Written By: Bhavyajyoti Chilukoti | Updated : November 26, 2014 12:14 PM IST
Kidney disease is known as a silent killer, as most people suffering from this health complication show no significant symptoms until late in its course. Most people with kidney disease realize the seriousness of the condition only after its too late, making treating the condition more difficult. Kidney disease is best tackled as soon as the problem is detected, if not, it can lead to a whole host of complications. Here are some of the health ailments that you may suffer from, if you ignore kidney disease.
Dr Deepa Jayaram, consultant nephrologist and renal transplantologist says, If kidney disease is left untreated, it progresses to the entire organ deteriorating the functional units of the kidney. Due to this, kidney function reduces gradually leading to various health complications. The key changes that occur in the kidneys include accumulation of harmful toxins and excess body fluids in the organ, electrolyte imbalance and low blood cell count.
In severe stages of kidney disease, patients usually complain of vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue, itching, nausea, sleep disturbances and breathing difficulty. In some cases, swelling over the ankles, puffiness of the eyes and leg cramps are also reported. The serious and life-threatening health complications that are observed in rare cases include uncontrolled blood pressure, seizures and cardiac arrest (due to high potassium levels in the body) may prove fatal.
How to deal with the complications of kidney disease?
Dr Deepa Jayaram says, In addition to improving or stabilizing the kidney function with the use of specific drugs, a nephrologists will initiate treatment measures to manage chronic kidney disease. For example, to protect kidney function and control blood pressure, ACE inhibitors are used. In the case of problems with the kidney's filtration process, steroids are commonly prescribed. Other measures that are commonly used to deal with the complications of kidney disease are as follows.
While these are clinical measures that your healthcare professional will take care of, there are few precautionary tips to be followed by people with kidney disease to prevent worsening of the condition. Here are few tips from our experts Dr Deepa Jayaram.
Hence, visit a doctor if you experience any symptoms of kidney disease and get treated immediately. Early detection and safe treatment is the key to prevent various health complications and live a healthy life.
Image Source: Getty Images
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