How to Prevent Proteinuria from Progressing to Chronic Kidney Disease?
What is Proteinuria?
When your urine contains a minimal number of proteins, it is considered absolutely normal. An increase in the number of proteins could be of concern. If your urine contains too many proteins, it can be doubted as a sign of kidney disease. A large number of proteins in urine occurs when the kidneys are not functioning as they should. The presence of protein in urine is called Proteinuria or Albuminuria. Physicians use this as a sign that kidneys are damaged and filtration is inefficient.
Ayurvedic treatment for proteinuria has been a blessing for kidney patients. Ayurveda uses natural herbs and herbal formulations to treat and prevent proteinuria.
Who does proteinuria affect?
Proteinuria can occur in anyone. However, the probability of getting proteinuria is slightly higher in people who are:
- Aging more than 65 yrs.
- Carrying a family history of kidney disease.
- Diabetic or hypertensive or having some kidney disease.
- Black, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander
What are the causes of proteinuria?
The well-known function of kidneys is to remove extra fluid and waste from your blood. These fluids and metabolic waste products are excreted in the form of urine. When your kidneys are healthy and function well, they remove the urine constituents in a defined range. But whenever there is some damage in your kidneys, we can observe changes in the filtering abilities, and therefore, there is leakage of excess amount of proteins into your urine. This leakage results in a state of the protein in your urine or proteinuria.
It must also be considered that various conditions can make us reach the state of proteins in urine. Certain health conditions can cause long-lasting proteinuria, while others can cause short-term proteinuria. One has to undergo a proper investigation to determine the root cause of the disease.
Causes of long-lasting proteinuria
When the causes of proteinuria are found to be amongst the reasons mentioned below, there is a probability of difficulty in reversal to a normal state, or the recovery would be slow.
- Risk factors like Diabetes, High blood pressure, or a Family history of kidney disease
- Nephrotic syndrome, Cardiac diseases, Lupus, Cancer, etc.
- Pregnancy and Preeclampsia
Causes of short-term proteinuria
There are certain health conditions that may also cause proteinuria. But, this proteinuria has a higher chance of getting reversed to a normal state. This can be due to:
- Cold temperatures and high fever,
- Dehydration,
- Intense physical Activity,
- High stress.
What are the symptoms of proteinuria?
The number of proteins in urine increases with the severity of the disease. When the kidneys are mildly damaged, one would observe small protein levels in your urine. Also, one might not be able to notice any symptoms in the early stages. On the contrary, when the damage is severe, you would observe high protein levels in your urine. And one would start observing the symptoms like:
- Frequent urination,
- Foamy urine,
- Oedema in hands, feet, belly, or face,
- Nausea and vomiting,
- Frequent leg cramps at night
It should be considered that if you suffer any of these symptoms, you must consult your physician immediately.
Is the proteinuria alarming?
A condition slowly turns alarming. So, regarding proteinuria, the answer to this question is also Yes! Protein in your urine can be a scary condition. Proteinuria can lead to cardiovascular disease. Proteinuria sometimes indicates a start toward chronic kidney disease (CKD). On the contrary, there is also another possibility that you are silently carrying CKD and devoid of any symptoms.
Chronic Kidney Disease means a slow and gradual decrease in kidney functions. If it progresses continuously, this disease may require kidney replacement or dialysis. Diabetes and high blood pressure are silent contributors to kidney diseases.
What if the proteinuria turns serious?
The disease, if detected, should be treated in time. Similar should be done for proteinuria. One should not leave proteinuria untreated. When the cause of proteinuria is left untreated, a person increases the risk of progression to a serious kidney problem- CKD.
This progression may or may not be a quick process, but it will undoubtedly lead to a condition known as End stage renal disease. It has been seen in some cases, the kidneys partly lose their functions or even stop working. End-stage renal disease is the last stage, where it becomes difficult to treat, and the patient has to undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant, or ayurvedic kidney treatment.
What can be done to prevent the progression of proteinuria to CKD? Proteinuria treatment in India
Ayurvedic treatment for proteinuria promotes the use of herbs and the adoption of a natural lifestyle. Ayurveda appreciates that adopting a natural and healthy lifestyle will help patients recover quickly.
If diagnosed with proteinuria, the best way to take care of yourself is to follow treatment and identify and try to work on curing the disease’s root cause. Lifestyle changes would definitely help in the recovery of the disease. The suggestive lifestyle changes to be followed to take care of yourself include:
- Reducing the number of animal proteins from your diet- red meat, etc.
- Reduce salt intake and try to keep your blood pressure within range.
- Eat more fiber-rich foods. Reduce white sugar and carbohydrate-rich foods. This will help to reduce cholesterol and blood sugar.
- Regular physical activity is a must. Any physical activity like swimming, walking, running, or yoga could help.
- Strictly avoid nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The medications should be under proper medical supervision only.
- Quit smoking and drinking, and avoid alcohol abuse.
