How to Prevent Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic kidney disease is a congenital and hereditary disease due to gene mutation. There is no cure for it at present, but it is preventable because it has a certain genetic risk and there is still chance for PKD parents to have a healthy baby with early and accurate prenatal gene diagnosis which can help lower the birth rate of diseased children and prevent passing the abnormal gene to the following generations.

In case of ARPKD (autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease) and under the premise that both parents are carrier of the abnormal gene, the genetic risk is 25% and there will 75% possibility that the baby is the carrier of the gene. In case of ADPKD (autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease) and if both parents have the disease, the genetic risk is 75% and if only one parent has the disease, the genetic risk is 50%.

The following are some effective prevention measures and daily nursing cares for patients who have already been found have the disease and this can help slow down the illness progression and improve their life quality.

1. Prevent catching cold. Cold is a very common ailment and most people just do not pay enough attention to it, actually it can be the inducement of many diseases and this is especially true in PKD patients. Colds especially repeated colds can speed up illness progression and worsen kidney damages.

2. Have proper diets. It is very important for PKD patients to adjust their daily diets which helps a lot for controlling symptoms, protecting kidney functions and consolidating curative effects. Renal healthy diets for PKD patients should be low-salt (2-3g/d), low-protein, low-fat, limit intake of potassium and phosphorus and have more foods that are rich in vitamins and crude fibers.

3. Control blood pressure. Most PKD patients have increased blood pressure before their kidney functions are affected and the occur of hypertension will speed up glomerular sclerosis. What is worse, persistent high blood pressure will cause heart and cerebrovascular damages leading to life-threatening complications such as cerebral aneurysms.

4. Avoid physical traumas. Due to continuous enlargement and increase of renal cysts, the patient's kidney will be obviously enlarged and there will be palpable masses in the abdomen, therefore patients should avoid over-tiredness, bending down, lifting heavy goods, strenuous activities or physical traumas in the abdomen to avoid cyst rupture, bleeding and infections.