Q:
I have partial kidney failure. Along with this I have high blood pressure but under medicines. Recently, I notice I begin to accumulate water in the legs and swelling, swollen feet all the way up. Doctor has me on water on water pills from 3 to 4 pills a day. And I want to know what else I need to pay attention to in daily life.
A:
In kidney failure, swelling can be caused by two conditions: one is increased loss of protein in urine and another is retention of sodium and water.
Great loss of protein in urine
When large amounts of protein leak into urine, osmotic pressure in the blood decreases and to achieve the balance, large amounts of fluid ooze to the tissues, as a result of which, swelling occurs.
In this condition, you need to reduce fluid intake in your life, reduce salt intake and meanwhile reduce protein intake. As the more protein you ingest, the more protein leak into urine and also, the severer the swelling is.
Retention of sodium and water
Kidneys help to keep sodium level in the normal range; however, once kidney failure occurs, kidneys fail to maintain the normal sodium range. High level of sodium makes large amounts of fluid accumulate among the tissues and consequently, swelling occurs.
In this condition, reducing fluid intake and salt intake is also necessary. Besides, high intake of salt also causes high blood pressure, so limiting salt intake is also helpful for avoiding elevating blood pressure. With serious swelling, strict limitation of water is very necessary. If you feel thirty very much, you can daub your lips with wet swab.
Lastly, swelling is just one of the symptoms of kidney failure, and it is caused by decreased kidney function. Therefore, trying to restore kidney function is essential.
Search
