Renal Disease Specialist

What is renal disease?

Renal, which means of or relating to the kidneys, refers to health conditions that damage your kidneys. When they’re functioning properly, your kidneys operate as filters to remove waste products from your blood. Every day, your kidneys process roughly 150-200 quarts of blood, which involves sifting out about two quarts of waste products and extra water through your urine.

If renal disease progresses, it may cause renal failure, which can lead to your kidneys become completely incapable of performing their necessary and important filtering work.

The most common signs and symptoms of renal disease include a decrease in urine volume and elevated creatinine levels in your blood, which the team at Metro Renal Associates can determine with a blood test. Underlying health conditions, including diabetes and high blood pressure, can affect kidney health and are often associated with renal disease.

What are the different types of renal disease?

There are several different types of renal, or kidney, diseases, some of the more common of which include:

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS)

FSGS affects your kidney function by leading to the scarring of glomeruli, the tiny filtering units inside your kidney where blood get cleaned.

Membranous nephropathy

This occurs when the small blood vessels in your kidney that filter wastes from the blood incur damaged and become thickened.

Lupus nephritis

Lupus is an autoimmune disorder that can affect practically any part of your body, including your kidneys. When it affects your kidneys, known as lupus nephritis, it can lead to devastating inflammation.

HIV-associated nephropathy

Kidney disease can develop in associated with an HIV infection, leading to FSGS-related kidney damage.

How is renal disease treated?

The team at Metro Renal Associates works closely with you to develop a personalized plan to treat your renal disease. They consider a number of factors, including your age, overall health, symptoms, and the severity or stage of your renal disease before offering recommendations.

In most cases, treating renal disease involves targeting the underlying cause. For example, lupus nephritis or HIV-associated nephropathy requires medication management that treats the underlying lupus or HIV. While that treatment occurs, your kidneys have time to recover.

With later or end-stage renal disease, you may need to consider more involved treatment options, such as hemodialysis or a kidney transplant. There are other more conservative options available to you as well, which the team at Metro Renal Associates discusses with you.

To learn more about renal disease and treatment options available to you, call the office or schedule an appointment online today.