All you need to know about getting treatment for a kidney disease

Learn more about treatments available for various kidney diseases, and how to raise funds for the medical expenses associated with it.

For those suffering from a kidney disease, taking a decision on which treatment procedure to opt for, may be quite a challenge. More often than not, kidney disease treatment depends on several factors like the stage of the disease, symptoms of kidney disease, the medical expense of chronic kidney disease treatment, and the financial status of the suffering. 

VeryWell Health

Understanding kidney disease

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that are located in the upper abdominal area of the human body and are part of the renal system. Kidneys are mainly responsible to help the body excrete water through urine. But they also have several other functions such as:

1. Purification and filtration of blood before sending it to the heart

2. Removal of wastes and toxins from the body

3. Stimulate RBC (red blood cells) production in the bone marrow

4. Regulations of blood pressure

5. Maintenance of fluid balance, electrolytes, and minerals

6. Production of calcitriol, to maintain calcium in the bones

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When a person’s kidney is damaged, it is unable to regulate water levels in the bloodstream, and remove unwanted wastes from the body, consequently leading to a buildup of toxins that spiral into many other health problems. 

While kidney failure is mostly caused by overall health problems, diabetes has been recognized as one of the leading problems of what causes kidney failure. High blood pressure is the second most common cause of kidney failure. Other reasons include:

• A genetic predisposition

• Urine elimination troubles

• Glomerulonephritis, a condition where the kidneys filtering unit gets damaged

• Kidney infection

• Kidney cancer

Symptoms of kidney damage are sometimes disguised as small physical ailments, which we tend to ignore. For that reason, kidney disease detection may not take place until the kidney problem reaches its later stages, making it very difficult to treat. In the majority of the cases, there is no actual cure for kidney damage; The medical professionals usually aim to control signs and symptoms, reduce complications, and slow down the progression of the disease.

 In addition, the doctor would have to find out what the root cause of your kidney disease is (diabetes, blood pressure etc), and work on managing that cause. If your kidneys become severely damaged, you may need treatment for end-stage kidney disease or kidney failure, which could include dialysis or kidney transplant.

The Health Site

Treatment for kidney disease

Medications

Medications are usually prescribed to manage the complications that may arise due to kidney disease or to control the root cause that has lead to the kidney problem. Medications may be given for the following:

1. To manage high blood pressure  

2. Medications may be given to lower cholesterol levels

3. Diabetes medications to manage blood sugar 

4. Medicines to treat anemia 

5. Other dietary supplements to manage deficiencies

Medicines for kidney failure treatment may have to be given from a long-term perspective, considering that one can only manage and control the disease, but not cure it (unless you opt for a kidney transplant)

BioNinja

Dialysis

Dialysis is a medical procedure that substitutes the natural function of a kidney. When a person’s kidney is damaged, it is unable to regulate the water level in the bloodstream, and remove unwanted waste from the body. 

At this stage, a person would require dialysis to artificially remove the toxins from his/her blood. Majority patients require to undergo dialysis sessions about 2 to 3 times per week. There are two types of dialysis that a kidney patient may opt for. 

1. Haemodialysis - In hemodialysis, the blood is passed through a machine with a filtration system, and then returned into the body. This procedure needs to be done in a hospital by a medical professional.

 They usually use a needle and a catheter which is inserted into a vein. Two tubes are attached to the catheter, one to withdraw impure blood, and the other to return the pureblood after filtration. 

Though hemodialysis is more time-consuming, it is considered safer, more hygienic, and reliable. But it is also more expensive, because it is done in a hospital, and usually required to be done 3 to 4 times a week.

2. Peritoneal dialysis - In this procedure, the blood is cleaned out without removing it from the body. A dialysis solution made up of salts and sugars is added to the blood so that it soaks up the waste through the abdominal cavity.

 For this, the doctor will surgically place a catheter through the abdominal wall into the peritoneal cavity. The patient can then use that catheter to pour the dialysis solution in. This procedure may be done at home, but is a little risky in case the patient forgets to do it or doesn’t maintain proper hygiene that may lead to infections. 

Kidney cancer treatments

Most cancers are treated by procedures that include radiation, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or even surgery to remove the affected part of the kidney or the tumor. 

Quora

Kidney transplant

Kidneys are the most commonly transplanted organs of the human body. Kidneys are meant to filter blood from all the waste and toxins in our bodies. At the later stages of renal damage, the patient would need a transplant. Even though human beings are born with two kidneys, it is possible to live with just one. This is why even kidney transplants can be done with a living donor. 

Cost of kidney disease treatment

Often, patients are unable to afford the medical expenses associated with dialysis, transplants and other treatments, and end up withdrawing from treatment, which is potentially fatal for their health. That said, there are alternative ways to raise money for treatment, and crowdfunding has been a boon to many kidney disease patients. 

For kidney disease crowdfunding, one would be able to raise money for the treatment expenses through online donations from friends, family, and wellwishers. All you’d have to do is write an appeal in your fundraiser and share it through Facebook, Whatsapp, Twitter, etc, and share the story of your illness with the world. 

Impact Guru.

After that, anyone who is in a position to make a small contribution to help you get treatment can do so with a simple and safe online transaction that only take a few moments.

So if you or anyone you know is suffering from a kidney disease and requires dialysis or other kidney disease treatments, start a fundraising campaign on Impact Guru today. 

We suggest you also read:

Understanding chronic kidney disease in India: Causes, symptoms, cure

7 ideas to run a successful kidney transplant fundraising campaign

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