If a young, healthy, and immunocompetent person has kidney failure, can it be cured and preserved? (Suong, 35 years old, Hanoi).
Currently, there is no treatment that can completely cure chronic kidney failure.
Chronic kidney disease is divided into 5 stages. From stage 1 to stage 4, conservative treatment can be used to slow down the progression of kidney disease, improve symptoms, limit the occurrence of complications and detect complications early for timely treatment and improve quality. patient’s quality of life.
Patients need to change their lifestyle such as quitting smoking, limiting alcoholic beverages, exercising daily depending on their health condition, avoiding overexertion, reducing protein intake (meat, fish), reducing salt intake. daily diet. The degree of salt and protein reduction depends on each specific case as well as the degree of kidney function reduction.
Besides, patients need to be treated and controlled for complications such as electrolyte disorders, hypertension, hyperuricemia, lipid disorders, anemia, osteoporosis…
However, conservative treatment to slow the progression of kidney failure will be very difficult and ineffective if detected late or the disease has progressed to severe kidney failure.
When doctors assess kidney failure as stage 5 (end stage), that is, kidney function is only about less than 10% of normal, no longer ensuring its original function. At this time, to maintain life, the patient must receive lifelong kidney replacement therapy.
There are currently three methods of renal replacement therapy: hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis (peritoneal dialysis) and kidney transplantation. Each treatment method has its own advantages and disadvantages, and must be prescribed by the doctor accordingly.
However, if dialysis or a kidney transplant is required, the treatment cost will be much more expensive than in the initial stages. Patients are also at risk of complications related to dialysis as well as kidney transplant anti-rejection drugs and have to depend more on the hospital.
To prevent chronic kidney disease and chronic kidney failure, it is necessary to practice a healthy lifestyle, eat a balanced diet, drink enough water, do not eat salty foods, limit fast food and alcohol abuse, and say no to tobacco. . Exercise daily depending on individual health status. Avoid using drugs indiscriminately, especially over-the-counter drugs and herbal drugs of unknown origin.
Thoroughly treat acute diseases such as respiratory infections, skin infections, urinary tract infections as well as well control chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, malignant diseases, autoimmune diseases, urinary stones… for disease prevention.
People need to proactively go for regular health checks and kidney disease screening at least once a year. When there are signs and symptoms suspected of kidney disease such as fatigue, paleness, poor appetite, nausea and vomiting, urinary disorders… you need to get checked.
Currently, only blood tests to check kidney function, urine analysis and ultrasound of the urinary system are needed to screen and early detect chronic kidney failure. In-depth tests will be ordered when necessary to find the cause or assess the stage of chronic kidney failure more accurately.