Prevention Of Kidney Diseases

Good morning friends.

I am Dr. Munendra, consultant nephrologist and renal transplant physician. Friends today we are going to discuss something regarding the prevention of kidney diseases. As we know that prevalence of kidney diseases are rising and so much population has been contracting this kidney diseases and several times we discuss that most important factors that are responsible for this kidney disease is like hypertension and diabetes and we also most of the time discuss and the people tell how to prevent, how to control diabetes or hypertension that is ultimately responsible for kidney disease. But, I want to discuss something myths and some pitfalls that most of the time people confuse the kidney patient confused. These myths no. 1 myth that I want to discuss is what should be the amount of water we can take daily, a normal person or a kidney person or a kidney patient. So, it's usually prevalent concept that everyone should take as much of as water and usually we see or practice that most of the people are taking large amount of the water daily and actually we are not sure and most of the time confused that what should be the amount of water we should take daily, so I want to clarify at this point that we shouldn't take too much water, whether he is a normal person or a kidney patient but we shouldn't take too much water daily.

For a normal person it's just 2.5-3 litre of water intake that is sufficient and in practical terms if you ask that how much water we can take, then I can say that the water intake should be as much as decided by your thirst, means whenever you are thirsty you have to take some water and usually it should be between 2.5-3 litres at most of the times and very practical measurable formula that colour of urine should be similar to the water that we take. And regarding kidney patients what is the amount of water he or she should take, it's always decided by clinician or treating nephrologist will tell you that what should be the amount of water you can take and it's very wise to follow the clinician or treating nephrologist decision. Again, one of the important myths or one of the important misconception regarding kidney disease is that I want to discuss that what should be the protein intake and we see that whenever someone having a kidney disease whether it is mild or whether it is moderate or severe form; the people or even treating physician, general physician just starting to say that they have to stop taking all the protein diets and they are asked to stop taking protein diets and people ultimately people become starved and malnourished so I think this should be very clear regarding this misconception and exactly what is the amount of protein, what is the exact amount of protein that we should take or kidney patient should take; it's totally decided by treating clinician.

Anytime it doesn't mean that if a person has been diagnosed with kidney disease we should stop or we should curb him for taking all the protein or we should just reduce the protein intake. Protein intake can vary. Even some kidney diseases like nephrotic syndrome or other protein-losing syndrome, we require more and more protein intake or when the person is having a negative energy balance, he should require more and more protein intake, so again it's a decision that should be taken by a treating clinician or physician that what should be the exact amount of protein that a kidney patient should take. Never use this formula that if person is diagnosed with a kidney disease simply we can say or we just stop him from taking extra protein or reduce his protein intake to a very minimum. It is always decided by treating physician or nephrologist, it may be more, it may be less but we cannot apply a simple formula that if a person is diagnosed with kidney disease we just stop or we ask him to reduce your protein intake. Even it may lead to some negative or adverse consequences.

One of the third myths or pitfalls that you also want I also to discuss when a person is diagnosed with a kidney disease, we simply see that in our neighbourhood, in our population that person started consulting several ayurveda, several desi physicians, several alternative drug physicians, he started taking some internet brand prescription or internet brand drugs which have no scientific basis. I have seen friends in my clinical practice that several patients just went on dialysis or they just went for kidney transplantation only because they started this alternative or non-scientific medications or formulae. So, we should be very much clear and aware that any time, anyone having diagnosed with the kidney disease or kidney ailment he should consult with a nephrologist or family physician and start treatment according to his advice. Never went for alternative, desi medicine intake or medicine intake with non-scientific formulations. I think this is sufficient regarding this myths and pitfalls for management of kidney diseases. I am Dr. Munindra and I am from lybrate. So, if you have any question or query regarding kidney diseases or kidney ailments, you must freely contact me through the lybrate, through my personal email.

Thanks!