Managing your chronic kidney disease is vital to avoid complications and other issues like hypertension, heart disease, anemia, weak bones, etc. You need an internal medicine doctor to create a CKD treatment and management plan for you to follow. Here are some ways to manage chronic kidney disease.

Tips For Managing Chronic Kidney Disease

Regular Tests And Monitoring

Before starting lifestyle changes and other CKD management methods, a critical part of monitoring the disease is seeing your doctor and running tests. Depending on the requirements and your condition, your healthcare provider can use blood tests, urine tests, and imaging scans for tracking and managing CKD. Below are the most common tests:

GFR Test (Blood Test): A GFR, or glomerular filtration rate test checks how well your kidneys are filtering waste. Doctors match the results with the filtration standards based on your age, gender, and BMI.
Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (Urine Test): A UACR urine test checks for a protein called albumin in the urine sample. If albumin is present, it shows kidney damage. The detection is done by comparing albumin levels to creatinine in the urine sample.

There are many other tests as well that your doctor can suggest (blood urea nitrogen, urinalysis, renal ultrasound, kidney biopsy, etc.), but these two are the most common. Your goal should be to keep the GFR levels the same. Similarly, the albumin levels in your kidney should also stay the same or go down if your CKD management and treatment plan is working.

Control Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, it can aggravate your CKD. So, managing blood pressure is very important not only for managing your CKD, but also for your general health.

In the case of kidneys, high blood pressure can damage the millions of small vessels in the kidney that help in filtering the blood. A huge concern is that if the small vessels start getting damaged, the kidney can’t filter salt and water properly. This can actually increase blood pressure even more. So, both of these conditions are interlinked. To manage your blood pressure, you should:

Check it regularly using a home blood-pressure monitor and keep a log of the readings. Ideal blood pressure levels may depend on individuals, but it’s commonly advised that it should be less than 140/90 mm Hg.
Lower sodium intake. Salt is a common source of sodium, so lower its usage in foods and downright avoid foods that have high salt levels.
Take medication if prescribed.

If you don’t have hypertension, you don’t need to be too careful, but make sure to maintain a healthy lifestyle and get regularly checked.

Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels If You Have Diabetes

Another common chronic disease associated with CKD is diabetes. If you have it, you must manage it even more proactively because diabetes can lead to many problems, including worsening CKD.

Apart from monitoring your blood sugar regularly at home, you should get a blood test called HbA1C that checks your average blood sugar over the last 2-3 months. If you have stable blood sugar, you may need to check it once a year. But if your sugar levels are not stable or you changed treatment, check it every 3 months.

Follow the management plan created by your GP based on the tests to manage diabetes that also helps you manage CKD.

Take Your Kidney Medication

This is a no-brainer. If your primary care doctor Gaithersburg prescribed you medication for your CKD, then you should take it as prescribed. Medication can vary depending on each patient’s needs. Common drugs can be ACE inhibitors and ARBs that slow kidney problems by lowering blood problems and reducing the levels of protein in the urine.

Plus, you may be prescribed statins as well. They lower cholesterol levels and also reduce the risk of heart problems.

Your Medication May Change Over Time

Your doctor might change your medication over time because the kidney’s performance could change or decrease, so medication is also adjusted according to it.

Avoid Taking NSAIDs Without The Advice Of Your Doctor

NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are common painkillers like ibuprofen, naproxen, etc. For people with CKD, they are not recommended because they can reduce blood flow to the kidneys and speed up kidney damage. Take NSAIDs only if advised by your doctor.

Lifestyle Changes

This is a major part of CKD management because medication helps you, but you must be disciplined enough to ensure that the drugs stay effective. You must remember that any lifestyle changes must be approved by your doctor because introducing or restricting something may be critical for one CKD patient, but may be unnecessary for another.

Here are some recommended lifestyle changes that can help you in managing your CKD naturally or in combination with medication:

Quit Smoking

If you want to slow down the progression of CKD, you should quit smoking. Smoking is associated with increased blood pressure and damaged blood vessels in the kidneys. Moreover, try your best to avoid secondhand smoke as well.

Weight Management

Managing or losing weight if required can help immensely in slowing down many diseases and health problems, including chronic kidney disease. So, if you think you have extra pounds that should be shed, consult a dietician or your doctor for a gradual and healthy weight loss.

Restrict Sodium Intake

Avoid sodium or lower its intake. This translates to restricting foods that have salt. So, limit processed food, processed meat, salty snacks, and others. You should aim for 2000 to 2300 mg of salt per day. However, the exact number should be advised by your doctor.

Avoid Foods With Excessive Protein

You have to limit high-protein foods because they can make your kidneys’ job difficult. However, don’t completely stop eating protein foods. Eat whole foods that have protein and are recommended by your dietician or doctor, and don’t exceed the daily protein intake limit suggested by them.

Exercise

For CKD management, you don’t have to do anything intense because you only need to avail the benefits of keeping your body moving. Focus on moderate exercises, like walking, cycling, swimming, and other moderate activities. For example, you can choose to do 30 minutes of brisk walking 5 days a week. If you can’t walk or have difficulty walking, consult your doctor for ways to exercise.

Limit Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol can cause dehydration, high blood pressure, and kidney injury, and it can also alter the effects of medications. So, either stop alcohol consumption completely or limit the intake to 14 units of alcohol a week. For the exact number, consult your doctor.

Sleep Well

Sleep is commonly ignored in CKD management, but it can help if you sleep for 7-8 hours a day or as required. Sleep problems can worsen cardiovascular problems that can also make kidney problems severe. If there are sleep issues, consult your doctor for treatment.

Conclusion

Managing chronic kidney disease can feel difficult at first, but as you follow the instructions regularly, it will feel easier. For managing CKD and avoiding related complications, see your internist Rockville regularly.