Eating Right For Chronic Kidney Disease
You may need to change what you eat to manage your chronic kidney disease . Work with a registered dietitian to develop a meal plan that includes foods that you enjoy eating while maintaining your kidney health.
The steps below will help you eat right as you manage your kidney disease. The first three steps are important for all people with kidney disease. The last two steps may become important as your kidney function goes down.
Secretion Of Active Compounds
The kidneys release a number of important compounds, including:
- Erythropoietin: This controls erythropoiesis, or the production of red blood cells. The liver also produces erythropoietin, but the kidneys are its main producers in adults.
- Renin: This helps manage the expansion of arteries and the volume of blood plasma, lymph, and interstitial fluid. Lymph is a fluid that contains white blood cells, which support immune activity, and interstitial fluid is the main component of extracellular fluid.
- Calcitriol: This is the hormonally active metabolite of vitamin D. It increases both the amount of calcium that the intestines can absorb and the reabsorption of phosphate in the kidney.
What Are The Benefits Of Kidney Transplantation
A successful kidney transplant gives you increased strength, stamina, and energy. After transplantation, you should be able to return to a more normal lifestyle and have more control over your daily living. You can have a normal diet and more normal fluid intake.
If you were dependent on dialysis before the transplant, you’ll have more freedom because you won’t be bound to your dialysis schedules.
Anemia, a common problem with kidney failure, might be corrected after transplantation. If you have hypertension , you could be on fewer blood pressure medications after transplantation.
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What Are The Risks Of Kidney Transplantation
The risks of kidney transplantation are the same as those of any surgery. There is the risk of bleeding, infection or breathing problems. You also might experience some side effects from the medications, and you could be more prone to infections, since the medicine you will take after transplantation lowers your body’s ability to fight infection.
There is also the risk of rejection. Since the body recognizes the new kidney as a foreign object, it will normally try to get rid of it or “reject” it. However, you are given medicine to prevent rejection.
Because of years of experience, research, and improved medicines that prevent rejection, kidney transplants are very successful with few complications after transplantation.
Changes In Urination And Urine Color
When reduction in kidney functions takes place, a person may urinate for less or more numbers of times in a day than usual. Moreover, a few people may urinate 2 to 3 times during nighttime. In addition, patients may feel pressure at the time of urination. Furthermore, you may identify low function of your kidney in case you observe pale, bubbly or foamy urine. This takes place because of abnormal higher amount of protein released in the form of urine. Other than this, in some cases, you may find urine in dark color or contain blood.
| Written, Edited or Reviewed By:Pramod Kerkar, M.D., FFARCSI, DA Pain Assist Inc.This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimerLast Modified On: March 9, 2018 |
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Keeping Kidney Stone Pain Under Control
If you are experiencing the intense discomfort of kidney stones , pain control is a top priority. A 2018 analysis of multiple randomized trials looked at different pain relief medicines given to people treated in the emergency department for acute renal colic. It compared nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs with paracetamol or opioids. The study found NSAIDs offered effective pain relief with fewer side effects than paracetamol or opioids. NSAIDs directly inhibit the synthesis of prostaglandins, which decreases activation of pain receptors and reduces renal blood flow and ureteral contractions.
Summary Left Vs Right Kidney
In brief, kidneys are a pair of organs that lie on either side of the vertebral column; to be specific, they are in the posterior abdominal wall underneath the diaphragm.;The key difference between left and right kidney;is their position and size as the left kidney is slightly larger and higher in position than the right kidney.
Image Courtesy:
1. Gray1123 By Henry Vandyke Carter Henry Gray Anatomy of the Human Body Bartleby.com: Grays Anatomy, Plate 1123 via Commons Wikimedia
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Kidney Pain Definition And Facts
- The function and purpose of the kidneys are to remove excess fluid and waste products from the body.
- The kidneys are organs that are located in the upper abdominal area against the back muscles on both the left and right side of the body.
- Kidney pain and back pain can be difficult to distinguish, but kidney pain is usually deeper and higher in the and back located under the ribs while the muscle pain with common back injury tends to be lower in the back.
- Common causes of kidney pain are mainly urinary tract infections, kidney infections, and kidney stones. However, there are many other causes of kidney pain, including penetrating and blunt trauma that can result in a “lacerated kidney.”
- If a woman is pregnant and has kidney pain, she should contact her doctor.
- Symptoms of kidney pain may include
- vomiting.
What Is Kidney Pain
Kidney pain is discomfort that comes from the area where your kidneys are. It’s often described as a dull ache, you feel in your sides, back, or belly. But pain in these areas isn’t always a sign of a kidney issue. It’s easy to mistake kidney pain for ordinary back pain. But there are some differences in how kidney pain feels and where it’s located compared to back pain.
Kidney pain has many possible causes, and some could be serious. It’s important to let your doctor know if you notice pain that you think may be coming from one or both of these organs.
Where are your kidneys?
Your kidneys are two small organs shaped like beans. You have one on each side of your body. They’re each about the size of your fist. They’re below your rib cage on both sides of your spinal cord.
Your kidneys have important jobs. They clean out water, acids, and waste from your blood. They make urine so your body flushes out the waste. If they’re diseased or damaged in some way, they can’t do their work to maintain a healthy balance of salts, minerals like calcium, and water in your blood.
Your kidneys also make hormones that help you manage your blood pressure, keep your bones strong, and make red blood cells.
So it’s important to watch for any signs of kidney disease or damage, like pain.
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When Should Call A Doctor For Kidney Pain
Individuals should not postpone seeing a doctor about kidney pain or flank pain. Although flank pain is often seen in underlying problems with the kidney, there are many other diseases that can mimic kidney pain, and a physician can help with an accurate diagnosis of underlying problems that result in kidney or flank pain. Any acute onset of intense kidney or flank pain should be evaluated immediately.
Warning signs that kidney disease is present and may result in kidney pain or flank pain are the following:
- High blood pressure
- Swelling of the hands and feet and/or puffiness around the eyes
- Testing that shows an abnormal creatinine, blood urea nitrogen , or glomerular filtration rate less than 60
In addition, if an individual has diabetes or any of the congenital problems that lead to kidney dysfunction, the individual should be routinely checked for the onset of kidney dysfunction or kidney failure by their physician.
Can It Be Prevented
Atrophic kidney cant always be prevented. But there are some measures you can take to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible.
First, try to prevent those conditions that can damage your kidneys, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. If you already have such a condition, work to keep it under good control.
Your diet should be rich in:
- fruits and vegetables
- low-fat or fat-free dairy products
Limit your intake of:
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What Is The Outlook
You can live a long, healthy life with only one healthy kidney. However, youll need to watch your diet and see your doctor regularly.
In some cases, chronic kidney disease leads to kidney failure. Its a serious problem if your kidneys are functioning below 25 percent.
For people on dialysis, the average life expectancy is 5 to 10 years, but some may live as long as 30 more years.
The average kidney transplant lasts 12 to 20 years when from a living donor and 8 to 12 years when from a deceased donor.
Of course, much depends on your age and other health considerations. Your doctor can give you more of an idea of your outlook based on your personal situation.
Other Conditions Associated With Renal Hypoplasia
Sometimes, renal hypoplasia can be seen with other conditions that happen in the womb.
- Antenatal hydronephrosis one or both kidneys do not drain urine properly usually because there is a blockage affecting how urine leaves the body. The affected kidney can become stretched and swollen. Antenatal hydronephrosis often gets better at a later stage in the pregnancy, but your doctor will check how your baby is affected.
-
Vesicoureteral reflux when babies with VUR pass urine in the womb, some urine refluxes towards, and sometimes into, the kidneys. This can affect the fully working kidney and/ or the hypoplastic kidney.
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The Need To Monitor Kidney Function With Certain Drugs
Experts have suggested that after the initial assessment of kidney function, physicians should consider regular monitoring after starting or increasing the dosage of drugs associated with nephrotoxicity, especially those used chronically in patients with multiple risk factors for impaired kidney function, Dr. Naughton noted. If there is any sign of kidney harm, the provider should review the medications you are taking in order to identify which one is causing the problem.
If multiple medications are present and the patient is clinically stable, physicians should start by discontinuing the drug most recently added to the patients medication regimen. Once that has been taken care of, further harm to the kidneys may be minimized by keeping blood pressure stable, staying hydrated, and temporarily avoiding the use of other medications that may cause nephrotoxicity.
These safety tips can ensure you get the care you need while keeping your kidneys safe. That way, they can tend to essential functions like keeping things flowing .Originally published May 11, 2017
Will It Happen In Future Pregnancies
Unless you have been told that your babys renal hypoplasia was caused by a genetic mutation, it is unlikely that a future pregnancy will result in renal hypoplasia, or other problems with the kidneys. If one of your children has renal hypoplasia, it is unlikely that another of your children or family members will get it. Your doctor or healthcare professional will be able to give you more information.
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What Is A Kidney
Each kidney is about 11 to 14 cm in length, about 6cm in width and about 3cm in thickness. Each kidney contains millions of its functional units called nephrons. Kidneys are surrounded by a fibrous tissue called renal capsule. The cortex, medulla, pelvis, and hilum are the main parts of the kidney. Adrenal glands are located on the top of each kidney. Moreover, a major branch of the abdominal aorta called renal artery enters from the concave side of the kidney. The major role of the kidney is to filter excess chemicals and wastes from the blood, which enter;through renal arteries. These wastes extracted from the blood are eliminated from the body as urine. Other than excretion, homeostasis, osmoregulation, regulation of salts in the body, regulation of pH, and production of hormones are also important functions of kidneys.
What Is The Difference Between Left And Right Kidney
There is a difference between left and right kideny;is their position and size. The size of the left kidney is slightly larger than that of the right kidney. Moreover, the left kidney is positioned slightly upper than the right kidney due to the asymmetry within the abdominal cavity caused by the liver. Another;difference between left and right kideny is that left renal artery serves blood to the left kidney while right renal artery serves blood to the right kidney. In addition, anterior and posterior surface of left and right kidneys are related to different neighboring structures of the body.
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What Are The Symptoms Of An Ectopic Kidney
Most people with an ectopic kidney have no symptoms. If complications occur, however, symptoms may include
- pain in your abdomen or back
- urinary frequency or urgency, or burning during urination
- fever
Rosenblum ND. Renal ectopic and fusion anomalies. UpToDate website.www.uptodate.com/contents/renal-ectopic-and-fusion-anomalies. Updated July 15, 2019. Accessed July 31, 2019.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
The NIDDK would like to thank:Linda M. Dairiki Shortliffe, M.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University
Symptoms Of Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is called a silent disease as there are often no warning signs. People may lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney function before getting any symptoms. The first signs of kidney disease may be general and can include:
- high blood pressure
- changes in the amount and number of times urine is passed
- changes in the appearance of urine
- blood in the urine;
- puffiness of the legs and ankles
- pain in the kidney area
- tiredness
- have a family history of kidney failure
- have a history of acute kidney injury
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.
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Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy
All shock wave lithotripsy machines deliver shock waves through the skin to the stone in the kidney. Most but not all of the energy from the shock wave is delivered to the stone.
Stone size is the greatest predictor of ESWL success. Generally:
- stones less than 10 mm in size can be successfully treated
- for stones 10 to 20 mm in size, additional factors such as stone composition and stone location should be considered
- stones larger than 20 mm are usually not successfully treated with ESWL.
Stones in the lower third of the kidney can also be problematic because, after fragmentation, the stone fragments may not be cleared from the kidney. Due to gravity, these fragments dont pass out of the kidney as easily as fragments from the middle and upper thirds of the kidney.
Obesity also influences whether ESWL treatment will be successful. The urologist will calculate the skin-to-stone distance to help determine whether this treatment is likely to be effective.
The possible complications of ESWL include:
When Can I Return To My Regular Activities
You can resume your previous activities as soon as you feel better and you might even feel good enough to add some new activities. A daily exercise program will continue to improve your health and help you maintain a positive attitude.
You will not injure yourself or your new kidney if you follow some of these general guidelines:
- Avoid lifting heavy objects and strenuous physical work for at least six to eight weeks following surgery. It is important that you do not lift anything heavier than 20 pounds for two to three months, and nothing heavier than 40 pounds for four to six months from the date of your surgery.
- Avoid driving for at least six weeks following surgery. Plan ahead so a friend or family member can help out during this time. When you are in a moving vehicle, always use your seat belt.
- Exercise is encouraged. We recommend beginning with stretching exercises and walking. Other excellent exercises include jogging, hiking, bicycling, tennis, golf, swimming and aerobics. All of these can help you regain your strength and may be started gradually after your incision has healed.
- As a general rule, rough contact sports should be avoided since they might cause injury to your transplanted kidney. If you have doubts about any activity, please ask the Transplant Team.
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Low Gfr With One Kidney May Be Good
Kidney disease often manifests as mild swelling in the eyelids and lower legs at the onset, but if you have only 20 kidney function, you may have edema even in your lungs, which can make breathing difficult. Urine changes. Patients with kidney disease may find foam in their urine, which is caused by excess protein excretion Signs and symptoms may include enlarged kidneys, tenderness on one or both sides of the lower back, chills, fever, painful and frequent urination, foul-smelling urine, cloudy urine, and spasms.