Chronic Kidney Disease
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Chronic Kidney disease
CKD is a slow and continuous deterioration of kidney functions with time, leading to permanent kidney failure (Allison, 2020). CKD is much more prevalent than individuals realize, and mostly, it goes unrecognized and undiagnosed until the condition reaches advanced stages.
Development
The leading causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and hypertension. Diabetes is as a result of high blood sugar level that damages the body organs including the kidney. The damaged kidneys fail to filter wastes and extra blood fluids adequately. Proteins in the urine characterize diabetes. Albumin, a protein required to stay healthy, is allowed to pass out of the blood and into the urine. Healthy kidneys do not allow the protein to pass from the blood to the urine.
Blood pressure forms against the walls of the blood vessels leading to hypertension. The pressure damages blood vessels in the kidney affecting their performance. Blood pressure increases due to kidney failure, causing a troubling cycle (The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease, 2016). Malformations is another condition that causes CKD, which occurs in babies developing in their mother’s womb. It’s caused by a narrowing that generates a flow back of urine to the kidney, causing infections and damage to the kidneys.
Treatment
Treatment for CKD depends on the underlying cause. Because CKD has no cure, treatment is administered to reduced complications and allow the kidneys to do their job. Some of the treatment and medication measures are as follows:
Kidney transplant
A kidney transplant involves surgically replacing a critically damaged kidney with a healthy one obtained from a deceased or a living donor. Medications are administered for the rest of an individual’s life so that the body accepts the new kidney. However, a kidney transplant is not recommended for individuals that have other medical conditions.
Dialysis
Dialysis is the process of artificially removing wastes and extra fluids from the blood when the kidney fails. A process called hemodialysis is administered by the use of a mechanical filter that helps cleanse the blood. A different form of dialysis called peritoneal dialysis is administered by inserting a tube inside the abdominal cavity and filling it with a solution that absorbs wastes and excess fluids, which are excreted after a few days(Tomson & Duffy, 2019).
High blood pressure medication
This involves angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors that serve the purpose of preserving kidney functions and lowering blood pressure. The medication can decrease kidney function and alter the electrolyte levels, requiring frequent monitoring of the blood condition.
Diet
The doctor might recommend a diet that is low in sodium, potassium, and proteins. When the kidneys are damaged, it is hard for the nutrients to be removed from the blood. Diabetes will require the intake of foods with low sugar to control blood sugar levels throughout the day.
Swelling medication
Retention of fluids might be caused by CKD, which will lead to hypertension and swelling in the legs. A water pill (diuretics) medication is administered to maintain the balance of body fluids.
Cholesterol medication
The risk of heart disease is caused by high levels of cholesterol in people with CKD. The doctor recommends statins medication to lower the cholesterol levels. Lowering the cholesterol levels reduce blood pressure preventing kidney damage.