Kidney disease is often not caught until fairly late in its progression. This can leave you with few options when it comes to treatment.
However, there are steps you can take to better understand and manage your disease. Here are just a few of the things that you should know.
Monitor Your Nutrition
It’s important to maintain a healthy weight and to keep your body properly nourished. Digesting meats can be hard on your body when you have kidney disease. This doesn’t mean you need to avoid eating meats altogether. You just need to make smarter decisions when it comes to your protein intake and select leaner cuts and items lower in sodium.
Progression Is Likely
The unfortunate part about chronic kidney disease is that progression is extremely likely. This becomes even more likely if the underlying causes for the development of your disease aren’t well controlled. You may notice that your symptoms become more evident or are even more debilitating.
Evaluate Other Risk Factors
There are certain risk factors that put you at an increased risk of developing kidney disease. These include but are not limited to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney disease. Getting tested early and regularly can help ensure your kidneys can remain functional for as long as possible.
Hydration Is Key
Many of the symptoms associated with kidney disease are in part due to hydration—or lack thereof. Not drinking enough fluids could cause an increase in the formation of painful kidney stones. Staying well hydrated won’t prevent the development of kidney disease, but it can help to slow the progression so you can attempt to maintain your current lifestyle.
Seek Medical Assistance
Medical treatment becomes even more important as kidney disease progresses. There are options when it comes to the treatment of kidney disease. These include dialysis as well as a kidney transplant if both of your kidneys are in complete failure. You can look into using a home dialysis unit such as the Baxter Dialysis Machine so you don’t have to go to a center for treatment.
Chronic kidney disease doesn’t have to mean the end of your life, both literally and metaphorically. There are options available so you can take back control. Consider the above if you’re living with kidney disease so you can make the most informed decision in regards to your overall health.
Tagged under