Nephrology Specialist Dr. Pınar Ergin noted that when the kidneys do not work, electrolytes and waste fluids accumulate in the body, and as their levels rise, problems that can have fatal consequences begin to arise in the body. Ergin warned that the earlier chronic kidney failure, which is a difficult to treat disease due to its life-threatening nature, is diagnosed, the more organ losses and vital risks will be reduced.
Nephrology Specialist Dr. Pınar Ergin underlined that chronic kidney failure is a long process in which the kidneys gradually lose their functions and said, “The disease is among the group of diseases whose awareness is relatively low because it does not cause any special symptoms in the early stages. However, this disease has become a common and important public health problem all over the world. Some tests and ultrasonography are used to diagnose the disease. After the diagnosis is made, the cause of the disease is determined by detailed tests and, if necessary, a kidney biopsy. However, in approximately 13 percent of patients, no cause can be detected,” he said.
Nephrology Specialist Dr. Pınar Ergin listed the treatment methods of chronic kidney failure as follows:
“Hemodialysis treatment: It is the process of taking the patient’s blood out of the body, passing it through a filter in the hemodialysis device through which a special synthesized liquid passes, and separating it from toxic waste, and then returning it to the patient through another vein.
Peritoneal dialysis treatment: The patient’s own abdominal membrane acts as the filter in hemodialysis. This treatment can be applied to patients who have not yet lost all their kidney function and who have not undergone any surgery that would disrupt the integrity of the abdominal membrane.
Kidney transplant: Transplantation is the gold standard treatment and the most effective method in chronic renal failure. “It can be started as the first treatment option, or it can be applied after hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis treatment has started, and it is performed through donation from a living donor or cadaver.”
ROUTINE CHECKS SHOULD NOT BE NEGLECTED
Ergin said that chronic kidney failure, which reduces the quality of life, brings a great financial burden and can be fatal, is quite common in society, contrary to popular belief, and added: “Those with hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, those with a family history of hereditary cystic kidney disease or kidney stones, obesity patients and Smokers are in the high risk group. “If patients do not skip their routine check-ups, the problem can be noticed before it has any clinical symptoms and thus necessary precautions can be taken,” he said.
HERE ARE THE SYMPTOMS
Specialist Dr. Ergin listed the symptoms of chronic kidney failure as follows:
“Weakness, loss of appetite, shortness of breath, nausea, blood pressure instability, pale skin color, rotten apple odor in the breath, edema in the legs and eyelids, decrease in the amount of urine, change in urine color, waking up with the need to urinate approximately 2 hours after going to bed at night.” (UAV)
