How to Treat Chronic Renal Insufficiency

Chronic renal insufficiency is a slow loss of kidney function which continues to get worse. You may not have symptoms in early stages of the disease but when it worsens you may experience fatigue, general ill feeling, headaches, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, itching and dry skin. Also called chronic kidney disease, the condition is mainly caused by diabetes and high blood pressure. Other conditions which can contribute to chronic renal insufficiency include kidney stones and infection, autoimmune disorders such as scleroderma, birth defects such as polycystic kidney disease and problems with arteries going to or from the kidneys.

Instructions

Instructions

• 1

  See a doctor. Get a physical exam to diagnose your problem and its severity. Remember to tell your doctor of any vitamins, supplements and over-the-counter medicines you are taking since they may impact your kidney function.

• 2

  Change your diet. You may need to limit fluids and restrict salt, potassium, phosphorous and electrolytes. Your doctor may have you add more calories to your daily intake if you are losing weight, and put you on a low-protein diet which should be low in fat and cholesterol.

• 3

  Control your blood sugar. Your doctor may prescribe angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs). These drugs will help delay additional kidney damage.

• 4

  Treat other conditions. Your doctor may have you take phosphate binders which are special medicines used to keep phosphorous levels from getting too high. You may also need to treat anemia by adding more iron to your diet, taking iron supplements, getting injections of a medicine called erythropoietin and, in extreme cases, having a blood transfusion.

• 5

  Prepare for dialysis or transplant. As chronic renal insufficiency progresses your only treatment options may be dialysis or kidney transplant. Become knowledgeable about kidney dialysis, how it works and how it will affect you. Learn the process for kidney transplant, when it is needed and possible, the process of finding a donor and how the transplant will affect you.