Kidney Disease: Early Detection and Treatment

Treating Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is usually a progressive disease, which means that the damage in the kidneys tends to be permanent and can't be undone. So it is important to identify kidney disease early before the damage is done. The good news is that kidney disease can be treated very effectively if it is caught in the early stages. This is very important, since kidney disease also makes your risks for heart disease and stroke higher.

Kidney Failure: What Then?

If one or both kidneys fail completely and the damage can't be reversed, the condition is called kidney failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). When this occurs, your kidneys can no longer filter wastes well enough to keep you healthy. The symptoms for ESRD include fatigue, weakness, nausea, vomiting, and itching.

Treatments for kidney failure include dialysis or transplantation. There are two major types of dialysis:

• In hemodialysis, blood is run through an external filter and the clean blood is returned to the body. Hemodialysis is usually done at a dialysis center three times a week.
• Peritoneal dialysis uses the lining of your abdominal cavity (the space in your body that holds organs like the stomach, intestines, and liver) to filter your blood. This kind of dialysis is needed daily but it can be performed at home, while you sleep.

A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney in your body. The transplanted kidney takes over the work of the two kidneys that failed, and you no longer need dialysis.

A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney in your body. The transplanted kidney takes over the work of the two kidneys that failed, so you no longer need dialysis.

During a transplant, the surgeon places the new kidney in your lower abdomen and connects the artery and vein of the new kidney to your artery and vein. Often, the new kidney will start making urine as soon as your blood starts flowing through it. But sometimes it takes a few weeks to start working.