As you approach end stage renal disease, dietary restrictions often become onerous. After transplant, these restrictions almost disappear. Patients are often overjoyed to be able to eat fruit, vegetables and dairy products without worry. Although...
Regardless of whether the new kidney comes from a friend, family member or cadaver, kidney transplants greatly enhance the recipient's quality of life. In addition to being freed from dialysis, patients are also freed from onerous dietary...
Choosing to have a kidney transplant may be one of the most important decisions of your life. The National Institutes of Health states that in 2007, 17,513 Americans received a kidney from either a live or deceased donor. According to...
Chances are your diet was very limited before your kidney transplant. After the procedure, your diet restrictions may be lifted, but you may need to continue to restrict the amount of potassium in your diet. Many fruits are high in potassium and...
In 2007, 368,544 people in the United States received dialysis treatment, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. In the same year, 17,513 received a kidney transplant. Kidney disease can have a major...
Unless a patient has a donor already lined up, a kidney transplant candidate must join the wait list for a cadaver organs. Qualifying for this wait list involves an extensive evaluation. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and...
Many kidney patients are surprised when doctors prescribe lisinopril or some other ACE inhibitor for the treatment of kidney disease. This is particularly surprising for patients who do not have hypertension, because lisinopril is usually...
Vitamin D supplements are needed by people who do not get sufficient sunlight. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health, the body makes vitamin D after exposure to ultraviolet rays from the sun. However,...
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM-IV, describes depression as a "depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, as indicated by either subjective report." Additionally, the diagnosis calls for changes in sleep...
Now that you've gotten a brand new kidney, you need to take good care of it. While post-transplant dietary guidelines are nowhere near as limiting as the ones you experienced as you approached end-stage disease, they're just as important. Before...
Kidneys function to keep your blood healthy. Each day your kidneys process approximately 200 quarts of blood to remove waste products and excess water. If you have renal failure, you may need to follow a special diet, since a normal diet may...
After your kidney transplant, your nephrologist will regularly test your blood and urine. The many lab tests he will order include measuring the protein in your urine. Healthy kidneys keep protein in the blood. Protein getting lost into the urine...
Vitamin D, which is actually a steroid hormone, is found in fish, eggs and fortified foods. It can also be made by the skin upon exposure to ultraviolet radiation. Early in the 20th century, scientists discovered vitamin D's usefulness in treating...
Atgam is the brand name of lymphocyte immune globulin, which is an immunosuppressive agent used in the treatment of rejection possibilities following the transplant of a kidney. This is called a renal transplant. The drug may be used both to...
Cyclosporine has been used as an immunosuppressant for almost 40 years. Primarily used to prevent rejection in kidney, heart and liver transplant recipients, cyclosporine is approved to treat rheumatoid arthritis, severe psoriasis and the eye...
Both general practitioners and specialists commonly encounter urinary tract infections; 40 to 50 percent of adult women experience at least one in their lifetimes. Organisms growing in either the upper or lower urinary tract cause tissue...
When kidneys fail, the only available treatment options are dialysis and kidney transplant. A limited number of patients are candidates for transplant, depending on age and health status. The new kidney may come from a living or deceased donor....
The kidneys are the organs in charge of filtering the blood from toxic substances and excreting them from the body in the urine. The kidneys also help in the body's regulation of fluids and electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium. Proteins are...
The human papilloma virus, or HPV, infects the skin and mucosa such as genitalia and mouth. A study published in the February 2007 issue of the "Journal of the American Medical Association" showed that 26.8 percent of women in the United States...
As described by the Merck Manual and the Mayo Clinic, polycystic kidney disease is a hereditary disorder that results in multiple, various-sized and progressively enlarging benign cysts in both kidneys. Inheritance is most commonly autosomal...
Penile implants are often used for men who suffer form erectile dysfunction (ED) because of nerve or blood vessel damage. This can occur due to diabetes, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), prostate surgery and some other surgeries, or...
Potassium is an integral element in various body processes. Potassium helps in muscle contraction, heart rate and fluid balance. The level of potassium in the blood stream is small as most potassium concentrate inside the cells, so minor changes...
Valtrex is a brand name of the medication valacyclovir hydrochloride which is used to treat cold sores, shingles, chickenpox and herpes. Although there can be many benefits of taking Valtrex, there are also many potentially serious side effects as...
The urinary tract includes two kidneys, two ureters, one bladder and one urethra. After the kidneys make the urine, it goes through muscular tubes called the ureters and collects in the bladder. The urine then leaves the body through the urethra....
When uric acids crystals collect in the joints of the body, the result is a painful condition known as gout. Gout most frequently affects the base of the big toe, but can also be found in the ankle, knee, or rarely, the shoulder. It strikes when...
Next time you are responsible for bringing chips and dip to a party, consider choosing jalapeno artichoke dip. This creamy, chunky dip packs a punch of heat provided by the hot peppers. It also provides several vitamins and minerals as well as...
When people reach the end of the useful life of one or both of their kidneys through disease, the option beyond dialysis--a mechanical medical cleaning procedure that substitutes for the work of the kidneys--is typically transplantation. Because...
The kidneys excrete waste, remove excess fluid, balance electrolytes, stabilize blood pressure and have an effect on red blood cell production. Vital to survival, the kidneys face daily toxin exposure. Toxins can originate from from chemicals,...
Red yeast rice is a supplement derived from rice that is fermented with a form of yeast. Red yeast rice contains a group of 14 cholesterol-lowering compounds called monocolins. Though sold as a nutritional supplement, red yeast rice may cause a...
