Frequently Asked Questions

A nephrologist is a professionally trained doctor who deals with all kinds of ailments of the kidneys and urinary tract. They evaluate and diagnose kidney and urinary tract disorders and treat them accordingly. Also, they are a doctor who manages chronic kidney disease and require hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis as well as renal transplant. Book appointment  

Here are some symptoms of Kidney diseases

• Decrease in urine output
• Difficulty or burning in urination
• Abnormal colored urine e.g. red colored urine
• Lower urinary tract problems like a poor stream of urine, incomplete sense of voiding, urinary frequency, urinary urgency, hesitancy, lack of control over urination, 1 or more times voiding of urine during the night disturbing sleep, etc.
• Foamy urine
• Swelling over face, legs, and body
• Flank pain
• Loss of appetite with nausea and vomiting
• Breathlessness
• Unexplained generalized weakness, body ache, joint pain, tiredness or cramps, sleep disturbances, loss of weight, itching etc
• Unexplained low or decreasing hemoglobin
• Hypertension, especially in young and difficult-to-treat hypertension
• Growth retardation or failure to thrive/achieve milestones in children
• May be asymptomatic - detected in routine evaluation

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The patient should see a nephrologist for -

• Acute kidney injury
• Chronic kidney disease
• Rapidly progressive renal failure
• Diabetes-associated kidney disease
• Hypertension in young/Difficult to treat Hypertension
• Glomerular kidney disease (Nephritic/Nephrotic syndrome)
• Urinary tract infection
• Fluid and electrolyte disorder
• Renal stone disease
• - Pregnancy-related kidney disorder
• - Cancer and it's therapy-related kidney disorder
• - Kidney disorder in children

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kidney disease can be diagnosed by -

• Evaluation by nephrologist by history of symptoms and signs on physical examination
• - Blood examination includes CBC, and renal function tests including creatinine, electrolytes, calcium, phosphorus, uric acid etc.
• - Urinalysis in the form of urine routine microscopy, urine protein quantification, etc.
• - Usg or other imaging modality to screen for structures of kidneys and urinary tracts
• - Kidney biopsy in certain cases to get a histopathological diagnosis

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Treatment depends on the etiology (cause) of renal disease and its nature of reversibility. In reversible diseases, evaluation and treatment of the underlying cause by a nephrologist at the appropriate time can reverse the kidney injury. Certain diseases like glomerular disease and other etiologies causing renal failure, if evaluated and diagnosed at the proper time by a nephrologist, can be reversed or controlled by disease-specific treatment.
Diabetes and Hypertension are the most common cause of chronic kidney disease which are progressive and irreversible. Hence patients with chronic kidney disease which is progressive if shown to a nephrologist early even when kidney functions are normal on routine tests can be managed and controlled well by appropriate treatment modalities and lifestyle modifications.
The end-stage renal disease requires renal replacement therapy given irreversible significant damage to the kidney causing its failure to function.

There are 3 types of renal replacement therapy available for such patients.

1. Renal transplant therapy: Best possible treatment for any End-stage renal disease with the best patient outcomes in terms of survival and quality of life.
2. Hemodialysis
3. Peritoneal dialysis

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