How to treat chronic kidney failure

To treat chronic renal failure (CRF) it may be necessary to perform dialysis, which is a procedure that helps to filter the blood, eliminating bad substances and helping to maintain the proper functioning of the body, especially when the kidney works only 15%. In addition, it may be necessary to have a kidney transplant, maintaining a diet low in protein and salt and taking medicines indicated by the nephrologist, such as diuretics and antihypertensives.

Kidney disease is considered chronic when the injury lasts more than 3 months, causing symptoms such as swollen legs, high blood pressure and back pain for example, with the main consequence of kidney failure, which can lead to death.

Treatment for chronic kidney failure

In the early stages of chronic renal failure, the amount of food rich in protein, salt and potassium should be reduced, avoid dehydration and take diuretic and antihypertensive drugs, such as Lisinopril or Ramipril, to maintain blood pressure, reducing the loss of albumin in the urine because they help preserve kidney function.

However, in more advanced staging the diet is not enough and, it may be necessary to carry out other treatments such as:

Peritoneal dialysis: it is the blood filtration done at home every day of the week at night, placing a liquid inside the abdomen to filter the blood, and it must remain in the abdomen for about 8 hours; Hemodialysis: the patient has to go to the hospital to filter the blood through a machine that performs the same functions as the kidneys. During this procedure, blood is drawn through an injection into the arm and returned to the body through another tube, when the toxins have been removed. Kidney transplantation: it is a surgery in which a sick kidney is replaced by a healthy kidney donated by a compatible patient. This surgery takes time and recovery takes about 3 months, with rejection of the new organ. Find out more details about kidney transplantation.

Chronic kidney disease can be classified into several stages, with 5 degrees and the last one being the most serious, as the kidneys work only 15%, requiring treatments such as dialysis or transplantation.

Symptoms of chronic renal failure

At an early stage, the individual may have no symptoms because the kidneys adapt to the problem. However, some symptoms may slowly appear, such as:

Arterial hypertension; Swelling in the lower part of the eyes; Swollen legs and feet; Waking up to urinate when this was not a habit; Urine with foam; Very tired; Lack of appetite; Paleness; Back pain; Nausea and vomiting.

For the diagnosis of chronic renal failure, blood and urine tests should be performed. These tests are important to check the amount of urea, albumin and creatinine present in the body, because when the kidneys are not working properly, their concentrations are very high and appear in the urine.

Main causes of chronic renal failure

The main causes of chronic kidney failure is poor control of diseases such as diabetes and hypertension, which overload the functioning of the kidney.

Frequent urinary infections, the presence of hereditary cysts and cardiovascular disease, in addition to the consumption of drugs, medication and the presence of kidney cancer can also cause serious injuries that lead to kidney disease.

How to prevent the worsening of chronic kidney failure

To prevent the disease from advancing, it is necessary to control blood pressure and sugar levels, maintaining a balanced diet with a low intake of salt, sugar and fats. In addition, it is essential to maintain an adequate body weight, eliminating the consumption of cigarettes, reducing the intake of alcoholic beverages and practicing physical exercises on a regular basis.

These measures must also be adopted to prevent the onset of this kidney disease.