21^st World Nephrology Conference

Treatments in Nephrology

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located on either side of the lower back. They are extremely important for the body in that they process waste and toxins before they are sent to the bladder as urine. If the kidney becomes damaged or fails completely, it becomes unable to properly process this waste. This lack of function causes renal failure, also called Kidney failure. The kidneys play a vital role in maintaining every day bodily function. They not only filter the blood and get rid of waste, but they also balance out electrolyte levels in the body which help encourage the production of red blood cells and normalize blood pressure. Understanding what kidney failure is will help you better prevent it from occurring. Kidney failure, also known as renal failure, may not present many symptoms in the beginning. However, as the kidneys continue to decrease in function, they become unable to regulate water and electrolyte balances, clear waste products from the body, and promote red blood cell production which leads to the onset of symptoms including: lethargy, weakness, shortness of breath and occasional swelling. If left untreated, then life-threatening symptoms can occur, which range from heart failure to coma. When kidney function gets significantly reduced due to kidney failure, the damage cannot usually be reversed. However, if the proper steps are taken early enough, then it could slow down the progress of kidney failure or even halt it altogether. The treatment for kidney failure differs depending on what phase the kidney failure is and other individual factors. For those whose kidneys no longer function well enough on their own without renal therapy, specialist will typically recommend either renal dialysis or a kidney transplant. There are two kinds of dialysis—Hemodialysis and Peritoneal Dialysis (Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis). Dialysis does some of the things a normal kidney does, such as: removes extra water from the body and removes the waste products that have built up in the blood. Hemodialysis is usually done in a dialysis center; however there are some patients who use this therapy at home. Nurses and technicians do your dialysis treatment.