Kidney Disease and Few Popular Believes

First, let us understand what do kidneys do?

Kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine, below your ribs and behind your belly. Each kidney is as big as our first approx. 4 or 5 inches big. The kidneys filter blood and remove waste. They are an important component of the urinary tract connected through 2 ureters to the bladder, which stores urine. Urine is the waste excluded by kidneys; it consists of acid produced by the cells, water, salts, and minerals like Calcium, Sodium, Phosphorus and Potassium.

There are few common believes about kidney disease, not all of them are true.  Let's discuss what’s true and whatnot.

 1. They say the frequency of urine indicates the health of your kidney.

It has little to do with frequency and output. In the certain disease of the kidney, the output may fall. But alone the decreased output should not be regarded as an indicator of kidney’s health as even normal output and frequency may not excrete waste properly. Dialysis then needs to be conducted.

2. They say Kidneys once fall sick cannot be cured.

Even the deadliest disease of the kidney can be slowed down. Most kidney diseases are curable if you visit a kidney dialysis center on time.  

 3.  Drinking more water can treat kidney diseases.

Drinking more water can help a healthy kidney to flush out toxins easily. But this can be deadly in case of the diseased kidney as it may cause fluid in the lungs or poor control of hypertension. 

 4. Dialysis once opted will be a need for life.

Lifelong dialysis is required only in the case of end-stage renal failure. In the rest of all cases, dialysis is required only during treatment.

Refer an expert for more details. Dr B K Upadhyay, Associate Director, Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Medicine Asian Hospital Faridabad, with more than a decade of experience, he has been involved in more than 200 transplants.