What is a Nephrologist?
A nephrologist is a kidney doctor, who specializes in kidney (aka renal) care. Nephrologist have expertise in caring for and treating patients who have acute renal failure (ARF), chronic kidney disease (CKD), polycystic kidney disease (PKD), end stage renal disease (ESRD), kidney stones, high blood pressure (Hypertension), metabolic bone disease and kidney transplant.
Types of Kidney Disease?
Per the CDC, 1 in 9 American adults have some level of chronic kidney disease (26 million).
There are many types of kidney disease. Your physician can help you better understand these types of kidney disease and what they mean to you.
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD): Gradual loss of kidney function
- Acute Renal Failure (ARF), Acute Kidney Injury (AKI): Acute loss of kidney's ability to function leading to difficulty in removing waste and helping balance fluids in the body.
- End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD): Most advanced stage of chronic kidney disease requiring dialysis
What functions do my Kidneys perform?
KIDNEYS ARE YOUR BODY'S FILTERING ORGANS.
Kidneys sort out and remove excess metabolic waste from your blood stream, so it doesn't build up in your body and become toxic, and make you sick.
Each kidney is made up of filtering units called NEPHRONS.
Inside each nephron is a glomerulus, which is a special blood vessel, that allows waste and extra fluid to flow out, while keeping in blood cells and protein.
The waste and extra fluid leave the kidneys and become urine.
Do Kidneys perform any other function?
- Kidneys regulate the level of water and amount of important chemicals in your body, like sodium, potassium and acids.
- Chemicals from your kidneys help control blood pressure, salt levels, red cell production to prevent anemia, and vitamin D for strong bones.
Risk factors for Kidney Disease?
The major factors are diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, a family history of kidney failure, inflammation from an ongoing infection, kidney damage from an accident, cancer or overuse of pain medication or recreational drugs.
What if I have Kidney Disease?
TALK TO YOUR NEPHROLOGIST
Your nephrologist - or kidney specialist - is your best resource for information about your individual condition. They can answer any questions you may have and can offer recommendations for next steps.
To measure kidney function, your doctor will test your blood for the eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate).
To rule out kidney damage, a urine sample will be used to measure for albumin, a type of protein.