Nephrologist
Nephrologist is a type of doctor who focuses on the diagnosis and the treatment of kidney diseases.
Who needs a nephrologist consultation?
Patients having symptoms of chronic, moderate or severe kidney dysfunction, common signs and symptoms of severe kidney problems include:
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Swelling, often in the legs, ankles, or feet
- Reduced urine output
- Pain, fluid in joints or stiffness
- Muscles cramps, numbness, weakness
- Blood in the urine
- Unexplained blood pressure problem.
What are the medical conditions do they treat?
- Chronic kidney diseases
- Glomerulonephritis and nephrotic syndrome
- Kidney infections
- Kidney neoplasms or abnormal growth
- Vasculitis
- Electrolyte, fluid imbalance
- Tubular defects
- Tubulointerstitial kidney diseases
- Structural and functional abnormalities of the kidney, bladder, or urinary system.
Tests and procedures:
- Blood tests:- Serum Creatinine, Glomerular filtration test, Blood urea
- Urine tests:- Urine Analysis, 24 hour urine test, Creatinine clearance.
- Ultrasound
- CT Scan
- Biopsy
- Hemodialysis :- It involves running blood through an artificial machine called a hemodialyzer to remove waste, extra fluid, and extra chemicals before returning in to the body. The blood will return to the body through a port, or catheter, in the arm, leg or sometime neck.
- Kidney transplant
What is kidney cyst ?
Kidney cysts are round fluid-filled sacs that form in kidney.
Symptoms :-
- Dull pain in the back or side
- Blood in the urine
- Pain in the upper abdomen or hips
- Need to urinate frequently.
What is acute renal failure?
It is when a person’s kidneys are not working as well as they once did. this happens very suddenly over several hours or up to 2 days.
Symptoms :-
- Lower urine output
- Urine that is very dark
- Shortness of breath
- Swelling in the lower limb
- Unexplained nausea
- Confusion
Causes:
- Pre-renal :- Something is affecting blood flow to the kidnrys, and these organs are unable to work correctly.
- Post-renal :- Something is blocking the ureters where urine leaves the kidneys, which is affecting how the organ works.
- Intrinsic renal :- A medical condition damages the kidneys or something inside is not working as well as it once did.
Medications that can damage the kidneys:-
- Refampin
- Phenytoin
- Proton pump inhibitors
- NSAIDs