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Frequently Asked Questions

     What are the warning signs of kidney disease?
Burning sensation while urinating - frequent and excessive urination
Blood in the urine
Puffiness or oedema on face and body - pain in the lower back

      What are the symptoms of the kidney failure?

Nausea and vomiting
Loss of appetite
Physical weakness
Itching
Swelling of face and legs - high blood pressure
Breathlessness on exertion - anaemia

      How are the kidneys affected?

In acute kidney failure kidney fails suddenly over a short time due to some insults such as dehydration due to severe diarrhoea or vomiting. Sudden significant drop in blood pressure. Massive bleeding. Acute glomerulonephritis, snake bites, burns or drug overdose, etc.
In chronic kidney failure damage occurs slowly over few years time and in most cases it is irreversible. In majority of cases symptoms are produced very late when kidney is damaged to 80% or more. Most important causes being high Blood Pressure and Diabetes.

      How can it be detected?

 

 Kidney failure can be detected through kidney function tests like - urine examination, blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, serum electrolytes and complete blood count for anaemia, ultrasonography, renal scan, etc.

      Is there a cure?
  Dialysis and Transplantation with the use of drugs like Cyclosporine (Sandimmun), Prednisolone (Deltacortil or Wysolone), Azoran (Imuran)

      How it can be prevented?

Liberal fluid intake
Regular check-up
Proper control of diabetes
Early treatment of blood pressure
Avoiding too much of spicy food and extra salt intake

      What is Cadaver Transplant Programme?

It means the transplantation of the available usable cadaver organs to help patients waiting for gift of life - a second look at life - under the cadaver organ retrieval transplantation programme.
For more information please consult your family doctor or be in touch with your Utkal Kidney Foundation (Orissa).

Health & Kidneys

      What are the kidneys?

 

 Most people have two kidneys. They are located near the middle of your back, just under the ribcage. Each kidney weighs about 150g. and is about the size of an adult fist. They are bean shaped and reddish brown in colour.
The kidneys perform crucial functions that affect all parts of the body.

      What do the kidneys do?
  The kidneys have four main roles in the body:
Remove waste from the body. Nutrients that cannot be used by the body become toxic. The kidneys fibre the blood to remove them from the body via the urine
Remove excess water from the body
Make and regulate important hormones in the body. These hormones control red blood cell production. Control blood pressure and help keep the strong
Control body chemistry by regulating the amount of salt, water and other chemicals circulating in the body

      What diseases can cause the kidneys to stop working?
  Various diseases can affect kidney function. These include:
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Hereditary diseases of the kidneys
Inflammation of the kidneys (called nephritis)
Scarring of the kidneys (due to back-flow of urine from the bladder) or Enronet Kidney injection
Lower urinary tract infection e.g. bladder infections
Kidney damage as a side effect of medication, particularly pain killers taken for headache backache, joint pains etc.
Use of herbomineral preparations used in indigenous system of medication 
  The impact of these on kidney function can vary. If you have any of these conditions it is important to seek your doctor's advice about their long-term effects on the kidneys.

      What are some of the symptoms of kidney disease?
  Signs and symptoms of kidney disease can vary considerably between individuals. The first signs may be general and can include:
Changes in frequency and quantity of urine passed, especially at night
Pain or burning when passing urine
Blood in urine
Puffiness around the eyes and ankles
Pain in the kidney area
Tiredness
High blood pressure
  Kidney disease often causes no symptoms at all It is not uncommon for people to lose up to 70% of their kidney function before developing any symptoms.

      How is kidney disease detected?
 

Many of the causes of kidney failure strike at random, and cannot be predicted or prevented. Others, such as diabetes, are present for many years before they develop into kidney failure. When this is so, there is an opportunity for early diagnosis and prevention of progression of kidney failure to end stage. Recent advances in our understanding of the nature of kidney failure have identified some classes of drugs, which seem to particularly protect the kidneys, and to slow or in some cases prevent the gradual deterioration of the kidneys.

This new research has created a great deal of interest in the possibility of picking up chrone kidney disease and offering preventative treatment before the kidneys are completely destroyed. These early detection and prevention programs are particularly targeted at high-risk groups such as those who have diabetes, high blood pressure, a family history of kidney disease or other predisposing factors.

If you or a member of your family fall into these groups, you should talk to your local doctor about being tested for kidney failure. There are several tests that can detect kidney disease. The initial basic testing procedures can be performed by your GP. If a problem with the kidneys is detected, further testing is necessary. The tests that can confirm the presence of kidney disease include:
Blood Tests: these measure blood levels of creatinine and urea. Both of these products are normally excreted in the urine, but if the kidneys are not functioning properly, increased amounts can be detected in the blood.
Urine Tests: The presence of protein in the urine, simply diagnosed with a dipstick test, can often be a marker for silent kidney disease.
Renal Imaging: involves taking a picture of the kidney using a variety of methods, such as ultrasound, CAT scan or magnetic resonance imaging. These tests help determine if there are any unusual contours of the kidney growths or blockages to the flow of urine.
Renal Biopsy: a hospital procedure in which a needle is inserted through the skin into the kidney. A small sample of kidney tissue is removed for microscopic examination.

      What is the treatment for kidney disease?

 

 Some forms of kidney disease are completely reversible with return of normal kidney function. In others, deterioration of the kidneys cannot be reversed, but the progress can be slowed or prevented by medication. If the function of both kidneys is reduced to less than 10-15%, kidney function must be replaced by dialysis, or a new kidney transplanted.

      How can I look after my kidneys?
  You can look after the health of your kidneys by following these points:
Regular exercise and good diet will Help
Have your urine and blood pressure checked once a year
  For more information please consult your family doctor or be in touch with your National Kidney Foundation (India).