We, as parents, feel happy to see our adolescents go through exciting and confusing phases, such as earning their driver’s licences and selecting a college. So it might be a surprising difficulty for your family when your adolescent finds that they have chronic kidney disease (CKD).
How does kidney disease affect teenagers?
Diabetes and hypertension are the two most common factors in the development of CKD in adults. These are unusual causes among teenagers. However, more young people are susceptible to these diseases due to improper eating habits that cause excessive weight gain.
CKD is caused due to congenital disorders for most teens. It may also develop due to diseases such as:
- Nephritis: It occurs when the kidney becomes inflamed.
- Nephrotic syndrome: It occurs when the kidneys are diseased and unable to keep protein from leaking into the urine.
- Reflux nephropathy: It occurs after a teenager has a UTI.
- Urinary tract infection: It occurs when bacteria move up into the bladder and multiply.
Warning signs of kidney diseases
You must consult a doctor if you are a teenager and exhibits the following symptoms:
- Burning sensation while urinating
- Frequent and severe headaches
- High blood pressure (HBP)
- Pain in the lower back region
- Painful urination
- Pale skin or “washed out” appearance
- Persistent abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Decreased growth
- Weight gain
- Edema of eyes, feet, and ankles
- Unexplained and persistent low-grade fever
- Unpleasant foul-smelling urine
- Cloudy, bloody, or dark brown- Urine
- Weakness, extra tiredness, or loss of energy
When teenagers need to go on dialysis
Dialysis is used to clean the blood and remove extra fluid when the kidneys are no longer able to do this job.
Peritoneal dialysis (PD), home hemodialysis (HHD), in-centre hemodialysis, and in-centre nocturnal dialysis treatments are the dialysis options for teenagers depending upon the problem. A teenager may also have to undergo a kidney transplant. A selected treatment would not be your choice but would depend on your teen’s health and lifestyle needs. It also depends on how well your family feels about the treatment requirements.
Teenagers and kidney transplant
A few kidney patients (teenagers) would be a case of transplant. Kidney transplants could be considered an option that provides a more “normal” life to your teen because they will not need to spend time on dialysis. A kidney could be from a living donor — usually a healthy family member or close friend — or someone who has recently passed away. It must closely match your teenager’s body as it would help prevent organ rejection. Immunosuppressant medication will be prescribed to kidney transplant patients so that the new kidney is not rejected.
Lifestyle issues for teens on dialysis:
It should not be surprising that your child’s lifestyle will change after knowing that they have kidney disease. But it is also true that many teens could lead relatively normal lives.
- Kidney disease may take a toll on your life. One should talk to their doctor about whether they can continue doing certain activities like playing their favourite sports. Strength training exercises could be an option, too. Overall, one should consider exercise as a part of their lifestyle to lead a healthy life.
- It is always motivating if you are in contact with other teens or can reach many online resources for your teen to reach out to other teenagers with kidney disease. Many times being accepted by a particular group is what teenagers value most. Ask your teenager’s healthcare team about summer camps dedicated to teenagers with kidney disease in your area.
- Hormonal changes are observed slowly in teens with kidney disease, especially those on dialysis. Therefore teenage girls often experience irregular periods or miss them. You must discuss with your child’s doctor if their growth and development have been affected.
- Emotional changes are so common during the teenage years. Teenagers already observe the usual hormonal changes. And with the addition of CKD, stress, anger, and fear can arise more. If you, your teenager, or anyone else in your family is being diagnosed with kidney disease and are therefore upset, then you should be ready to consider addressing such issues. It is imperative to talk to your teenager. You must also speak to your child’s doctor and social worker about how to approach and open communication with your teenager.
The good news for teenagers- Ayurveda can help you
Ayurveda being holistic in nature, implies that the treatment is prescribed focusing on the root cause of the disease. It takes into account many more factors like the conditions of mind and body.
As per the beliefs of Ayurvedic kidney treatment, the three doshas or body types known as vata, pitta, and kapha in an imbalanced state would cause disease. A person carrying unbalanced doshas will have physical or emotional characteristics attributed to that dominant element. Ayurveda also suggests the integration of yoga for the alignment of doshas. Along with the herbal medicines in ayurveda also suggests lifestyle modifications. These changes in diet and yoga will help to attain a normal healthy life.