Chronic Kidney Failure

Bhagwati Ayurveda & Panchkarma Research Centre/Chronic Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, describes the gradual loss of kidney function. Your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then excreted in your urine. When chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes can build up in your body.

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you may have few signs or symptoms. Chronic kidney disease may not become apparent until your kidney function is significantly impaired.

Treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing the progression of the kidney damage, usually by controlling the underlying cause. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.

Facts on Chronic Kidney Disease

Here are some key points about chronic kidney disease. More detail and supporting information is in the main article.
  • Common symptoms include blood in urine, high blood pressure, and fatigue.
  • Causes include diabetes and specific kidney diseases, which includes polycystic kidney disease.
  • There is no cure for chronic kidney disease, which means treatment is focussed on reducing symptoms.
  • Diagnosis commonly occurs after blood tests, kidney scans, or biopsy.

The two kidneys in our body possess tiny filtering units, called nephrons, each of which is made up of a glomerulus (which acts as a kind of sieve to prevent important components such as red blood cells from being removed), and a tubule (a tube through which fluid passes).

It’s entirely possible to live a full, healthy life with only one kidney – one fully functioning kidney can do the work of two – but it’s essential to watch for signs of any problems with the remaining kidney.

What are the symptoms

Chronic kidney failure, as opposed to acute kidney failure, is a slow and gradually progressive disease. Even if one kidney stops functioning, the other can carry out normal functions. It is not usually until the disease is fairly well advanced and the condition has become severe that signs and symptoms are noticeable; by which time most of the damage is irreversible.

It is important that people who are at high risk of developing kidney disease have their kidney functions regularly checked. Early detection can significantly help prevent serious kidney damage.

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    You may notice one or more of the following symptoms if your kidneys are beginning to fail:
    • Itching
    • Muscle cramps
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Not feeling hungry
    • Swelling in your feet and ankles
    • Too much urine (pee) or not enough urine
    • Trouble catching your breath
    • Trouble sleeping
    If your kidneys stop working suddenly (acute kidney failure), you may notice one or more of the following symptoms:
    • Abdominal (belly) pain
    • Back pain
    • Diarrhea
    • Fever
    • Nosebleeds
    • Rash
    • Vomiting

    Having one or more of any of the symptoms above may be a sign of serious kidney problems. If you notice any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor right away.

    Causes

    The most common causes of chronic renal failure in India are diabetes mellitus (type 1 or type 2 diabetes) and high blood pressure. The most common cause of end-stage renal failure worldwide is IgA nephropathy (an inflammatory disease of the kidney).

    One of the complications resulting from diabetes or high blood pressure is the damage to the small blood vessels in the body. The blood vessels in the kidneys also become damaged, resulting in CKD.

    Other common causes of chronic renal failure include:

    • recurring pyelonephritis (kidney infection)
    • polycystic kidney disease (multiple cysts in the kidneys)
    • autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus
    • hardening of the arteries, which can damage blood vessels in the kidney
    • urinary tract blockages and reflux, due to frequent infections, stones, or an anatomical abnormality that happened at birth
    • excessive use of medications that are metabolized through the kidneys

    Risk factors

    Factors that may increase your risk of chronic kidney disease include:

    Ayurvedic Approach

    Bhagwati Ayurveda provides Ayurvedic treatment for kidney failure in India varied kidney diseases like Nephrotic Syndrome; polycystic kidney disease, acute kidney disease, and chronic kidney disease treatment stage (1-5).

    • Nephrotic syndrome is caused due to harmful deposits of proteins in the body leading to failure of kidney functions
    • Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic problem which causes the cyst to grow inside the kidneys
    • Acute kidney disease is the sudden condition in which kidneys fail to filter the waste and liquids from the body
    • Chronic kidney disease treatment stage(1-5) is a slowly progressive disease and its symptoms are usually visible in the advanced stages

    Treatment

    According to Ayurveda this disease is caused by the blockage of minute body channels called srotas. The body channels involved in this case, known as mutravaha srotas, carry urine and are responsible for the flow of liquid into and out of the kidneys. If there are blockages in the incoming srotas the kidneys are denied fluids and shrinkage occurs. However, if the outgoing channels are blocked, swelling occurs. There are very effective Ayurvedic herbs, such as punanarva that can clean these channels and reduce swelling and rejuvenate the kidneys. Ayurvedic treatment aims at strengthening the kidneys, restoring its filtration capacity and general functioning of the kidneys. This line of treatment can eliminate the need for reliance upon dialysis.