You may feel overwhelmed and frightened if you have been recently diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD). You are not alone; many patients feel this way when faced with a life-altering diagnosis.
However, it’s important to remember that this will be okay; you can still live a full, healthy life with the proper treatment and care. We’ll discuss the steps you can take to manage your CKD and stay healthy.
Read on for valuable advice from renal care experts…
What Is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease can include anything, such as a kidney abnormality, regardless of how severe that said abnormality is. While some kidney diseases are curable, a kidney disease becomes chronic if the condition can’t be remedied for a long time. Instead, it can only be treated to reduce symptoms.
However, there’s no need to panic if you’re diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Most people think chronic means severe, which is far from the truth. You’ll often have CKD with non-life threatening symptoms, especially if you listen to your doctor’s advice.
CKD is often found in older people due to aging and less efficient organ functionality.
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How Chronic Kidney Disease Affects Your Body and Kidneys
There are several ways that a CKD can affect your body and, as a result, your lifestyle.
You’ll most likely feel more tired and won’t have as much energy as you usually do. People who need renal care also can have a poor appetite and trouble sleeping.
You may notice that you’re urinating more often, which is the result of a damaged kidney.
Other key symptoms you’ll experience include:
- Muscle cramping during the night
- Problems focusing
- Dry and itchy skin
- Puffiness around your eyes
All these symptoms can be addressed with proper renal care. This is not solely achieved by going to a doctor. Recalibrating your lifestyle is also critical to ensuring that you don’t experience severe symptoms from your CKD.
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Can You Still Work and Live Normally With CKD?
Chronic kidney disease is not a death sentence. You can do many things to live a normal, happy life.
Some people would think that renal care only includes going to the doctor and asking them for medication and treatments. Most often than not, you’ll encounter prescriptions that include lifestyle changes, modifications in your diet, and, of course, sustaining your medications.
Here are some renal care routines that you can do to preserve your normal life:
- Dietary changes: Eating a healthy diet is essential for people with CKD. Most notably, you’ll need a kidney-friendly diet to ensure that no further kidney complications occur. You can contact a renal care dietitian or doctor for help creating a kidney-friendly nutrition plan.
- Exercise: Exercise can help people with CKD feel better and have more energy. It will also help you sleep better and reduce the likelihood of acquiring heart disease, something that can exacerbate your CKD.
- Medications: Of course, you must strictly follow your medications, even if you don’t feel unwell. This is because most of your medicines are designed to prevent severe complications.
Get Quality Renal Care with Embassy Healthcare
Managing your CKD can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t get help from renal care experts.
Are you looking for someone to help you with your renal care plan? You can contact Embassy Healthcare for more information about how to better manage your CKD for a happy, healthy life.
