Ayurvedic Care Of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
Chronic kidney disease or chronic renal disease is a slow and gradual loss of kidney function over a period of months or years. Each of your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then excreted in your urine. Symptoms of chronic kidney failure may not realize when kidney function is down to 25 percent of normal. If kidney disease gets worse, dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes can build up in your body. People may develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease.
CKD is a worldwide public health problem.It is more prevalent in the elderly population. CKD stable disease occurs in people aged over 65 years of age, while younger patients with CKD typically experience progressive loss of kidney function.
Causes Which Are Responsible For Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) slowly gets worse over several months or years. Diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease include:
- Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
- Autoimmune disorders
- High blood pressure
- Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-low-nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli)
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Some toxic chemicals
- Kidney stones and infection
- Interstitial nephritis (in-tur-STISH-ul nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the
- kidney’s tubules and surrounding structures
- Problems with the arteries feeding the kidneys
- Some medicines, such as pain and cancer drugs
- Backward flow of urine into the kidneys (reflux nephropathy)
Symptoms Associated With Chronic Kidney Disease
- Nausea
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sleep problems
- Vomiting
- Lack of concentration
- Muscle twitches and cramps at night
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Persistent itching
- Have puffiness around your eyes, especially in the morning
- Need to urinate more often, especially at night
- High blood pressure (hypertension) that’s difficult to control
- Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the lungs
Risk Factors of Chronic Kidney Disease
Factors that may increase your risk of chronic kidney disease include:
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Smoking
- Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
- Being African-American, Native American or Asian-American
- Obesity
- Older age
- Family history of kidney disease
- Abnormal kidney structure
Complications of Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease can affect almost every part of your body, the following complications are possible:
- Anemia
- Central nervous system damage
- Osteomalacia, Weak bones and an increased risk of bone fractures
- Dry skin or skin color changes
- Fluid retention
- Hyperkalemia, when blood potassium levels rise, possibly resulting in heart damage
- Decreased sex drive, erectile dysfunction or reduced fertility
Insomnia - Pericarditis, when the sac-like membrane around the heart becomes inflamed
- Stomach ulcers
- weak immune system
fects.
