Many of us are quite familiar with the age-old saying – prevention is better than cure, which has been proven right. The onus here falls on the fact that you do not have to wait till you fall ill and are forced to take drastic measures. Instead, you can start taking measures that would help you maintain a healthy body. Our organs function in unison with one another to help us lead a healthy and normal life. But, what happens when they stop functioning? You are diagnosed with a serious disorder and you walk on thin ice when you acting as per your doctor’s instructions. Kidney disorders are something that plagues a majority of the population. Contrary to popular belief that you can only undergo treatment for kidney disorders and cannot prevent it, there are some popular preventive measures which would hold your kidney disorders at bay. Here are some preventive measures that would help prevent kidney disorders in the long run. Go easy on salt- Salt is known to be the cause of a variety of ailments, kidney disorders being one of them. The sodium built-up in your body would result in water retention, which in turn would cause swelling and breathlessness.

Kidneys act as filters for the body as they help in removing chemicals and excess fluid from the body by making urine. Most of the chemicals get converted into urine and are flushed out of the body, unnoticed. However there are some chemicals that accumulate in the system and form tiny crystals. These tiny crystals clump together and form kidney stone. There are many procedures that can be used to treat and remove kidney stones. If the stones are too small, the primary goal is to administer medications and dissolve them in the urine. Endoscopy procedure to treat kidney stones is performed in the following way: The endoscopy procedure for treating kidney stones is called ureteroscopy. This procedure is performed under general or spinal anesthesia, which generally takes about 1 hour. The surgeon uses an x-ray that will guide a tiny telescope (called as cystoscope) in the urethra. Urethra is the tube that carries urine from the bladder. This cystoscope helps the surgeons in conforming if there are any problems with the bladder by viewing it with the help of the apparatus. A thin guiding wire is then passed through the cystoscope. After removing the cystoscope, the guiding wire will be pass a ureteroscope which is one of the actual apparatus of endoscopy procedure, that is passed directly to the kidney stones.

Chronic kidney disorder or kidney disease progresses through stages. The stages of kidney failure start from Stage 1, which is a mild form of kidney problem, and then proceeds to Stage 5. Kidney dialysis is required after the fourth stage of kidney failure. In some cases, the progress of kidney failure may not be rapid. So, the affected person goes without kidney dialysis for years. However, in case of rapid deterioration of kidney function, kidney dialysis or transplant or both might be required. Kidney dialysis replaces the kidney’s functions and helps a person with kidney failure to live a relatively healthier life. Since dialysis becomes a crucial part, it is necessary to stay informed about the various aspects of this treatment in order to make informed decisions before dialysis and even while undergoing dialysis. Here are a few useful things to know: Kidney dialysis treatment options : Have a careful and detailed discussion with your doctor regarding the treatment plan. Decide on the type of dialysis you want and whether you like to opt to undergo dialysis in a hospital, in a dialysis center or within the comforts of your home. Take into consideration your medical condition and financial abilities.

Kidneys are located just above the pelvic arch on either side of your lower back. Lower back pain occurs usually near the area around the kidneys. However, in some instances, it may spread to the region in front of the groin and the hip. This is the reason why kidney pain and back pain are often confused with each other. However, kidney pain has several distinct characteristics that differentiate it from back pain. Kidney pain is usually is accompanied by symptoms including the following: – Lower back pain on one or both sides, usually above the pelvic arch, although it may radiate to the groin. – Nausea, vomiting, or a general feeling of uneasiness. – Fever and high temperature. – Frequent urination, where the urine may appear cloudy. In some cases, there may be blood in the urine. Usually, there is no external swelling or inflammation except in the case of a large kidney tumor. The area is not tender to touch, except sometimes near the kidney. Back pain, on the other hand, is experienced as a dull, aching pain. – The pain is localized and may occur suddenly. – Changing your position or moving around may improve or worsen the pain.

Even though there are no visible symptoms of the first two stages of kidney disease, symptoms may start affecting people with the advent of the third stage. Some people do not develop symptoms even in the third stage, and this is extremely dangerous because your kidney can be damaged without you realizing it. Symptoms you should be aware of When your kidney disease has reached the third stage, you may experience vomiting tendency and nausea, have frequent urge to urinate and have foamy urine. It is natural to have a swelling in the ankles along with puffiness around the eyes due to fluid retention. Most people affected with stage 3 kidney disease symptoms report that they feel fatigued easily and have a shortness of breath all the time. It is also common to have an aversion to eating and finding food tasteless. Other symptoms include dry, flaky and itchy skin, muscle cramps, particularly in the legs, poor sleep, and weight loss without any apparent reason. Among children, there is also a retardation of growth with the third stage of kidney disease. Understanding what’s causing the symptoms There are various reasons behind these symptoms and understanding them can help in managing and treating them.

Higher uric acid levels can cause serious health problems. It can result in gout arthritis, kidney stones, and even renal failure. Recent studies have shown other complications associated with it. A higher uric acid level may lead to hypertension and cardiovascular diseases as well. Causes of high level of uric acid in the body An increase in the level of uric acid in the blood happens because of an increase in the production of uric acid. Another reason is slow excretion of uric crystals from the kidney. The causes of this health condition are: High-purine diet including foods like red meat, seafood, and pulses Excessive intake of alcohol High consumption of sugary foods Existing renal problems Obesity Less active thyroid Low immunity Genetics Prevention is the cure If your initial diagnosis shows higher uric acid level, you can control it. You can follow these simple steps to avoid a health disaster. Avoid a high purine diet to exercise control over uric acid levels Avoid high fructose food products Drink alcohol in moderation Reduce your weight Drink lots of water All these would ensure that your uric acid levels stay in control. Following a strict diet can help lower uric acid levels.

Cancer has become a fairly common disease that can take on fatal proportions if it is not treated in time. Kidney cancer is one of the various kinds of cancers that happen when there is a build up of abnormal cells due to the presence of toxins in this region of the body. This starts when a tumor begins to manifest due to the growth of abnormal cells and toxins in one of the kidneys. This is also known as renal cancer and it progresses over various stages to finally reach stage 4. Let us find out more about the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment for this stage of kidney cancer. The Various Stages of Kidney Cancer: There are four distinct stages of kidney cancer. The first stage is one where the tumor is still contained in the kidney and the symptoms are still not that obvious. Stage two is the phase where the tumor increases in terms of centimeters until it starts to progress beyond the kidney in terms of the spread and risk factors that it carries. Stage three and four are the crucial stages that can bring in fatalities because this is where the tumor begins to progress into the major veins of the body.

Chronic kidney disease is a gradual effect of kidney damage, which can happen either due to physical injuries or some other health complications such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar. Once the kidneys become damaged, they tend to be dysfunctional and are not able to filter blood or perform other functions, which would keep the affected individual healthy. Some of the most crucial functions performed by kidneys include balancing the fluids in the body, regulating the hormones, keeping the blood pressure under control and helping in making red blood cells. When kidney disease takes place, the kidneys fail to perform all these functions. Stages of kidney disease There are five stages of the chronic kidney disease where the mildest is stage 1 and the most severe is stage 5. Stage 3 kidney disease symptoms are the first to show up, although in the early stages itself, the kidneys fail to function properly. And when it comes to stage 3, about half of the kidney functions are lost. This would lead to other issues such as high blood pressure and problems with bone health. It is very important to start treatment at this stage to help slowing down of kidney damage because severe kidney damage happens at stage 4.

Unlike lower back pain, kidney pain is usually experienced as a pain around the kidney located in the upper abdomen. It can be due to several reasons. In some case, the pain may extend to flaks or the area around the groin. Primary causes of kidney pain : Kidney infection Hydronephrosis i.e., swelling in the kidney due to accumulation of urine caused by a blockage Kidney stones Polycystic kidney disease Bleeding in your kidney Bleeding in kidney veins Kidney cysts Kidney tumor or kidney cancer The treatment of kidney pain would depend o your diagnosis. Your doctor will review your history, undertake a physical examination, and may perform certain tests including blood and urine tests to determine the cause of your kidney pain. In some instances,a CT scan or MRI of the abdomen and pelvis may be asked for. Early diagnosis becomes necessary to prevent complications. A different approach to treatment is followed for each of the causes mentioned above. Here, we discuss the treatment options for some of the more common causes of kidney pain. Treatment of kidney infections: The first treatment for kidney infections is antibiotics. You may be prescribed oral antibiotics for a few days. The doctor will review your condition after a specified time before deciding on future course of action.

Kidneys are located just above the pelvic arch on either side of your lower back. Lower back pain occurs usually near the area around the kidneys. However, in some instances, it may spread to the region in front of the groin and the hip. This is the reason why kidney pain and back pain are often confused with each other. However, kidney pain has several distinct characteristics that differentiate it from back pain. Kidney pain is usually is accompanied by symptoms including the following: – Lower back pain on one or both sides, usually above the pelvic arch, although it may radiate to the groin. – Nausea, vomiting, or a general feeling of uneasiness. – Fever and high temperature. – Frequent urination, where the urine may appear cloudy. In some cases, there may be blood in the urine. Usually, there is no external swelling or inflammation except in the case of a large kidney tumor. The area is not tender to touch, except sometimes near the kidney. Back pain, on the other hand, is experienced as a dull, aching pain. – The pain is localized and may occur suddenly. – Changing your position or moving around may improve or worsen the pain.