subject: Renal Transplant: Hope For Chronic Kidney Disease Patients [print this page] Kidneys are one of the most important organs in the human body. They are located in the rear abdominal cavity of the body and receive oxygenated blood from a pair of renal arteries. The impure blood from the kidneys generated from the purification process is drained with the help of the paired renal veins that are present in the kidneys. Kidneys are responsible for performing a number of vital functions such as:
Removing waste materials and water from the blood thus cleaning it
Releasing a number of hormones that are necessary for the functioning of the body
Helping in producing red blood cells
Balancing the overall chemical cells in the body
Human beings may suffer from a number of kidney related conditions such as renal cysts, urinary tract infection, urinary tract obstruction, nephrolithiasis and chronic kidney disease. Out of these conditions, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is one of the most common renal conditions and is related to the slow loss of kidney functions over a period of time. The CKD condition gets worse over time and may eventually lead to its final stage which is known as end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The only treatment methods in this stage are dialysis or renal transplant.
Symptoms
There are a number of symptoms associated with chronic kidney disease during its early stages such as fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss and itching skin. As the conditions get worse, additional symptoms may surface, thereby worsening the patient's health. These symptoms include heavy breathing, increase in blood pressure, excessive sweating, excessive thirst, sleep related problems, drowsiness and infrequent menstrual periods in women.
Treatment
As mentioned above, renal transplant is one of the most effective treatment solutions for a patient suffering from end stage renal disease. Although dialysis is another method used to combat this condition, the overall health of the patient undergoing dialysis is far from favourable and results in several restrictions. Compared to this, renal transplant is a treatment method that is more effective and although it contains its own risks, most patients can live a normal life after its succesful execution. The kidneys used during transplantation are obtained from either deceased donors or living donors.
There are a number of diagnostic services in Pune where one can go for an regular checkup for chronic kidney disease. Blood tests for serum creatinine is used to determine a person's glomerular filtration rate (GFR) which is the measure of how well a kidney is working. Besides this blood test, urine tests are also conducted to detect the presence of protein in your urine. The presence of protein in one's urine is a sign of the kidneys not functioning properly. Early detection of chronic kidney disease can be effective in treating it efficiently, thus preventing the kidneys from completely malfunctioning.
