This year, March 11th will be celebrated as World Kidney Day worldwide. The theme this year is very powerful and urges all of us to think how patients with Kidney disease can live well.
The kidneys act as the filter system of the body and work to keep the body in a balanced state. The kidneys manage the good and bad substances in the body , thus allowing the body to function well.
If the kidneys’ ability to function is damaged, excess fluid and wastes may build up in the body. Many forms of kidney diseases do not produce symptoms until late in the course of the disease and the disease may not become apparent until the kidney function is significantly impaired. Signs and symptoms of kidney disease include nausea, reduced appetite, tiredness, swelling of ankles, shortness of breath and high blood pressure.
Many kidney diseases like urinary tract infections and kidney stones can be successfully treated. Careful control of conditions like diabetes and hypertension may slow the progression of chronic kidney disease. The term ‘chronic kidney disease’ is used for all levels of kidney impairment from a small decline in kidney performance that causes no symptoms to kidney failure. Kidney failure may be treated with hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or kidney transplantation. Each of these approaches need to be individualised for each patient and a kidney specialist can help each patient to make the best treatment choices for themselves.
So, your kidneys are a powerful chemical factory in the body that perform the following functions:
- Remove waste products from the body
- Balance the body’s fluids
- Release hormones that regulate blood pressure
- Maintain bone health
- Control the production of red cells
While now we are aware of the role of the kidney and its impact on our health, let’s understand some ways to ensure our kidneys function normally:
- Manage conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, urinary infection that increase your risk of kidney disease with your doctor’s help
- Eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight
- Maintain a healthy fluid intake
- Don’t smoke
- Follow instructions on over-the-counter medications- especially when taking pain relievers.
If you have medical conditions that increase your risk of kidney disease, ask your doctor about tests to look for signs of kidney damage.
Interesting to know, while there is enough research done on the clinical aspects of Kidney disease, not enough has been researched on the patients’ well being. NephroPlus believes “Guests” on dialysis (not patients) should be able to lead a normal life – work, travel, and have fun just like any body else.
People on dialysis in India, in general, quit work once they are diagnosed with kidney failure. We believe it is extremely important for such people to get back to work (even if it is in part time mode initially). This matters a lot for the overall well being since people who work see themselves as adding value to the society vs. as a “burden” on the ecosystem. This work engagement makes such people more independent and self-confident.
NephroPlus with 250 centers in 140 cities has a very strong holiday dialysis network. So people on dialysis anywhere in India can book dialysis holidays with us to travel to Beaches of Goa, Backwaters of Alleppey, Hill stations of Dehradun, Taj Mahal, and various pilgrimage sites such as Tirupathi and Rishikesh etc.
We strongly encourage our Guests to engage in social activities, pursue their hobbies vigorously and have fun to the best of their abilities. We conduct “Guests got Talent” contests every year to encourage our Guests. #KhabarLive #hydnews
