Certain high blood pressure medications can have side effects on your kidneys. Ask your doctor about this.
I have a question for the doctor. I have kidney disease. What can I do to prevent my creative level from going up?
It depends on the cause of the kidney disease; for certain conditions like diabetes, medications and lifestyle changes can help keep the creatinine down.
What does it mean when you have a cyst on your kidney? It’s been there for several years.
This is usually a benign finding (not something to worry about); simply a sack of fluid in the kidney
Good morning. Can a kidney exam be given by a primary physician?
Yes.
Good morning. Other than hereditary, high blood pressure, diabetes, or overweight, what causes kidney failure? Does drinking too many sodas?
Certain other conditions like hepatitis B/C, HIV infection, taking medications like ibuprofen can cause kidney failure; sodas alone normally do not cause kidney disease.
I have 1 kidney, but I drink a lot of diet Pepsi. Will that effect the other one? I have high blood pressure as well.
I always advocate substituting water for soft drinks; soft drinks have sodium (salt) in them you probably don’t need to be drinking.
Doctor, what are the numbers we should be concerned with when looking at blood pressure?
In general, a blood pressure > 140/90 should be evaluated by a doctor.
Question for the Doc: I’ve been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease. Genetically inherited from unknown parents, will it skip through my children and grandchild, then eventually be gone?
Depends on the type of inheritance; for certain types of polycystic kidney disease (autosomal dominant) it will not skip generations.
Doctor, my blood pressure is 145/80 and there is blood in my urine. Are they related?
They may be; this should definitely be evaluated by a doctor.
I have diabetes. How do you test for kidney disease?
Simple blood and urine tests that can be done at a primary care physician’s office.
Good morning! I was diagnosed with kidney disease and was told I may need dialysis. At my last doctor”s appointment, my creatinine level went down. My question is what can I continue to do to help keep my level down? I changed my eating habits significantly and I’ve always been active as far as exercise & jogging.
Great job with changing your risk factors (diet, exercise); this is so important and most likely, the biggest thing that will help your kidneys. More specific advice depends on the cause of your kidney problems.
Do frequent UTIs mean that you have a kidney disease?
Not necessarily; this often happens without any problems in your kidneys
Doctor, when you take pain meds, do the pain meds cause kidney issues?
It can; certain medications like ibuprofen can cause kidney problems if you take lots of them over a long period of time.
Hello. I had been having chills nausea and felling weak. No appetite. I went to the doctor and they detected microscopic blood in my urine. They sent me to the urologist. I had an ultrasound done where cysts on my kidneys were discovered. I then had a CT scan on my kidneys where they discovered that they were slightly swollen. They checked my bladder and said everything was fine. They never gave me any reason for the symptoms and said I had nothing to worry about.
Cysts are a common finding in the kidney and often are benign (not to worry about); it would be good to talk to your doctor to make sure that is the case for you.
I get kidney stones often, although I’ve never been told that I have kidney problems. Should I be alarmed?
Kidney stones can be prevented! You should talk to your doctor about your specific risk factors so that you don’t get them anymore.
Yes, doctor I was told I have a case of kidney disease but was told mine started from pain pills for my back problems, he have me on amlodipine to protect my kidneys, anything else that I can do?
Depends on the specific cause of you kidney disease; from what you write above, stopping the pain pills seems to be the best first step.
What are the benefits of pure coconut water to your kidneys?
None to my knowledge.
How long can a person live in dialysis?
There is no specific time; each person is different. I have known individuals who have lived greater than 20 years on dialysis, though this is not the norm.
What’s the # 1 cause of high blood pressure?
Usually a combination of being obesity and diet.
How can you stop taking blood pressure medication?
Depends on the cause; for many people, exercise, losing weight and lowering diet sodium (salt) intake can lower the need for blood pressure medications.
I have Crohn’s disease. Does that effect my kidneys?
Sometimes; people with Crohn’s disease are at higher risk of getting certain forms of kidney stones.
Is there any correlation between taking Lipitor and getting diabetes? How helpful is Losartan for the kidneys?
The data on cholesterol-lowering medications and diabetes is murky right now; nothing definitive. Losartan is fine of the kidneys.
I had microscopic blood in my urine when I took my Department of Transportation physical Sunday. What might be going on with my kidneys?
There are many different things that might be going on, and not necessarily in your kidneys. This should definitely be evaluated by a doctor.
Will kidney disease cause hepatitis C and is hepatitis C the worst case of hepatitis one can get?
Hepatitis C can cause kidney disease, yes. But hepatitis C is curable now– talk to your doctor.
Does a full body cleanse help with blood pressure?
Not necessarily.
Here’s what you should know about how to prevent kidney disease and failure:
- Diabetes is the #1 cause of kidney failures among African Americans.
- High blood pressure is the #2 cause of kidney failure among African Americans.
- African Americans with kidney disease are more likely to progress to kidney failure than any other group.
- African Americans are nearly four times more likely to develop kidney failure than Caucasians.
- Even though African Americans comprise only 13% of the U.S. population, they account for almost 1/3 of kidney failure cases.
- There are 195,000 African Americans living with kidney failure. To put this in perspective, if those individuals formed a line, it would be more than 70 miles long.
March is National Kidney Month. For more information on your risks and how to prevent kidney disease, click HERE.
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Get Well Wednesday: Dr. Gutierrez Answers Your Kidney Questions was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
