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What is Kidney Failure?
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Kidney failure happens when one or both kidneys
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stop functioning normally.
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This could be due to infections,
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urine elimination problems
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or some underlying diseases.
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Instead of being excreted,
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wastes like urea,
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creatinine,
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uric acid
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and ammonium ions remain in blood.
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Accumulation of these substances
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is toxic to the human system
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and could prove to be fatal
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if not treated in time.
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The treatments currently available
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are dialysis or a transplant.
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Dialysis is also called haemodialysis.
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It is a process or procedure
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to eliminate excess salts
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and nitrogenous wastes from blood.
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It does not absorb or secrete anything.
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During dialysis,
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the patient's blood from the modified blood vessel in his arm
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is passed into the dialysis machine
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and returned after being cleaned.
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The dialysis fluid is changed regularly
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to remove wastes
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and to maintain a diffusion gradient
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between the patient's blood and the dialysis fluid.
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The dialysis machine contains the following parts:
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a steel tub with a filter
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filled with a warm fluid set at 37°C
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to suit the patient's body temperature.
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The machine also has a narrow tubular coil of cellophane
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with pores and a sterile dialysis fluid.
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The tubular coil of cellophane
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is semi-permeable in nature.
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It allows small molecules to pass through,
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prevents blood cells and large proteins from leaving
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and provides large surface area
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for material exchange.
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The sterile dialysis fluid
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surrounds the cellophane tube
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and contains regulated amounts of dissolved salts and sugars.
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Once a kidney fails,
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there are very rare chances of its healing,
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hence this procedure has to be carried out
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until the kidney is replaced with a new one.
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Transplantation is a major operation
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through which a failed or dysfunctional kidney
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is replaced with a healthy one.
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Kidney transplant is associated with better quality of life,
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lower risk of death,
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fewer dietary restrictions
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and lower cost of treatment
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compared to a lifetime on dialysis.
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You can keep your kidney healthy
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by keeping yourself active,
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maintaining your weight,
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controlling sugar level and blood pressure,
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avoiding over the counter pills,
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avoiding smoking
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and also maintaining a healthy fluid intake.