Category Archives: Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Categories Health, Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Become Your Own Relaxation Expert

Meditation has been practiced around the world for thousands of years. It is a technique used to quiet the mind and body, and release stress. It can also bring focus and clarity, and often, after meditating, problems that you have been struggling with, miraculously become solved. Meditation has also been known to inspire people to write, and to spur lucrative business ideas, as your subconscious comes to light.

One simple form of meditation, requires you to sit in a quiet room, either on a pillow, or cross-legged on the floor, or in a comfortable chair, making sure your spine is straight. It is advised that you use the same place every day. It is also suggested that you personalize your spot, by beautifying it with candles, flowers, and pictures of the people that you love.

The idea is to sit quietly, with your eyes closed, and focus on a point inside of your forehead. Try not to think of anything in particular, but don’t try ‘not’ to think either, allowing your mind to become calm, and peaceful. If you find that your mind is ‘chattering’, don’t try to control it, just let it finish what it is that it is working on, it will eventually quiet down. It is also recommended for beginners to begin with ten to twenty minute sessions, each day. After awhile of doing this, you will start to feel deep relaxation and joy during these sessions.

The first step to this self-hypnosis is to sit in a quiet, comfortable spot, making sure you are facing a wall about eight feet away from you. Pick a spot or object on that wall, and make that spot or object your focal point. Looking at your focal point, begin counting backwards from 100, one number for each breath you exhale. As you do this, imagine yourself floating, and feeling very relaxed. You will begin to feel your eyelids getting heavy, and may begin to blink. Let your eyes slowly close, and as you continue to count backwards, imagine yourself as limp as a rag-doll, totally relaxed, and floating in a safe and comfortable place. Stop counting, and just float in your space. If any disturbing thoughts should come while in your space, just let them flow out again, and allow yourself to continue to feel safe and relaxed. This technique can help you to cope with stress, and discharge the tension that accumulates during stressful situations.

When you are ready to come out of this self-hypnosis, you can either let yourself drift off to sleep, or you can count from one to three and exit. First, count one, and get yourself ready to exit. At two, take a deep breath, and hold for a few seconds. At three, exhale and open your eyes slowly. As you open your eyes, continue to hold on to that relaxed and comfortable feeling.

You may then want to increase the length of your sessions to thirty minutes, or maybe even an hour. In our highly active lifestyles of today, it is imperative that we include a brief time for meditation in our daily schedule. For more self-help techniques and tips, please visit my website.

Categories Health, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes

One of the most undemanding and the most workable ways to knock over blood sugar amount, eliminate the dangers of “cardiovascular disease,” and perk up health and welfare in general is exercise.

In spite of that, in today’s inactive world where almost every indispensable job can be carried out online, from the ergonomic chair in front of a computer, or with a streaming line of messages from a fax machine, exercising can be a hard argument to win over.

The Weight of Exercise

Everyone should exercise, yet the health experts tells us that only 30% of the population gets the recommended thirty minutes of daily physical activity, and 25% are not active at all. In fact, inactivity is thought to be one of the key reasons for the surge of type 2 diabetes., because inactivity and obesity promote insulin resistance.

The good news is that it is never too late to get moving, and exercise is one of the easiest ways to start controlling your diabetes. For people with type 2 diabetes in particular, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower the risk of heart disease, and promote weight loss.

Type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is on the rise. The number of people diagnosed with diabetes every year increased by 48% between 1980 and 1994. Nearly all the new cases are Type 2 Diabetes, or adult-onset, the kind that moves in around middle age. Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes include increased thirst, appetite, and need to urinate; feeling tired, edgy, or sick to the stomach; blurred vision; tingling or loss of feeling in the hands.

The causes of type 2 diabetes are complex and not completely understood, although research is uncovering new clues at a rapid pace.

However, it has already been proven that one of the reasons for the boom in type 2 diabetes is the widening of waistbands and the trend toward a more deskbound and inactive lifestyle in the United States and other developed countries. In America, the shift has been striking; in the 1990s alone, obesity increased by 61% and diagnosed diabetes by 49%.

For this reason, health experts encourage those who already have type 2 diabetes to start employing the wonders that exercise can do for them. Without exercise, people have the tendency to become obese. Once they are obese, they have bigger chances of accumulating type 2 diabetes.

Today, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that over 80% of people with type 2 diabetes are clinically overweight. Therefore, it is high time that people, whether inflicted with type 2 diabetes or not, should start doing those jumping and stretching activities.

Getting Started

The first order of business with any exercise plan, especially if you are a “dyed-in-the-wool” sluggish, is to consult with your health care provider. If you have cardiac risk factors, the health care provider may want to perform a stress test to establish a safe level of exercise for you.

Certain diabetic complications will also dictate what type of exercise program you can take on. Activities like weightlifting, jogging, or high-impact aerobics can possibly pose a risk for people with diabetic retinopathy due to the risk for further blood vessel damage and possible retinal detachment.

If you are already active in sports or work out regularly, it will still benefit you to discuss your regular routine with your doctor. If you are taking insulin, you may need to take special precautions to prevent hypoglycemia during your workout.

Start Slow

For those who have type 2 diabetes, your exercise routine can be as simple as a brisk nightly neighborhood walk. If you have not been very active before now, start slowly and work your way up. Walk the dog or get out in the yard and rake. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Park in the back of the lot and walk. Every little bit does work, in fact, it really helps a lot.

As little as 15 to 30 minutes of daily, heart-pumping exercise can make a big difference in your blood glucose control and your risk of developing diabetic complications. One of the easiest and least expensive ways of getting moving is to start a walking program. All you need is a good pair of well-fitting, supportive shoes and a direction to head in.

Indeed, you do not have to waste too many expenses on costly “health club memberships,” or the most up-to-date health device to start pumping those fats out. What you need is the willingness and the determination to start exercising to a healthier, type 2 diabetes-free life.

The results would be the sweetest rewards from the effort that you have exerted.

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

When Kidney Patients Seek A Second Opinion

When patients walk out of their physician’s office with at least two prescriptions and have second thoughts what should they do? Studies have shown that most prescription drugs treat one symptom or an ailment, but are most likely to cause other illnesses. For example while analgesics such as Ibuprofen will alleviate pain it can damage other body organs such as the kidneys. For this reason, kidney patients should be cautious about pain killers because of its contra-indications.

However, those who have second thoughts about their treatment plans have the right to seek a second opinion. Patients have the right to be informed about all treatments available, including the alternatives that they have. The other times that patients seek second opinions would be: when they are advised to undergo surgery; when they are diagnosed with cancer; when they do not agree with the treatment plan made for them; and when they are dissatisfied with the health care management they receive from their doctors.

Ideally patients with chronic kidney diseases should have a treatment plan that would consist the following: blood testing, medicines, dietary advice, and physical activities advice.

Most of the time, however, physicians are more interested in giving prescriptions to treat specific symptoms rather than looking at the overall wellbeing of the patient. Patients are also most likely to get prescriptions from drug companies which the doctor have good relationships with. Although these are unethical medical practices, they seem to be the norm. So while a health care professional has all the good intentions in the world of treating patients, he seems to be functioning within these values system that patronize drug companies.

However, as mentioned at the start, patients have an option. If there is any doubt about the treatment plan, diagnosis or surgery,patients have the right to see other doctors.

Things CKD patients should remember when seeking second opinion

Patients should bring their medical records with them for re-assessment. They should also bring all their blood test results and prescriptions. Doctors who see patients for re-evaluation will check these when they make an alternative treatment plan. Don’t be afraid or intimidated to ask doctors questions about the alternative treatment plan they have for you and why they think it will lead to a better prognosis for your health.

Make sure your plan includes the following: blood work, lifestyle advice (diet and exercise); alternative prescriptions, including frequency and purpose; notepad for patients to make notes of their treatment preferences and to list questions for the next appointment.

Visit us today at 257/6 Vij Nagar, near Kishanpura Chowk, Jalandhar City, Punjab. You may also call us to book appointments at 91-9877-000888 or 91-9417-695200.

Looking forward to helping you in the journey back to good health!

Categories Kidney Diet, Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Dealing With Anemia From Kidney Disease

India - Haridwar - 010 - vegetables for sale in Bara Bazaar
Ask your doctor if diet can increase your iron levels

If you think the kidneys have little to do with the composition of your blood, think again. There are reasons why anemia (a lack of sufficient red blood cells) is a problem that plagues kidney disease patients. It isn’t just that kidneys filter wastes from the blood and flush them from the body. The fact is that the kidneys themselves are partly responsible for the blood’s very composition.

Kidneys play an active role in maintaining the body, and one way is to produce a hormone called erythropoietin, or EPO. This hormone signals your body to create more red blood cells. But of course, when the kidneys become compromised, they are less able to make the hormone. And virtually inevitably, those with kidney disease will develop anemia as a result.

How severe the anemia will be, and how early it becomes noticeable, depends on several other factors:

  • whether the person is female;
  • whether the person is of African descent;
  • whether they have diabetes;
  • which of the five stages of kidney disease they are currently in.

As soon as someone shows slight signs of kidney problems, it’s a good idea to have blood tests as well, to find out if there’s already an issue with anemia. In fact, regular blood tests are a good idea anyway, because sometimes anemia is someone’s first sign that they even have kidney disease in the first place. But whether the kidney problems were diagnosed first, or the anemia, this problem can’t just be left untreated. A lower supply of red blood cells makes the heart work harder, and this can lead to heart disease. And that’s the last thing someone needs when they’re already dealing with kidney disease.

Treatment for anemia needs to happen in conjunction with treatments for the kidney disease. Usually the doctor will prescribe drugs called erythropoiesis-stimulating agents, or ESAs. These injections made under the skin help the body create more red blood cells. And since iron is also needed for making the cells, the patient will need iron pills, and might also want to eat more iron-rich foods.

Nobody should have to fight through the lethargy and weakness of anemia while engaged in a primary fight against kidney disease. And nobody should add heart disease to that battle either, by ignoring the anemia. These three conditions are closely intertwined, so if the anemia can be dealt with, it can only help both the heart and the kidneys as well.

 

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Fathers and Their Children With Kidney Disease

Father’s Day isn’t just a time when  fathers are acknowledged and appreciated for their paternal roles. As a dad, you can use this special day not just to evaluate your accomplishments but to reflect on your responsibilities. And if your child has been diagnosed with kidney disease, you know you’ll have a few more of those than some other fathers might. But it’s part of being a dad, to help your son or daughter face the disease as well as possible.

One thing you’ll learn quickly is that most things go better when you treat your child with respect, and let them understand and participate in their own care as much as you can. Give them matter-of-fact explanations about the disease, the instruments used in the hospital and doctor’s office, and about what the treatments actually do. This helps remove fear of the unknown. They may still not like the discomforts of the treatments, but their fear will be considerably diminished.

You should naturally learn as much as possible about your child’s disease and condition, and participate in the care as knowledgeably as you can. But there are ways to allow the child to participate too. For example, encourage them to ask any questions that occur to them, and answer clearly, with as much information as they can handle and understand. Give them a chance to ask the doctor about foods they can and can’t eat, or about the best ways to take their medicine. The more in control they feel, the more able they’ll be to deal head-on with their illness and treatments.

Developing a regular routine and sticking to it as much as possible is another way you can help your child deal with kidney disease and its treatments. Even unpleasant moments, like taking medicine, can seem less fearsome if the child knows it will happen at this time of day, matter-of-factly, and then they’ll move on.

You yourself will need to project confidence, so your child has a rock to stand on. If you are constantly worried or project fear, the child will sense it, and their own fear will be magnified. That’s probably your biggest responsibility: to let your son or daughter sense that they can feel safe even when dealing with illness. If you can help your child face kidney disease directly and confidently, you won’t merely deserve one special day of acknowledgement a year, as a father. You’ll deserve a medal of honor.

 

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Retina Problems and Chronic Kidney Disease

In another instance demonstrating the interconnectivity of people’s bodily systems, a study about eye problems has led to an observation about kidney disease. The Beaver Dam Eye Study, according to their own description, was designed to “collect information on the prevalence and incidence of age-related cataract, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.” But along the way, they also drew some conclusions about how disease of the kidneys, along with high blood pressure, can also affect the eyes.

Retinopathy, or the disease of the retina causing possible loss of vision, has always been associated with diabetes. But the researchers with the study learned that even those without diabetes can be at higher risk of retinopathy, if they have certain other health conditions. One was uncontrolled hypertension (high blood pressure), and the other was chronic kidney disease.

In 4,699 people between ages 43 and 86 (remember that this was an age-related study), the risk of experiencing retinopathy over a 15-year period was 14.2%. And in those study subjects who had either uncontrolled hypertension or chronic kidney disease, the risk of such negative effects on the eyes increased. That applied to subjects who were not diabetic, so the extra risk cannot be blamed on diabetes. In fact, several other things that one might have considered a real risk did not seem to factor in at all. These would include such things as smoking, body mass index (which would rule out obesity), or inflammation.

These interconnections shouldn’t be a surprise. Hypertension and kidney disease often do interact, and diabetes frequently involves extra complications such as high blood pressure and strain on the kidneys. People don’t always experience all three at the same time, but they are clearly related to each other. So it’s probably not a surprise that retinopathy – which is a very high risk for diabetics – can also factor into hypertension and kidney disease as well.

(Sources: Ocular Surgery News Supersite, December 23, 2010; The Beaver Dam Eye Study.)

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Iron and CKD

Why Iron is Important for people with Chronic Kidney Diseases

As Health Canada revises its food guidelines on introducing iron for babies as young as 6-months-old we take a look at the importance of this mineral on everybody’s health, especially to those with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).

Maintaining a healthy iron level is important for everybody because low levels lead to anemia. Iron helps make healthy red blood cells that carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of the body. Anemia is caused by low red blood cells (RBC) count. A person with this illness would look pale, is usually weaker, have chest pains, faster heart beats, feel light headed, is more tired than usual and is depressed.

The kidneys make erythproprotein (EPO) that gives the signal to the body to make red blood cells. CKD diminishes the capability of the kidney to produce EPO which causes the RBC count to deplete and in turn develop into anemia. Some doctors prescribe erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA) to help the EPO.  When this happens (ESA prescription) more iron is needed to help the EPO.

Measuring Iron Levels 

To measure the iron level of your body you need to know your hemoglobin level, which is made up of iron and oxygen. For women, the normal hemoglobin level is 12.0 and for men, it is at 13.5. A person’s iron level can also be measured through the transferrin saturation (TSAT) and ferritin tests. Normal TSAT level is at least 20 percent, while normal ferritin level is at 100 ng/ml. Doctors recommend the monthly testing of iron levels until the normal hemoglobin level is reached. When the target hemoglobin level is reached testing every three months is recommended.

Recommended Treatments for Low Iron

Your doctor will make a treatment plan if you have a low iron level. He will more likely recommend increasing your intake of iron-rich foods such as eggs, leafy green vegetables and red meat such as steak and tofu. A dietician can help develop meal plans suitable for your CKD condition. Another option is for your doctor to prescribe iron supplements either in tablet or liquid form, or prescribe a multivitamin and mineral supplement that has folic acid, iron and vitamin B. A third option is for your family physician to inject iron medicine into your vein. Just remember that iron supplements ingested by mouth may affect other medicines you are taking so always consult with your doctor or dietician for any contraindications.

There is continuous research for new medications to help iron deficiency in people with CKD.

Categories Kidney Diet, Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre

Potassium and Sodium, Another Key Electrolyte Pair

salt shaker
Sodium is everywhere!

Potassium and Sodium form another electrolyte pair that relate to each other and face connected problems when affected by kidney disease. First of all, these two chemicals form a specific balance of fluids inside and outside of the cells of the body. Potassium is highly concentrated inside cells, while sodium is more highly concentrated outside.

While sodium regulates fluid levels throughout the body itself, the sodium-potassium inside-outside chemical balance of the cells is very important. This balance creates an electrically charged potential at the cell membrane. And it’s this electrical potential that is crucial to such things as heart function, muscle contraction, and the transmission of nerve impulses. If these chemicals are thrown out of balance, it’s clear that people could suffer anything from heart problems to weak muscles or even nerve problems.

The kidneys serve a vital function in keeping these electrolytes balanced, excreting excess amounts so the body stays regulated. But what happens if there is more of a particular chemical in the body than the kidney can possibly eliminate? We see this question coming more and more to the forefront as the North American diet, in particular, is increasingly swamped with sodium. Excess sodium can lead to fluid retention, high blood pressure, and kidneys that become so overworked that they start to falter or even fail.

At the same time, if the kidneys aren’t able to function at full strength, and can no longer eliminate potassium in the way they are supposed to, people can begin to experience a condition known as hyperkalemia. This promotes further buildup of fluid in the body, but its worst effects have to do with the heart. It may result in a weak or irregular heartbeat, and a difficulty controlling the muscles. At its worst, it can lead to problems with breathing, weakness, or cardiac arrest. But like so many conditions related to kidney function, it often shows no symptoms at all until the kidneys are already severely compromised.

Doctors need to be careful in trying to rebalance sodium and potassium. When patients receive diuretics that promote urination, to remove excess sodium, they sometimes experience depleted potassium, which creates further nerve, heart, and muscle problems. Yet a lack of balance can damage the kidneys – and damaged kidneys can throw the balance even further out. It’s far better to eat a healthy diet and promote kidney health to begin with, than scramble to try to fix these electrolyte imbalances after they arise.

 

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Calcium, Phosphorus, and the Kidneys

Skeletons in Buffalo Museum of Science - IMG 3795
Calcium & Phosphorus together help build the bones
Electrolytes float through the blood and perform various functions in people’s bodies. Calcium, Sodium, and Potassium, for example, work together to help the muscles of the body contract. And the work of some of these electrically charged substances is controlled or at least affected by the kidneys.

 

This means that when the kidneys are diseased, the electrolytes may also function in an unhealthy way. Serious problems can arise that might, at first, seem unrelated to the kidneys at all. But to understand how these issues develop, we first need to know how electrolytes function when everything works properly.

Let’s take a look at two electrolytes – calcium and phosphorus – which often work together, each substance relying on the kidneys to keep it in balance with the other. The first function of the two is probably obvious: to help build up bones and teeth. Almost everyone knows that calcium is good for building bones, but few are aware that phosphorus is just as important. In fact, while about ninety-nine percent of the calcium in the body is concentrated in the bones, as much as eighty-five percent of the body’s phosphorus may also be found there.
In addition, phosphorus plays a major role in transferring energy throughout in the body. Calcium and phosphorus together help keep cells in good order, and regulate nerve function. Remember calcium’s role in helping muscles to contract? This would not be possible without phosphorus working right alongside it. The two electrolytes are equal partners.

The kidney helps keep phosphorus levels balanced by inducing the production of D vitamins, which in turn help the body excrete excess phosphorus. But as kidney disease progresses, the kidney becomes unable to trigger the Vitamin D. And that’s when the happy partnership of calcium and phosphorus becomes a nightmare instead. We’ll examine what happens under these circumstances with our next look at kidneys and the electrolytes.

 

Categories Kidney Disease, Kundan Kidney Care Centre, Risk Factors

Introduction to Electrolytes: Part 1

Cell electrolytes
Electrolytes passing through cells (click to enlarge)
One topic that frequently comes up in connection with kidney disease is electrolytes. They play an important role in the body, and relate particularly to kidney malfunction. But what are they, and what do they actually do? We will explore this topic in several installments, to try to explain how electrolytes work, and why their levels are important to monitor when you have impaired kidneys.

 

Electrolytes are substances that are electrically charged, or ionized. Because of this charge, they can carry electrical impulses along the nerves and muscles. These substances are, in fact, what make most parts of the body function at all. And if they aren’t present in proper levels, or certain types are out of balance, the body begins to suffer the consequences.
So for example, you may have some electrolytes carried along in the blood, and they would pass through membranes and cell walls into muscle tissue, to transmit impulses that make the tissue contract. Muscle contraction depends on the presence of three electrolytes in particular: Calcium (Ca2+), Sodium (Na+), and Potassium (K+), with the plus or minus values indicating what sorts of ions they are. Lower the levels of these three too much, or put them out of balance, and muscle function suffers.

So how does this relate to kidney disease? The kidneys play a major role in regulating fluids (which contain electrolytes) in the body. So when the kidneys are impaired or fail, this often throws out the balance, or results in a surfeit of some electrolytes. If this problem isn’t addressed, other parts of the body can be affected in serious ways, some of them potentially fatal.

In the next few installments, we’ll discuss specific types of electrolyte problems that are most closely associated with kidney disease. We’ll look at symptoms, but we’ll also try to discover ways to restore electrolyte levels and return to a safer, more healthy balance.

Disclaimer: The information provided by us on this website is for general informational purposes only. All information on the Site is provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information on the Site.
Under no circumstance shall we have any liability to you for any loss or damage of any kind incurred as a result of the use of the site or reliance on any information provided on the site. Your use of the site and your reliance on any information on the site is solely at your own risk.
Results may vary from patient to patient.