It is estimated that nearly 2.2 lakh patients develop end-stage renal disease (ESRD) or chronic kidney disease (CKD) every year in India. However, over 90 per cent of them never see a nephrologist (kidney doctor) owing to lack of healthcare resources, affordability and awareness.
Research has shown that patients who are informed about their illness and who are provided with opportunities to take an active role in their treatment report improved quality of life and feel better.
The purpose of this website is to make available general information to people suffering from kidney disease and their families so that they can take care of their kidney with awareness and knowledge. It is still possible to lead a good life with kidney ailment with few changes in daily routine, being more disciplined, by trying to understand what is happening inside our body and how our kidney is functioning, by knowing the strain that our kidney is taking to keep us going and by caring a little more for our kidney and our well being.
When kidney is damaged, its ability to perform its function is adversely affected. This means kidneys are unable to filter the wastes from the body and produce the hormones it usually does. This results in build up of wastes in the body (swelling in hands, foot, face), high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases the risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time.
Early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse. When kidney disease progress, it may lead to kidney failure, a stage known as End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD). In this stage, kidneys are unable to filter wastes from the body at all. In case of kidney failure, the patient has to undergo dialysis, a process by which the blood is filtered artificially outside the body to remove waste products. Alternatively, kidney transplant may be opted subject to fulfillment of all medical parameters and availability of kidney donor.
Simple lifestyle changes play a major role in keeping kidneys healthy and delays progression in case of chronic kidney disease. Eating fresh home cooked non spicy healthy food in a timely manner, light exercises to keep your muscles active, absorbing morning sunlight, maintaining timely meal and sleep pattern, and not taking unnecessary tension goes a long way in keeping kidneys healthier. Also, it is mandatory to quit smoking, drinking and ingesting all food products which do not have any nutritive value to the body. Since kidney filters the toxins created out of food and fluid intake, dietary changes in consultation with a good dietitian goes a long way to delay progression of kidney disease.
Normally, we don’t care to find out so much before the rounds to dispensaries begin, then the pathological tests, hospital visits, the tension of procuring funds for treatment, dealing with the denial, anger and acceptance phase of the patient, further rounds of doctor’s visit and so on. In this entire process we forget to find out more about the disease and how to live better with this. And in desperation we make lot of mistakes just because we don’t have enough information.
This website aims to create awareness and deal with kidney disease in a better manner to patients and their families.