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 problem over several years without experiencing noticeable symptoms, and receive an accurate diagnosis only via blood and urine tests. Testing measures the current levels of waste filtering as well as protein levels, both of which can provide indications of developing problems. While existing damage is irreversible, it is important to discover the disease as early as possible.

If a measurable level of beneficial waste processing is still occurring internally, a doctor may prescribe diuretic medications that are capable of flushing out wastes and lowering overall blood pressure. They also commonly recommend a diet low in sodium, and strongly advise those at risk to begin an appropriate aerobic exercise regimen to help control weight and improve overall physical function. While helpful in some cases, they are not a cure for organ 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 second option involves organ transplantation. Kidney replacement is the second most prevalent type of transplant surgery performed currently, and relies on organs from recently deceased donors or relatives who match the patient genetic profile and are willing to undergo an operation. Non-functional organs are often left in place when the replacements are connected. Many patients physically reject this tissue, and must take immune response-suppressing drugs.

Many treatment plans are custom-designed to fit individual circumstances and disease progression. Options may include the services of nurses specially trained in dialysis, renal failure-related nutritional needs, and the accompanying social issues that commonly arise, as well as problems associated with everyday care. Because they see them regularly, many doctors establish close relationships with these patients.

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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