Free «Chronic Kidney Disease» Essay Sample
Table of Contents
Chronic kidney disease has gained status of the top national widespread severe conditions affecting many people. The disease is an extension of a kidney disease at last acute stages. The kidney serves the function of filtering waste products from the bloodstream and facilitating the removal of these wastes and excessive water from the body as urine. Kidney diseases impair the ability of the kidney to discharge its duty effectively. As a result, wastes and excessive water might accumulate in the body, hence, attracting other diseases and corrupting the functionality of other body organs (Go, Chertow, Fan, McCulloch, and Hsu, 2004).
Failure of kidneys to work properly is what is termed by medical experts as a chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease is often imperceptible among many people since it does not manifest any symptoms until the late stages. The primary strategy of a kidney disease is to decapitate the kidney filters so that they are not able to remove excessive water and wastes. Adequate damage to the kidneys renders them useless in their performance. Consequently, the body will accumulate the excess water and wastes that would otherwise be removed by fit kidneys. Accumulation of these electrolytic fluids, water and wastes can have adverse effects on the body. Additionally, the presence of the wastes in the body can corrupt the blood and attract other fatal diseases. Research reveals that chronic kidney disease can also trigger hypertension, heart attacks and other cardiovascular threats (Go et al., 2004).
There is a need for early detection of kidney damage. Numerous methods can be applied either directly or indirectly for the detection of kidney damage. Direct verification of kidney damage can be obtained through ultrasound imaging. Other direct methods include renal biopsy, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and isotope scanning. Direct methods are particularly useful since most of them can perceive various structural abnormalities of the kidney. For instance, isotope scanning has high efficacy in the detection of polycystic kidney disease and renovascular diseases. Indirect methods of verifying kidney damage might be inferred from urine analysis. The analysis entails inspecting for Glomerular inflammation of the kidney. Evidence of Glomerular inflammation of the kidney is indicated by the presence of blood cells inclusive of the red blood cells and proteins in the urine sample (Jha, Garcia-Garcia, Iseki, Li, Naicker, Plattner, and Yang, 2013).
Various factors lead to the development of chronic kidney disease. These factors help in identifying the high-risks groups in the society. Firstly, diabetes is the most common cause for fatal renal complications of the kidney. The renal complications can have extensive damage to the kidneys to demand a renal replacement. Research shows that people suffering from diabetes are at a greater risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Secondly, hypertension or high blood pressure is also a risk factor to watch out for the development of chronic kidney disease. Hypertension has been linked to being causal agent for renal complication by medical research. The aggravated pressure of the blood can cause the renal arteries connecting to the kidney to distort and burst; hence leaking blood cells to the kidney. Hypertensive people are also prospective high-risks groups for the development of chronic kidney disease (Jha et al., 2013).
According to research, habitual smoking poses as a significant risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease. Excessive smoking causes various cardiovascular diseases and respiratory disorders such as hypertension; consequently, it can aggravate to chronic kidney disease. Age is yet another risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease. Research shows that older people with the age above sixty-five years are associated with renal impairment. Additionally, older people are very susceptible to attack by cardiovascular diseases due to their weakened immunity (Levey and Coresh, 2012).
Patient Understanding
The intervention campaign for alleviating chronic kidney disease development in the society calls for increased patient knowledge. Kidney diseases are not readily discernible in their early stages. Increased patient understanding will ensure that the five stages of kidney diseases are under surveillance. The detection of kidney diseases in their early stages is very significant to demand the right course of actions necessary to exterminate the problem (Jha et al., 2013).
Clinical Perspective for Patient
Regular clinical checkups are recommended to the people, especially for the high-risk groups. The checkups will form the basis of the patient assessment by health practitioners. The clinical perspectives of a patient will be guided by the results of analyzing kidney damage using either direct or indirect methods. Once diagnosed with a kidney disease, the patient will receive professional advice on how the problem can be exterminated. Other patients that will be registered with the absence of a kidney disease will also be advised on how they can continue leading healthy lifestyles (Levey and Coresh, 2012).
Potential Level of Early Intervention
To increase the possible level of early intervention for chronic kidney disease, there is the need to create the awareness of the disease to the members of the public. The significance for early detection of kidney diseases should be outlined as the first issue in the prevention and mitigation strategy. High-risk groups should be recommended to seek regular medical checkups to monitor the functionality of kidneys, and also to improve their lifestyle (Coresh, Selvin, Stevens, Manzi, Kusek, Eggers, and Levey, 2007).
Level of Intervention Now
According to research, chronic kidney disease has no cure. Therefore, the degree of intervention strategies implemented now is aimed at controlling the disease. The control measures are prescribed to assist the kidneys to revive their functionality by rectifying the damage on the kidneys (Levey and Coresh, 2012).
Tertiary Prevention
Tertiary prevention measures include various strategies such as reducing the blood pressure, controlling blood sugar levels, and change of lifestyle. Change of lifestyle can be characterized by regular exercising, avoiding smoking and healthy eating culture (Coresh et al., 2007).