What is a Kidney Disease? Kidney Failure: Signs, Symptoms, Causes & Stages

Signs and symptoms of #chronic #kidney disease develop over time if kidney damage progresses slowly. Signs and symptoms of kidney disease may include:

#Nausea
#Vomiting
#Loss of appetite
#Fatigue and weakness
#Sleep problems
#Changes in how much you urinate
#Decreased mental sharpness
#Muscle twitches and cramps
#Swelling of feet and ankles
#Persistent itching

# Chest pain, if fluid builds up around the lining of the heart
#Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the lungs
#High blood pressure (hypertension) that's difficult to control

Signs and symptoms of #kidneydisease are often nonspecific, meaning they can also be caused by other illnesses. Because your kidneys are highly adaptable and able to compensate for lost function, signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.
When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have any signs or symptoms of #kidneydisease.

If you have a medical condition that increases your risk of kidney disease, your doctor is likely to monitor your blood pressure and kidney function with urine and blood tests during regular office visits. Ask your doctor whether these tests are necessary for you.

If a condition is “chronic,” that means it’s a long-term condition. If you have chronic kidney disease, you and your doctor will manage it together. Is there a cure for kidney disease? The goal is to slow it down so that your kidneys can still do their job, which is to filter waste and extra water out of your blood so that you can get rid of them when you pee. Acute kidney failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly become unable to filter waste products from your blood. ... Acute kidney failure can be fatal and requires intensive treatment. However, acute kidney failure may be reversible. If you're otherwise in good health, you may recover normal or nearly normal kidney function.

First, your doctor will work to find out what caused the kidney disease. For instance, it can happen if you have diabetes or high blood pressure. You may work with a nephrologist, a doctor who specializes in kidney disease.

You’ll take medicines and may need to change your diet. If you have diabetes, it needs to be managed. If your kidneys don’t work anymore, you might need dialysis (in which a machine filters your blood) and you could talk with your doctor about whether a kidney transplant would help.
Medications. Kidney failure is the last (most severe) stage of chronic kidney disease. This is why kidney failure is also called end-stage renal disease, or ESRD for short. Diabetes is the most common cause of ESRD. High blood pressure is the second most common cause of ESRD..

High blood pressure makes chronic kidney disease more likely. And kidney disease can affect your blood pressure. So your doctor may prescribe one of these types of blood-pressure medicines:

“ACE” inhibitors, such as …

Captopril (Capoten)
Enalapril (Vasotec)
Fosinopril (Monopril)
Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril)
Ramipril (Altace)
Phoslo (Calcium Acetate) 

Permanent kidney damage. Occasionally, acute kidney failure causes permanent loss of kidney function, or end-stage renal disease. People with end-stage renal disease require either permanent dialysis — a mechanical filtration process used to remove toxins and wastes from the body — or a kidney transplant to survive. How do you prevent kidney disease?
Prevention Tips

Quit Smoking.
Alcohol and Your Kidneys.
Lose Weight if You're Overweight or Obese.
Follow a Healthy Diet.
Lower Salt in Your Diet.
Understanding Food Labels.
Exercise.

Treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing the progression of the kidney damage, usually by controlling the underlying cause. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.

As part of your treatment for chronic kidney disease, your doctor may recommend a special diet to help support your kidneys and limit the work they must do. Ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian who can analyze your current diet and suggest ways to make your diet easier on your kidneys.

Depending on your situation, kidney function and overall health, your dietitian may recommend that you:

Avoid products with added salt. Lower the amount of sodium you eat each day by avoiding products with added salt, including many convenience foods, such as frozen dinners, canned soups and fast foods. Other foods with added salt include salty snack foods, canned vegetables, and processed meats and cheeses.
Choose lower potassium foods. Your dietitian may recommend that you choose lower potassium foods at each meal. High-potassium foods include bananas, oranges, potatoes, spinach and tomatoes. Examples of low-potassium foods include apples, cabbage, carrots, green beans, grapes and strawberries. Be aware that many salt substitutes contain potassium, so you generally should avoid them if you have kidney failure.
Limit the amount of protein you eat. Your dietitian will estimate the appropriate number of grams of protein you need each day and make recommendations based on that amount. High-protein foods include lean meats, eggs, milk, cheese and beans. Low-protein foods include vegetables, fruits, breads and cereals.

Coping and support

Receiving a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease can be worrisome. You may be concerned about what your diagnosis means for your future health. To help you cope with your feelings, consider trying to:

Connect with other people who have kidney disease. Other people with chronic kidney disease understand what you're feeling and can offer unique support. Ask your doctor about support groups in your area. Or contact organizations such as the American Association of Kidney Patients, the National Kidney Foundation or the American Kidney Fund for groups in your area.
Maintain your normal routine, when possible. Try to maintain a normal routine, doing the activities you enjoy and continuing to work, if your condition allows. This may help you cope with feelings of sadness or loss that you may experience after your diagnosis.
Be active most days of the week. With your doctor's advice, aim for at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. This can help you cope with fatigue and stress.
Talk with a person you trust. Living with chronic kidney disease can be stressful, and it may help to talk about your feelings. You may have a friend or family member who is a good listener. Or you may find it helpful to talk with a faith leader or someone else you trust. Ask your doctor for a referral to a social worker or counselor.

Prevention

To reduce your risk of developing kidney disease:

Follow instructions on over-the-counter medications. When using nonprescription pain relievers, such as aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) and acetaminophen (Tylenol, others), follow the instructions on the package. Taking too many pain relievers could lead to kidney damage and generally should be avoided if you have kidney disease. Ask your doctor whether these drugs are safe for you.
Maintain a healthy weight. If you're at a healthy weight, work to maintain it by being physically active most days of the week. If you need to lose weight, talk with your doctor about strategies for healthy weight loss. Often this involves increasing daily physical activity and reducing calories.
Don't smoke. Cigarette smoking can damage your kidneys and make existing kidney damage worse. If you're a smoker, talk to your doctor about strategies for quitting smoking. Support groups, counseling and medications can all help you to stop.
Manage your medical conditions with your doctor's help. If you have diseases or conditions that increase your risk of kidney disease, work with your doctor to control them. Ask your doctor about tests to look for signs of kidney damage.

Dialysis removes phosphate from the blood, to keep the phosphate levels balanced. Calcium Acetate Tablets are the generic form of Phoslo brand with the same effects and ingredients. The most recommended online pharmacy #adrugstorenet recommends Calcium Acetate 667 mg for $0,63per pill. If you considered buy phoslo online, you have to consult with your doctor. Generic Phoslo is used for reducing phosphate levels in late-stage kidney failure. Decreasing blood phosphate levels can help keep the bones strong, prevent unsafe buildup of minerals in the body, and possibly decrease the risk of heart disease and strokes that can result from high phosphate levels. Remember that buying phoslo online reqires credit cards issued by Visa Amex or master card. Calcium acetate is a natural mineral that works by holding onto phosphate from the diet so that it can pass out of the body.

You have two kidneys, each about the size of your fist. They are near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage. Inside each kidney there are about a million tiny structures called nephrons. They filter your blood. They remove wastes and extra water, which become urine. The urine flows through tubes called ureters. It goes to your bladder, which stores the urine until you go to the bathroom.

Most kidney diseases attack the nephrons. This damage may leave kidneys unable to remove wastes. Causes can include genetic problems, injuries, or medicines. You have a higher risk of kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a close family member with kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease damages the nephrons slowly over several years. Other kidney problems include

Cancer
Cysts
Stones
Infections

Your doctor can do blood and urine tests to check if you have kidney disease. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant.