acid level will go down. Symptoms such as weakness, swelling, proteinuria, high blood pressure and so on will get relieved. After about one months treatment, your kidney function will start to increase. In general, it takes 3 months for the kidneys cells to heal themselves. And the treatment usually needs about 6-9 months. When all the indexes return to normal range, you can stop the medications.
What Studies Are Saying
The US National Health Institute has conducted experiments that show that kidney dialysis using bicarbonate agents have more restorative properties than standard dialysis treatments.
In addition, British scientists at the Royal Hospital in London conducted a study on the relationship between bicarbonate and slowing the progression of kidney disease.
Out of 134 test patients with advanced kidney disease and metabolic acidosis, a randomly selected small group was given a tablet daily, made of a small amount of sodium bicarbonate for a year. The kidney function of these patients declined at a rate thats expected with normal aging and were less likely to require dialysis. This group had a 2/3 slower decline of health than the untreated group. Patients taking sodium bicarbonate were also less likely to develop end-stage renal disease requiring dialysis. via ScienceDaily
Professor Magdi Yaqoob, lead researcher of the British study, explained in a press release:
Its amazing. This is the first randomized controlled study of its kind. A simple remedy like sodium bicarbonate, when used appropriately, can be very effective.
This study shows baking soda can be useful for people with kidney failure. That is, as long as the dose is regulated and under supervisionWhat happens is the inflammation of kidney is prevented by baking soda because a chemical reaction takes place limiting ammonia production in the kidney.
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Testing For Kidney Disease
Tests to diagnose kidney disease include complete blood count, serum biochemistry, and urinalysis. These blood tests will determine if your pet is anemic, determine white blood cell counts, measure blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and electrolytes. A urinalysis is essential for the proper interpretation of the urea and creatinine values in the serum biochemistry profile and may also provide important clues to the possible underlying cause of kidney disease. A urinalysis will also determine the specific gravity, pH, presence of blood in the urine, and the amount of protein in the urine. An evaluation of the urine sediment will determine the presence of red blood cells, white blood cells, bacteria, crystalline material, and cellular casts all of which provide information to determine the underlying cause of kidney disease in your pet. Further diagnostic tests may be recommended based on the results of these initial screening tests.
Can A Kidney Infection Cause Abdominal Pain With No Back Pain
Enlarged or infected kidneys can cause inflammation towards the front of the body in addition to the back. If you only have abdominal pain with no back pain, that is not likely to be related to the kidneys. 4
If you are having pain across these areas, it is most likely caused by an injury to the back muscles, not the kidneys. These are common areas of back pain and it is more common for back pain to spread across this whole region than for kidney pain to spread in this way.
Kidney pain is discomfort that comes from the area where your kidneys are. Its often described as a dull ache, you feel in your sides, back, or belly. But pain in these areas isnt always a sign of a kidney issue. Its easy to mistake kidney pain for ordinary back pain.
Enlarged or infected kidneys can cause inflammation towards the front of the body in addition to the back. If you only have abdominal pain with no back pain, that is not likely to be related to the kidneys. 4
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