Nine signs that alert of kidney disease

One of the main functions of the kidneys is filtration as urine, of excess water and toxins produced in the body besides regulating components such as calcium or vitamin D.

When failures occur in this organ, the kidney stops filtering the blood, so the substances that were previously responsible for regulating, such as waste or excess water, begin to be retained in the body, causing toxic substances such as urea and creatinine accumulate in the blood.

A kidney disease usually does not show symptoms until the condition reaches more advanced stages, which is why, according to Nephrologist in Delhi, it is called " silent disease ". The Kidney Specialist in Delhi highlights the importance of an early diagnosis to avoid complications, so it is advisable to pay attention to the following early symptoms:

1. Changes in urination, such as getting up during the night to urinate (nocturia) or doing it more often and more or less than normal.
2. Changes in the appearance of urine, such as a lighter colour or the presence of blood.
3. Fluid retention, which results in increased swelling of the legs, ankles, feet, face and hands.
4. Fatigue and fatigue caused by fluid retention.
5. Anaemia, in some cases, due to renal failure.
6. Itchy skin, also called pruritus, caused by the retention of toxins that can be deposited on the skin.
7. Metallic taste in the mouth and a smell of ammonia in the breath, due, all this, to an accumulation of urea in the saliva.
8. Nausea and vomiting, as well as loss of appetite or weight.
9. Finally, when the kidney presents insufficiency, it causes an increase in blood pressure, which can cause hypertension.

The causes for which a decrease in glomerular filtration can occur are multiple, both by direct aggressions and indirectly due to other diseases.

The diabetes mellitus along with high blood pressure are the two most common causes leading to kidney failure, reason why these diseases require regular monitoring of renal function of the patient to avoid aggravation, says Nephrologist in Gurgaon.

In addition, there are other risk factors that increase the chances of suffering a failure of this type, such as hereditary diseases, immunological and some drugs such as anti-inflammatory or chemotherapeutic.

How can kidney disease be prevented?

One of the main tips that the Nephrologist in Noida proposes to avoid kidney problems is to adapt to a healthy lifestyle, that is, including "healthy-heart recommendations", since the measures that help to take care of the heart serve to prevent renal failures.

To avoid both kidney and coronary diseases, it is necessary to reduce salt intake, since foods already contain it, in the same way that you must choose to avoid excesses of fat and other harmful substances such as alcohol or the snuff.

"Patients should not be anchored in a healthy diet and that's it. This should be combined with physical exercise routines and moderate the consumption of anti-inflammatories, especially in the elderly, "says the Kidney Specialist in Noida.

In the same way, it is important to perform continuous blood pressure and glucose levels, which will help to detect pathologies external to the kidneys and that may cause renal insufficiencies.

Classification of renal failure

Depending on the cause that originates them, the Kidney Specialist in Gurgaon considers three types of renal failure that must be differentiated.

• Diseases called prerenal and caused by a lack of fluid in the kidney. This dehydration is usually caused by, for example, an episode of diarrhoea or excessive consumption of diuretics.
• Kidney diseases that cause direct damage to the kidney, caused by high glucose levels, hypertension or an excessive accumulation of cholesterol. These problems produce an injury in the renal parenchyma or in the small vessels that irrigate the kidney and cause kidney disease.
• Diseases postrenal caused by a blockage in the urine leakage, damage that can be operated from diseases such as prostate hypertrophy in men or kidney stones.

Another classification criterion is determined by the duration of the disease; in those where renal function is suspended for days or weeks (acute renal failure) and those where the problem is aggravated more durably and progressively (chronic renal failure).