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Chronic Renal Failure

Chronic renal failure, also known as chronic kidney disease is a condition where the kidney will gradually stop being able to function or work properly. Rather than filtering the wastes out your body, when the kidney stops functioning, the waste will build up. It occurs when another medical condition or illness, such as, diabetes, high blood pressure (which are the two main illnesses), constant kidney infections or interstitial nephritis, damage the kidneys. Older adults are more prone to kidney failure than the young but other factors that contribute and could put someone at risk include, smoking, heart disease, obesity and having a family history of it.

SYMPTOMS OF CHRONIC RENAL FAILURE

A lot of people do not experience symptoms at the beginning but start to have them when it has progressed and become more advanced. Some of these symptoms include: the constant urge to urinate, swelling in the feet and ankles, the skin can become dry and itchy, tiredness and weakness, insomnia as well as loss of appetite. The more it progresses, the worse the symptoms can get and it can lead to heart disease, anaemia, weak bones, fluid retention and it can cause severe damage to the nervous system.

Treatments

Diet

The first thing that patients with chronic renal failure will be advised to do is to make changes to their diet. To slow down the buildup of waste in the body a low-protein diet is recommended. This limits the likelihood of nausea and vomiting that can come with chronic renal failure.

Restriction of Fluid Intake

In severe cases of swelling or if renal failure has come to the end-stage, a fluid restriction will be determined based on the amount of urine passed the day before. It means that the heart and kidneys do not have to work as hard. Dietitians help with diets and fluid restrictions.

Peritoneal Dialysis

This type of dialysis uses the natural membrane of the abdominal cavity as its filter. A catheter is permanently inserted into the abdomen and the cavity is filled with something called dialysate. This solution draws the waste and extra fluid out the bloodstream through the membrane. The solution is then drained out and replaced with a fresh solution. This treatment is usual done in cycles while at home. The procedure is done daily either by yourself or with someone’s help and can happen as often as every few hours or overnight with an automatic cycling machine. There’s a possibility that peritoneal dialysis won’t work for everyone or stop working efficiently and when that happens, hemodialysis is the next course of action.

Hemodialysis

This type of dialysis is done in the hospital or a clinic. The waste and body fluid is filtered out by blood with a dialyser which is a coiled membrane with hundreds of hollowed fibres. The dialysis machine pushes the blood through the dialyser with the blood staying on one side of the membrane and dialysate on the other side. The same as the peritoneal dialysis the solution draws out the extra blood fluid and waste in the filter and the clean blood is pumped back into your body. This treatment is faster than the other type of dialysis. It finishes in about four hours’ time and is done three times a week.

Kidney Transplant

If your diagnosed with chronic renal failure you will be assessed for a kidney transplant. It can be transplanted from a living donor, most often a relative, or a donor who has just died. Once the transplant is complete and given proper medical care, you can live a long and healthy life.

Preventing or Slowing Done the Onset of Chronic Renal Failure

  • Avoid smoking
  • Monitor your blood pressure
  • Have a healthy diet and regular exercise
  • Don’t drink too much alcohol
  • Don’t abuse prescription or over-the-counter medication
  • Treat urinary tract infections as soon as possible

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