It All Starts with the Kidneys
The function of a kidney is to get rid of excess fluid and wastes from your body; they aid in controlling your blood pressure while keeping your bones strong. Kidneys also make sure that your blood has the right content of minerals, including sodium and potassium.
Lastly, kidneys are also responsible for producing hormones that aid your body in producing red blood cells.
What Happens If Your Kidneys Fail to Function?
If your kidney is severely compromised by a severe disease that affects its functioning, your doctor would recommend a kidney transplant or a dialysis treatment.
While a kidney transplant is simply replacing your damaged kidney with another kidney from a matched donor, dialysis treatment is a treatment that aids kidney function. It removes excess fluids, toxins, and minerals from your body and prevents them from building up elsewhere, like on your feet. It ensures that the chemicals in your blood are safe; furthermore, it also aids in leveling your blood pressure.
Hence, it’s recommended to get tested regularly, even if you experience the slightest symptoms.
When Should You Get Tested for A Kidney Disease?
If you are facing consistent symptoms of kidney failure, like:
- Poor appetite leads to weight loss
- Swollen ankles, feet, or hands due to build-ups of toxins
- Shortness of breath
- Fatigue or tiredness
- Blood in your urine
- More peeing than usual, especially during the night
Refer to a doctor to get tested in such a situation. Moreover, if you have the following conditions, it is strongly recommended to get tested consistently. The conditions to look out for include:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Acute kidney damage
- Heart diseases
- Conditions related to your kidney, like, kidney stones, lupus, or enlarged prostate
- Hereditary kidney diseases, or a family history
- Blood or protein in your urine without a reason
People originating from South Asia or the black race have a higher risk of kidney disease. Moreover, long-term medicines can impact your kidneys; if you check any of these boxes, consider staying in touch with your doctor and getting tested regularly.
The primary test to identify a kidney disease is a blood test; this measures the creatinine levels of your blood, meaning the toxins in your bloodstream. Another basic test performed to identify a kidney disease is the urine test; this test identifies the creatinine and albumin levels in your urine while looking for traces of protein or blood.
Alongside these tests, a few other diagnostic imaging tests a doctor may prescribe you include:
These tests help the examiner to identify any blockages while picturing the kidney. The doctor may also conduct a kidney biopsy to look for signs of kidney damage.
To conduct these tests, you must be on the lookout for affordable imaging services and CT scan services, like Perth Amboy diagnostic imaging, NJ imaging, and NJ diagnostic imaging network.
Is Kidney Failure Irreversible?
Depending on your test results, the doctor may put you on dialysis treatment; however, you must be concerned whether the damage done to your kidney is irreversible or not? The answer to this query is entirely dependent on the reason behind your kidney damage. While an acute or sudden failure is temporary, mostly. A chronic or gradual type of failure may not be irreversible.
In case of acute kidney failure, the kidneys stop performing due to a sudden strain over the kidney; if this is the reason behind your kidney not functioning well, then rectifying the strain can heal your kidney.
However, if the damage caused to your kidney is continuous and has been happening over time, it is a chronic kidney failure. Such cases do not heal properly or get back to their earlier functioning and have little reversibility. Moreover, if your chronic kidney failure has advanced to end-stage renal disease, in such cases, reversibility is impossible.
What causes acute kidney failure?
There are a few reasons why your kidney may face acute kidney failure, listed below:
- Inadequate supply of blood to the kidney, caused by a possible blockage like cholesterol
- A blockage in the flow of urine
- As a reaction to toxins, allergens, or an acute autoimmune attack on the kidneys
What causes chronic kidney failure?
Chronic kidney failure is caused due to several underlying diseases; a few are listed below:
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes type 1 and 2
- Inflammation in small clumps of blood vessels that purify your blood
- Prolonged blockage in the flow of urine
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Prolonged autoimmune attack on kidneys
After being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, you may feel that it came to you suddenly. However, this happened because of gradual damage to your kidney throughout the time that caused permanent damage to your kidneys.
Who Should Get the Dialysis Treatment?
When your test results reveal that you have a significant level of toxic waste in your blood, is when typically, your doctor would suggest a dialysis treatment. A few other symptoms of kidney failure include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, and swelling.
When you start your dialysis depends upon several different factors, like age, health, test results, willingness to commit, and energy levels.
Where can you get your dialysis done?
You can get your dialysis treatment from a dialysis treatment center, a hospital, or a dialysis unit that isn’t part of any hospital or get it done at home by yourself. Based on the severity of your case and convenience, you and your doctor can mutually agree upon where to get your treatment done.
How Long Can You Survive on Dialysis?
In case of kidney failure, you will require dialysis treatment for the rest of your life if you don’t opt for a transplant. The expectancy of one’s life over dialysis depends upon various factors, like medical conditions, age, treatment plan. Generally, the life expectancy is five to ten years over dialysis, while people have lived for twenty and even thirty years on dialysis. Take good care, stay healthy and follow your treatment plan thoroughly.
Is It Expensive to Get Dialysis Treatment?
Dialysis treatments can be heavy on the pocket and cost a lot of money. However, you can check with your insurance company to see how much coverage they provide.
Can a Dialysis Patient Live a Normal Life?
Yes, dialysis patients can live a regular routine, except for the time required for the treatment. However, you and your friends and family will get used to it with time. Dialysis treatments generally make the patient feel better and fresh by resolving issues caused by kidney failure.
Conclusion
A person diagnosed with acute failure may need short-term dialysis treatment, lasting for a couple of days to aid in kidney recovery. However, a person diagnosed with chronic failure may be referred to a dialysis treatment center for long-term dialysis treatment or even a kidney transplant, based on the severity of your case.
Moreover, you will not require dialysis treatment in the early stages of your chronic failure. In contrast, the stages can last for a really long time, leading to kidney failure, which will require you to get frequent dialysis treatment or a transplant to stay alive.