Kidney Treatments

The kidneys can be damaged quickly due to trauma or long-term conditions can cause such gradual damage that failure can be imminent before a problem is detected. There are different treatment options for kidney disease, but the type that is implemented will depend on the degree of functioning that remains.

Function

• The kidneys perform the critical function of removing wastes and excess fluid from the blood. They also regulate blood pressure and produce hormones that stimulate red blood cell production and maintain the right balance of calcium.

Disease and Failure

• Long-term damage to the kidneys is caused primarily by diabetes and high blood pressure. Other causes include inflammation, some inherited disorders or an ongoing urinary tract infection. Sudden damage is usually the result of a heart attack, blood loss due to trauma, infection or a blocked urinary tract. All of these harm the structures in the kidneys that are responsible for filtering the blood. If it is not treated, the damage continues to progress, causing more of the kidney to fail. Once the kidneys have become so damaged that they can't function, you have reached end stage renal disease.

Treatment Overview

• It's important to know that treatment can't cure kidney disease. If damage has occurred, it can't be fixed. In the early stages of kidney disease, the goal of treatment is to help them last longer before permanently failing. The type of treatment will depend on the extent of the disease, whether it is acute or chronic, and the underlying cause. If the kidneys are still functioning, then treatment will include medications, diuretic therapy to increase urine output and diet restrictions. If the kidneys have failed or are close to end stage renal disease, the only treatment options are dialysis and transplant.

Two Considerations

• Two of the most important steps for treating kidney disease are maintaining a healthy blood pressure and, if you are diabetic, keeping blood sugar under control. These are critical because they help slow down the rate at which more of the kidneys become damaged.

Diet

• Some foods may increase rate of kidney failure. Normally the kidneys keep protein in the blood, but when they are damaged protein escapes into the urine. Limiting the amount of protein you eat will help reduce the stress on the kidneys. Salt intake may need to be reduced because it raises blood pressure. Potassium levels may also need to be monitored because if the kidneys do not remove excess potassium then the heart may be affected.

Dialysis

• Dialysis certainly helps you live longer. However, the results only last a short time and then the procedure must be repeated to remove wastes and maintain the balance of fluids. Peritoneal dialysis uses a special fluid that is put into the abdomen through a tube, it absorbs wastes, and several hours later the fluid is then drained. The second type of dialysis is called hemodialysis, which uses a machine to filter the blood. The patient has an intravenous catheter with one tube to drain blood into the machine and a second one to return the clean blood to the body.

Transplant

• Receiving a kidney from a donor will help you regain strength and allow you to return to more normal activities. The biggest drawback to this treatment is that there is a shortage of kidneys available. If you do have a transplant, there is always the risk that it will be rejected by your body's immune system, so you will have to take immunosuppressant medications every day to decrease the chance of that happening.