What is kidney disease?
Understanding renal function is the first step to living well with chronic kidney disease. Until you know a lot about your kidneys, you cannot work on them when they are failed which is why understanding is important.
The kidneys are a small pair of organs meant to keep waste and fluid in a definite amount in the blood. They do this by filtering the blood and generating urine through this process. Not only this, but the kidneys are also helpful in the production of hormones to accomplish metabolic tasks for the body. For example, a hormone called erythropoietin is useful to secrete RBCs, is produced by the kidneys.
When you have kidney disease, it means the kidneys are no longer able to filter blood well enough. This also means waste and fluid buildup in the blood. This change in the chemical composition can change the chemistry of the body, worsening the symptoms.
With kidney disease, the first that appears are the ones you would not physically see but it shows in your tests. Common among them are high blood pressure, swelling, malnutrition, anemia, and the loss of bones.
Treatment usually includes dialysis, transplant, and the best kidney failure ayurvedic treatment. Following a kidney-friendly diet, managing health conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure will help your kidney function to do better.
Following a kidney-friendly diet, managing health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension, and not smoking may help your kidneys function better and longer, even when you have kidney disease.
A brief about stages of kidney disease
With chronic kidney disease, the damage does not happen all at once. Kidney disease develops gradually over a time span. This is fine because if CKD is diagnosed early, you have some time to reverse the damage with the help of medications and lifestyle changes. Being diagnosed in the early stage means you can avoid dialysis and transplant, which are a threat to life.
The five stages of kidney disease are leveled based on how effectively your kidneys are working. This is calculated with the help of the glomerular filtration rate. GFR, done with the help of a blood test, is a math formula calculated with the help of serum creatinine, a person’s age, race, and gender. It measures the progression of kidney disease.
These are five stages of CKD and GFR measurement in each stage:
- Stage 1 GFR is normal or higher than 90 mL/min
- Stage 2 Mild damage to the kidneys with GFR = 60-89 mL/min
- Stage 3A Moderate stage CKD with a decline in GFR. GFR is in between 45-59 mL/min
- Stage 3B GFR in this stage is between 30-44 mL/min
- Stage 4 Severe decline in kidney function. GFR at this stage is between 15-29 mL/min
- Stage 5 End-Stage Renal Disease with GFR less than 15 mL/min
The best kidney failure ayurvedic treatment can be initiated right at the beginning stages to avoid any conflicts in the later stages.
What are the symptoms of kidney disease/failure?
Learning about the signs can help diagnose kidney disease a little early in life. Early kidney disease is diagnosed, the early you can start with the right treatment and reverse the damage.
Changes in urination — such as urinating more or less than normal, changes in the color, frothy urine, night urination, smelly urine, etc.
Swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, or face — it is quite common to notice swelling in people with underlying kidney disease. This is due to fluid retention when the kidneys can't function normally.
Fatigue or weakness — Waste build-up causes this. You may also feel exhausted because of low red blood cells as the kidney function declines.
Shortness of breath — Many people confuse kidney failure with asthma or heart failure. Why? Because waste buildup in the lungs causes shortness of breath.
Ammonia breath or an ammonia or metal taste in the mouth — this sign is also common in kidney patients occurring because of waste in the body.
Back or flank pain — at the point where the kidneys are located on either side of the spine in the back.
Itching — Persistent itching of the skin due to waste build-up in the body.
Some nonspecific signs include:
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Hypoglycemic episodes, if the person is diabetic
- Dizziness
- Headaches
- Fever and chills
If you have these signs, talk to your doctor about your health concerns. This is important if you have a first-degree relative with CKD or if you have the following risk factors associated with kidney disease:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
- Smoking
- Obesity
- A family history of kidney disease
- Abnormal kidney structure
- Being older
Best Ayurvedic treatment for kidney failure
Ayurvedic treatment is one of the best treatments to rectify damage to the kidneys. It is wholly based on the concept that our body is made up of life energies or doshas that govern our health in any way. Even if it is kidney disease, vitiation of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha is the main cause that obstructs the channels of the kidneys. This blockage makes it hard for the kidneys to accept and pass fluid, and thus, urine starts to buildup. Most kidney problems arise because of this only.
There are powerful herbs in nature that work to strengthen kidney function, overcome the obstruction in the channels, and improve the filtration process. Regular reliance on ayurvedic treatment eliminates the need for dialysis or transplant in the later stages.
Consult Karma Ayurveda for more information.
0 Comments