All you need to know about Polycystic Kidney Disease

Polycystic Kidney Disease or PKD is basically a genetic or inherited disorder in which clusters of cyst get developed within the kidneys. These clusters cause enlargement of kidneys which over a period of time causes loss of kidney function such as filtering waste products from the blood. Generally, these cysts are non cancerous and round in shape that consist of fluid inside them. Usually, the size of the cyst varies from person to person depending upon the severity of their condition. Polycystic kidney disease may also cause cyst and other parts of the body including liver; Such a condition brings serious complications such as high blood pressure and ultimately leads to kidney failure. One can prevent kidney failure if the disease is diagnosed in time. Early detection helps in providing better treatment opportunities that also help in reducing the damage to kidneys. Also, according to the best urologist in Jaipur the growth of cysts may also cause serious complications such as blood in the urine, frequent urinary tract infections, heart valve abnormalities and increased risk of abnormal bulging of blood vessels also known as an aneurysm that could be life threatening.

Symptoms:

The symptoms in case of Polycystic kidney disease may vary from person to person depending upon the size of the cyst, the location of the cyst and the severity of their condition. Still some of the common warning signs of symptoms for PKD can be may be included as

• Kidney Stones
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Kidney Failure
• Kidney Infection
• Blood in Urine
• Hypertension
• Nail abnormalities
• Skin that bruises easily
• Pain in abdomen
• Headaches
• Back pain
• Growth failure
• Enlarged kidney
• Increased size of abdomen
• Tenderness in abdominal area
• Frequent urination
• Pale skin color
• Fatigue
• Joint pain

Types of polycystic kidney disease

There are basically two types of PKD

Autosomal dominant Polycystic kidney disease or ADPKD which is basically the most common form of PKD. It is usually diagnosed in early adulthood between the ages 30 to 50. Also, it is seen that in many cases it can also occur after adolescence or early childhood.

Autosomal recessive Polycystic kidney disease or ARPKD is usually a rare form of PKD and is also widely known as infantile PKD. This kind of condition usually causes abnormal kidney development either in the uterus or soon after the birth.

Causes:

As mentioned earlier, it is a genetic disease which means it is caused due to abnormal genes that run in the family. Genetic mutation is usually the reason behind inherited diseases. Further, one can also inherit it from either parent if they have a recessive mutated copy of that abnormal gene.

Complications involved:

PKD usually have various serious types of health complications based upon their conditions. Some of these complications may include:

• Loss of kidney function
• Chronic pain
• Complications during pregnancy
• Heart valve abnormalities
• Hypertension
• Brain aneurysm
• Colon problems
• Kidney failure
• Urinary tract infection
• Liver cysts
• Pancreatic cysts
• Breathing issues in babies

Diagnosis:

In order to diagnose one should select the best urology surgery hospital in Jaipur for expert treatment. Usually the doctor first physically examines the patient and asks for the family history of diseases or genetic disease and the symptoms they are experiencing. Observation the nephrologist recommends certain tests and imaging exams in order to diagnose the patient properly. Some of the common diagnostic test may include

• MRI scan
• CT scan
• Kidney ultrasound
• Prenatal ultrasound
• Genetic testing
• Blood test
• Saliva test
• Treatment:

The treatment for Polycystic kidney disease usually depends upon various factors such as, size of cyst, location of cyst severity of the condition. Some of the recommended treatments by urologists for kidney diseases, PKD and kidney transplant in Jaipur may include as

• Blood pressure management
• Breathing support in case of underdeveloped infants
• Growth therapy
• Kidney transplant
• Medications
• Dialysis
• Laparoscopic surgery

Preventive Measures:

There are certain preventive measures that can help in maintaining good kidney health and prevent various kidney diseases including PKD. Some of the preventive measures for pkd may include:

• Try to lose excessive weight
• Maintaining healthy weight
• Quit smoking
• Meditate to decrease stress
• Regular exercising
• Eat a well balanced diet
• Quit or limit consumption of alcohol
• Have less salty diet