Tag: #kidneys

Kidney Transplant – Basics

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Contents

 

1. What is Kidney Transplant?

Kidneys are essential for sustaining life. Individuals who end up with very little or almost no kidney function, either due to an incurable disease, birth defect or extensive injury, require a solution to regain/assist with their kidney function. Kidney Transplant is one of the methods to do so.

This involves a surgical procedure of “transferring” a healthy, matched kidney from a willing donor to “implant” it in the belly of the patient requiring the organ. Hence the name, Transplant.

Here, the donor kidney is securely removed with Continue reading “Kidney Transplant – Basics” →

Kidney-Friendly Kitchen: The must-have tools!

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Kidney friendly

What business does someone trained as a physician-scientist have, talking about “Tools necessary for a Kidney-friendly kitchen”, you may ask?

Kidney Friendly Kitchen

Well, it’s my own decade-long Experience navigating life as a Kidney Warrior (currently post-kidney transplant) and the frustrating lack of organized information on this matter in the medical literature or public domain, that has motivated me to help fellow members in the Kidney Community in this regard.

As soon as you are diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, dietary modifications take the centre-stage Continue reading “Kidney-Friendly Kitchen: The must-have tools!” →

Sodium Bicarbonate & Kidney Disease

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In our previous article, we explained why the popular health trend of consuming baking soda drinks to “detoxify” kidneys is unnecessary & potentially dangerous. Baking Soda is the store-bought, non-pharmaceutical grade version of the chemical compound called Sodium Bicarbonate which, interestingly serves an important role in treating kidney disease.

Now it is natural for all members with kidney disease and their caregivers to wonder why kidney patients are put on tablets of Sodium Bicarbonate despite the purported risks highlighted before.

 

Wouldn’t it burden already unwell kidneys this time?

That’s a valid question and this is where the classic case of “poison turning into medicine” comes into play. In a complete 180-degree twist, Sodium Bicarbonate assumes the role of a therapeutic messiah in CKD patients.

Sodium Bicarbonate Kidney

 

So How does that work? Read on to understand. Continue reading “Sodium Bicarbonate & Kidney Disease” →

Baking Soda & Kidney “Detox”. Myth Busted!

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Baking soda and kidney 

Who isn’t acquainted with “Baking Soda” – those tiny, white crystals used to make cakes fluffy? It has now also made its way as an effective dead-skin exfoliator (when used sparingly), a teeth whitening agent as well as a DIY solution for “unclogging” toilet pipes. For some years now, many articles have surfaced in the open-access media about how drinking Baking Soda (NOT Baking Powder) can help “flush your healthy kidneys of toxins” and promote kidney health.

Baking Soda and Kidney

Anything Kidney naturally catches the attention of Team ATK and sets our neurons in action. So, we decided to investigate if these claims hold any water from the clinical standpoint. Continue reading “Baking Soda & Kidney “Detox”. Myth Busted!” →

Protein in Urine: What, How & Why

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Proteinuria

 

WHAT IS PROTEINURIA?

The leakage of Plasma Protein in urine is technically termed as “Proteinuria” (pronounced as pro-teen-you-reah). These proteins are NOT the usual nutrient that you obtain from food. These are a different class of Proteins specially made by your Liver.

Plasma Proteins normally circulate in your bloodstream & help with a range of functions essential to keep you alive. Urine samples with Protein tend to be visibly foamy / frothy akin to the kind that you get after dissolving detergents in water. The extent of foam will certainly vary with the extent of protein leakage.

Continue reading “Protein in Urine: What, How & Why” →

Healthy Kidneys prevent Blood & Protein in Urine. But how?!

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Protein blood barrier

Normally, Urine produced by healthy kidneys is a cocktail of toxic waste products of cellular metabolism, a host of minerals, salts, smelly organic compounds & excess water. (Find the complete normal urine composition here). These components begin to get together to form Urine once healthy kidney micro-filters “strain” our blood through themselves. These micro-filters are uber-selective with what they “let-out” into the urine. This is such that, all blood cells & “plasma” proteins remain in the bloodstream while the wastes & excesses purge themselves out.

But what makes these Kidney Micro-filters that selective against leakage of blood cells & protein in urine?

LET’S DISSECT!

Continue reading “Healthy Kidneys prevent Blood & Protein in Urine. But how?!” →