Frequently Asked Questions About Kidney Disease

1. What is Nephrology?

Nephrology refers to the field related to medical conditions of the kidney. The nephrologist treats people with kidney diseases of various types, including those who have lost kidney function entirely and must rely on dialysis or kidney transplant. Nephrology also includes illnesses caused by abnormalities of the body's water and mineral balance, hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes-related kidney diseases.

2. What is the role of the Nephrologist?

The nephrologist treats people with kidney diseases of various types, such as glomerulonephritis, cystic kidney disease, urinary tract infections, kidney stones, diabetes, high blood pressure and the more advanced form of kidney disease where permanent kidney failure (End Stage Renal Disease or ESRD) requires dialysis or transplantation.

3. What are the kidneys and what are their functions?

The kidneys are organs that primarily remove fluid and waste from the body in the form of urine. The body normally has two kidneys, but if one of them is damaged, stops working, or is donated for kidney transplant, the body can function with the remaining kidney. If both kidneys stop functioning due to disease, patients experience end-stage renal disease (ESRD), or total kidney failure. If not treated immediately, a fatality may occur in days due to the build-up of toxins and fluid in their body. More than 300,000 people in the United States have ESRD and depend on dialysis to stay alive. In addition, over 60,000 have a functioning kidney transplant. Other functions of the kidneys include regulating blood pressure and the balance of certain important elements in the body such as potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphate and magnesium.

4. What does a nephrologist treat?

  • Kidney failure
  • Hypertension and hypertensive kidney disease
  • Diabetes and diabetic nephropathy
  • Glomerular disease
  • Cystic kidney disease
  • Inflammation of blood vessels in the kidneys
  • Kidney stones
  • Management of dialysis and transplant patients (ESRD)

5. How are nephrological disorders treated?

NUTRITION - Patients with abnormal kidney function often require very specialized diets.

MEDICATIONS - Aggressive control of blood pressure is critical to slow or prevent progressive kidney disease. Further, lowering of protein losses in the urine, with certain medications, can slow the progression of kidney disease. Patients with more advanced kidney disease often need other medications to control or prevent acid build-up, bone disease and anemia.

DIALYSIS - Although dialysis is not a cure, it is a life-saving process that artificially replaces some of the functions of the kidney. There are two types of dialysis: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
Hemodialysis involves removing blood from the body and filtering it in a machine.
Peritoneal Dialysis is internal or in-body dialysis. Peritoneal dialysis entails use of a blood-cleansing solution called "dialysate" that is infused via a catheter placed into the peritoneal cavity, the region of the abdomen that is lined by the peritoneum. The dialysate works to extract toxins and excess fluid from the blood. After a period of time, the solution is then drained from the body and fresh fluid replaced.

TRANSPLANTATION - Many patients are eligible to receive a kidney transplant and regain successful kidney function. The best possible source of kidney donation is a close relative whose blood and tissue-type match the patient. Other sources of donated organs include cadavers and living donors who are not blood relatives, such as a spouse or friend. New anti-rejection drugs have improved the success rates of transplants from organ donations received from other than blood relatives.

6. What are the warning signs of kidney disease?

  • High blood pressure
  • Swelling of the face and ankles
  • Puffiness around the eyes
  • More frequent urination (especially at night)
  • Foamy urine
  • Rusty or brown colored urine
  • Back pain just below the rib cage
  • Tiredness

 7. What can patients do to prevent kidney disease?

  • Become familiar with the warning signs of kidney disease
  • Drink plenty of fluids
  • Exercise regularly
  • Don't smoke
  • Maintain proper weight
  • Get checked regularly for diabetes and high blood pressure