What Is Polycystic Kidney Disease? (PKD)

There are several types of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). This disease is either inherited or genetic and is referred to as “adult PKD” as it normally becomes apparent in adult life. This particular kidney disease isn’t just found in the kidneys, although the kidneys are the most severely affected. This disease has the ability to cause cysts to form in the kidneys, liver and believe it not elsewhere in the body.

These cysts are fluid filled pouches which form in clusters and are noncancerous. They will vary in size and as they accumulate additional fluid and can grow very large. Under normal circumstances, a kidney weighs less than one-third of a pound (three-quarters of a kilogram), while a kidney containing cysts can weigh as much as 20 to 30 pounds (9.1 to 13.6 kilograms).

What Causes Polycystic Kidney Disease?

As I mentioned earlier it is hereditary and the abnormal genes that cause polycystic kidney disease, will have been passed down to you from a family member. On a rare occasion, a genetic mutation can be the cause of polycystic kidney disease.

There are basically two types of polycystic kidney disease, both caused by different genetic flaws:

The first being Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease (ADPKD). Signs and symptoms of ADPKD quite often develop between the ages of 30 and 40 years. In the past, this was called adult polycystic kidney disease, but it is now known that children can develop the disorder. Only one parent needs to have this disease in order for it to be passed on to the children. If one parent has ADPKD, every child has a 50 % chance of getting the disease.

In a small amount of cases, somebody with ADPKD can have no known family history of the disease. However, it’s possible that someone in that affected person’s family actually did have the disease, but didn’t show any symptoms before dying of other causes. In a smaller percentage of cases where no family history is present, ADPKD results from a spontaneous gene mutation.

The second type of this disease is Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease (ARPKD). This is far less common than ADPKD. The signs and symptoms are different to ADPKD in as much as they often appear shortly after birth.

Sometimes, symptoms don’t appear until later in childhood or during adolescence. Unlike ADPKD, both parents must have these abnormal genes to pass this disease on. If both the parents carry a gene for this disorder, every child has a 25% chance of getting the disease.

What are the Symptoms of Polycystic Kidney Disease?

PKD is similar to fatty liver disease in as much as it’s not uncommon for people to have this disease for years without developing any signs or symptoms.

A common symptom of this disease is high blood pressure. Kidney failure is another common problem for people with polycystic kidney disease.

Other symptoms can be back or side pain, headaches, increased abdomen size, blood in the urine, kidney stones/infections.

If you have some signs or symptoms of polycystic kidney disease, see your doctor to determine what might be causing them. If you have a first degree relative, parent, sibling or child with polycystic kidney disease, you will need to see your doctor to discuss screening for this disorder.

Resources: What Causes Kidney Disease, Kidney Diet Secrets, Kidney Diet Foods

Polycystic kidney disease can vary greatly in its severity, and a number of complications are preventable. Lifestyle changes, diet and medical treatments may help reduce damage to your kidneys.

A Kidney Disease Diet that actually works?

A kidney disease diet is becoming far more popular nowadays as a treatment for kidney disease patients and in a large number of cases one particular diet is reversing the symptoms of kidney disease in many sufferers.

Why would your kidneys need help?

Well, your kidneys have three main tasks. As part of the filtering system for your blood, they remove waste materials from the blood and dispose of them in the form of urine. They also control the salt and water in your body and finally they produce hormones that help red blood cells and keep your bones healthy.

If your kidneys have a disease all the work that they have to do becomes affected and they do not remove waste materials out of the body which in turn allows these wastes to build up.

If you’re wondering where the waste comes from then here is a rough guild without using technical terms. Waste comes from the food we eat. Our food is made up of proteins, fats and starches. When we eat food, the body digests it. The blood absorbs the digested food and takes it to all the cells to be used.

After each cell uses the food it needs, it puts the waste back in the blood. The blood then takes the waste to the kidneys. The kidneys filter the waste into the urine. When you have kidney disease, the waste is not filtered and builds up in your body instead.

How does the build-up of wastes affect you?

You will more than likely experience some symptoms like loss of appetite, loss of weight, less energy and feel tired easily and you may hold extra salt and water in your body causing swelling.

How can a specific kidney disease diet help?

If you have been diagnosed with kidney disease then you will need to make some adjustments to your diet. The main items you will need to take stock of are Protein, Potassium and Phosphorus. You will also need to regulate the amount of sodium which is the main ingredient of salt.

Below is some information that may help with your kidney disease diet. You will probably have your own dietician who will work closely with you but this stuff will give you a start.

Protein in you Kidney Disease Diet

Proteins are responsible for growth and they build and repair muscles and other tissue. There are various foods that contain protein such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs, cheese and milk. These are classed as quality proteins. Some low quality proteins would be bread, pasta, cereal, rice and vegetables.

Protein when used by your body produces a waste product called urea. This can build up in your body and make you feel unwell, loss of appetite and itchy skin. A kidney disease diet will moderate the amount of protein you have allowing your kidney filters to work more efficiently in removing the urea.

The Kidney Disease Diet and Potassium.

Potassium is a mineral found in food, it helps your nerves and muscles work better. Your heart needs potassium for a strong beat. Your kidneys once again filter the excess potassium into your urine. If your kidneys aren’t functioning properly then potassium will build up in your body and cause your heart to beat erratically and a worst case scenario, your heart would stop!

A sign of high potassium in your body would be that your legs feel weak and like rubber. Sometimes there are no symptoms. Foods that are high in potassium:

All fruit, vegetables and their juices contain potassium. Some have more potassium than others. Milk and milk products such as yogurt, pudding, ice cream and buttermilk are also high in potassium. Potatoes are very high in potassium. Avoid baked potatoes or potatoes cooked in a microwave because all of the potassium stays inside the potatoes. Avoid scalloped and instant mashed potatoes as well as French fries.

All is not lost you still can have potatoes, you just have to prepare and cook them differently.

Resources: Kidney Diet Foods and the Kidney Diet Secrets Review

To find out what other foods you may need to think about as part of your kidney disease diet take a look at Kidney Diet Secrets

Kidney Diet Foods

In the early stages of kidney disease, you will need to eat the correct type of kidney diet foods. If you have kidney disease your kidneys are unable to process and get rid of the wastes from your blood. These wastes come from the food that you eat and from the fluids that you drink. Kidney disease progresses over time until eventually, the kidneys will fail.

The types of food you can eat will primarily be given to you by your doctor and dietitian as you will be on a specific kidney diet. Listed below are some foods that can be incorporated into your diet plan. If you would like more information on recipes and a kidney diet plan specifically designed for kidney disease sufferers then click here.

Meat and Meat Substitutes

Beef, like sirloin, T-bone, porterhouse, rib, ground beef or ground chuck. One ounce.
Lamb chops, legs, or roasts. One ounce.
Pork such as fresh ham, tenderloin, chops, loin roasts, or cutlets. One Ounce
Poultry, such as chicken, turkey, a domestic duck, or goose. One ounce.
Any frozen or fresh fish. One ounce.
Scallops, shrimp, lobster or clams. One Ounce
Crab or oysters. One and a half ounces.
One ounce of canned tuna, unsalted canned salmon, or unsalted sardines.
One large whole egg, or two large egg whites or yolks.
A quarter of a cup of low-cholesterol egg product.

Vegetables

One serving is equal to one-half cup unless otherwise specified.

Low potassium. Which is 0-100mg

One cup of alfalfa sprouts.
Green or wax beans, and bean sprouts.
Raw cabbage.
Peeled cucumber.
All varieties of lettuce (one cup).
One green, sweet pepper.

Medium-potassium.

Five spears of asparagus.
Broccoli, cauliflower, eggplant, and onions.
One small raw carrot, or one stalk of raw celery.
One-half of a cup, or one-half of an ear of corn.
Fresh and canned mushrooms. (Mushrooms have 40 mg of phosphorus or more, per serving.)
Green or snow peas.
Raw spinach.
Summer squash.

High potassium.

Artichoke, or cooked celery.
A quarter of the whole avocado.
Unsalted or regular vegetable juice cocktail. (Regular vegetable juice cocktail is high in sodium.)
Unsalted or regular tomato juice. (Regular tomato juice is high in sodium.)
One-fourth of a cup of tomato sauce.
One medium tomato.

The kidney diet foods listed above are only guidelines. You should always consult with your doctor and a qualified dietitian. Not following a kidney disease diet could cause your kidneys to work harder, which may cause total kidney failure to happen quicker.

Kidney Diet Secrets Review

From the end of the 90’s there have been numerous articles discussing how to delay the progression of kidney disease through diet treatment. There are only three ways to address the problem of kidney disease.

Hemodialysis
Kidney Transplant
Low Protein Diet

I think you’ll agree that the third option is by far the best. The Kidney Diet Secrets report has been compiled by veteran kidney nurse and medical researcher Rachelle Gordon BSN, RN. She has been helping kidney disease suffers for over 10 years and here report has been recommended by top renal doctors to reverse kidney diseases forever.

Within her report you find out the 4 reasons why someone might have kidney disease. She also explains that a earlier attempt at a similar diet was implemented on 176 patients at a well known hospital in the United States. The results were that all 176 patients saw dramatic improvement to their kidney function.

Also a similar study was carried out in France by another Nephrologist and the results were the same, increased kidney functionality.

The report goes on to explain why, if this low protein diet can drastically improve, if not cure kidney disease, is not freely administered by doctors.

Rachelle explains that beating your kidney disease is actually only a simple three step process, the first being to access your level of disease and treatment.

Here is a sneak preview of what else is in the report.

How to control and avoid anemia. All too often kidney patients are prone to having this condition, after learning the secret inside, its as good as impossible.
Losing weight while treating kidney failure. If you do it the wrong way, far riskier consequences await you. Its a must learn for each and every patient.
How to use the power of a common item that you may have right now to treat some annoying symptoms of your kidney disease.
A forbidden secret technique to get rid of kidney pains if you are experiencing it right now. You will be amazed how easy it is.
How to manage diabetic kidney disease. If you have diabetes, chances are you will have a different approach. It is all included inside.
Emergency techniques you must know. This should be included in each and every kidney disease patients of all ages.
How you can get rid of fatigue and muscle cramps with a simple strategy that takes just minutes to implement… and much much more.

Whether you have been suffering for a couple of years, just been diagnosed, or just want to keep your kidneys healthy, this book could change your life…

To find out more about Kidney Diet Secrets and 100 kidney diet recipes click here and then come back and leave a comment about what you thought about the report.

Good luck for the future.

Mike

Kidney Diet Review.com

Kidney Disease and Diet

Kidney Disease and Diet Information

Kidney disease affects everybody regardless of age, sex, and nationality. The sad truth is physicians would much rather give medications than give specific dietary treatments.

When a person is diagnosed with kidney disease, their first thought may be of impending death. In a large majority of cases, this is not necessarily true.

With the right care and a proper kidney disease diet, the patient can be treated successfully. A well defined kidney diet is critical for the successful care of kidney disease. As with most diets, it will take a lot of will power and determination. Working with a dietitian will help you learn what foods are good and what foods are bad.

There are a number of things to consider when choosing a healthy kidney diet and a sample are listed below. If you want to get a more in depth insight into what foods to eat to reverse kidney disease then Clicking Here.

Avoid salt and MSG. Always read the product labels so that you know exactly what you are eating. Instead, use low sodium alternatives these may come in the form of: Salt-free herb seasoning’s, Frozen vegetables, Plain rice, Plain noodles, Unsalted Pretzels, Unsalted popcorn.

Limit your protein intake. Some alternatives you should consider would be Egg substitutes, Shrimp, Imitation crab meat, Chicken. You should aim to eat no more than 5 – 7 ounces of protein per day.

Limit your fluid intake. Consume no more than 48 fl. oz. per day, you will need to count soups and ice cream as fluids. Apples, Oranges and grapes also have fluids in them. Also you will need to bear in mind that some vegetables such as lettuce and celery also have fluids in them.

Limit Phosphorus: Limit the intake of dairy products including milk, yoghurt and ice cream. You should also avoid nuts, seeds, lentils, peas and beans. Avoid beer, cola drinks and cocoa. Items you can include are lemon-lime soda, root beer and powdered iced tea and lemonade mixes.

Limit Potassium. Do not use salt substitute as it contains a lot of potassium. Possible alternatives are: apples and apple juice, cranberry juice, canned fruit, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, plums, pineapple, cabbage, cauliflower, mustard greens, and broccoli.

Any decision regarding what foods are good and what limits to put on the other foods should be made in consultation with a dietitian who also should be working in conjunction with your doctor. The main reason for this is that you may have specific dietary requirements that some other people may not have, or on the other hand, you may not need to follow some of the requirements with your particular kidney disease.

For some people, following a strict diet, and undergoing dialysis for a short period of time could be enough to get your kidneys back in working order. It all depends on your specific kidney disease. There may be a need to stay on medication for a while as well, but with the right mental attitude anything can be achieved.