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 most at risk include people who are overweight, do little aerobic exercise, and who may also suffer from diabetes, high blood pressure, and related heart issues. Lifestyle choices can influence the development of renal problems, which also commonly exist in related family groups. Certain genetic pools have a greater potential for organ failure, and the elderly are always most at risk.

In some cases people develop the condition over time, and have few noticeable symptoms. The only truly accurate diagnosis comes from urine and blood tests. They carefully measure levels of filtering and the amounts of proteins contained in urine, and the results may indicate serious problems. Although there is no way to reverse the damage, an accurate diagnosis helps prevent further deterioration.

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.

The best preventive method involves a healthy diet, significant exercise, and a yearly physical examination that includes blood testing. Patients in Beverly Hills, CA have access to some of the most advanced medical monitoring and treatment methods available, but they become less meaningful if annual testing is neglected. While end-stage renal failure has no real cure, those who suffer today have greater treatment options than ever before.




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