Sunday, February 22, 2015

A Kidney Specialist Helps Patients Cope With Renal Disease

By Olivia Cross


The same factors that encourage high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes also spur the development of kidney disease, a serious affliction with no pharmacological cure. The physicians that face this problem daily are nephrologists, and deal with the dangerous complications that commonly arise. A kidney specialist helps patients live their lives as normally as possible while battling the symptoms.

Those with the highest risk factors for this affliction include people who do little or no exercise, already have diabetes, suffer from high blood pressure, and have related cardiac problems. Lifestyle choices regarding diet and exercise are important in developing this ailment, and it runs in related families. Some genetic groups experience higher rates than others, and the elderly population always faces the most danger.

The disease may exist internally for years with few overt symptoms, and can only be accurately diagnosed through blood and urine testing. These measure actual filtering levels and the amount of proteins in the urine, both of which may indicate serious problems. While there is no cure once the symptoms have begun, a timely diagnosis can help preserve remaining function.

If there is still a significant level of waste processing taking place internally, doctors may recommend medications that act as diuretics, flushing water from the body while lowering blood pressure. They may also prescribe a low-sodium diet in combination with an age-appropriate aerobic exercise program to help control body weight. While these options can be helpful, they do not cure patients in actual renal failure.

For people facing that reality there are only two currently available options. The most prevalent is dialysis, which uses a machine to artificially remove waste products using special solutions designed to imitate natural processes. Dialysis includes monitoring both mineral and electrolyte levels while carefully gauging blood flow. There are currently machines available for home use, but most are still located in hospitals.

The other widely available option involves organ transplantation. Kidney transplants are the second most common form of this surgery, and depend on genetically matched relatives willing to give up one organ, or on recently deceased donors. The organs are connected internally while leaving the diseased tissue in place unless it poses an additional danger. Some patients physically reject transplants, and must rely on immune-suppressing drugs.

Nephrologists devise treatment plans that are individually tailored to circumstances and the current stage of the disease. These options commonly include special nurses trained in kidney disease-related areas involving nutrition, related social issues that arise, and the complexities of daily care. Doctors often form close relationships with dialysis patients, and see most patients at least once every three months.

Prevention is encouraged by getting enough exercise, eating a diet low in processed foods, and by having a yearly blood test. Residents of Beverly Hills, CA live in proximity with some of the most advanced medical facilities anywhere, but can only benefit if they take the time for annual testing. There is no cure for end-stage renal problems, but those suffering today have access to better treatments than were previously available.




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