The different types of renal failure treatment, also called kidney failure treatment, include medications intended to treat underlying issues that lead to kidney problems as well as conditions that grow worse because of kidney failure. The types of medications that are used may depend on whether a person has acute kidney failure, which is the sudden failure of the kidneys, or chronic kidney failure, which is kidney failure that develops gradually and slowly progresses. Renal failure treatment options also include dialysis and kidney transplants.
Medication is one of the common types of treatments for renal failure. For example, if you have chronic kidney failure, doctors may prescribe medications to help treat the underlying causes of the kidney failure or conditions that contribute to it. Sometimes medications are also used to treat problems that occur because of the kidney failure. For instance, doctors may prescribe medications that treat high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or anemia. Additionally, chronic kidney failure patients may take medications that relieve swelling or help protect the patient’s bones.
In the case of acute kidney failure, medications may be used to control the amount of potassium in the blood, as the kidneys may not filter it properly. If levels of potassium are allowed to remain too high, a person may suffer from arrhythmias, or irregular heartbeats. Medications may also prove useful for increasing the levels of calcium in the blood if they fall to low levels.
Dialysis is another type of renal failure treatment. It involves the filtering of toxins out of the blood. This process also helps remove excess fluids from the body. Usually, the kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins and removing unnecessary fluids, but they cannot perform this job adequately when a patient has renal failure. Dialysis can be used as renal failure treatment for both patients who have acute renal failure and those who have chronic renal failure. There are different types of dialysis, and the type a patient undergoes depends on the details of his condition.
A kidney transplant may also be used as a renal failure treatment. This involves transplanting a healthy kidney into the patient’s body, which may prove life-saving. A patient may receive a kidney from a deceased individual or from a living donor. Usually, kidney transplants are only recommended for people who do not have other life-threatening health problems in addition to renal failure.
