Treatment of kidney failure (acute and chronic)

The treatment of acute renal failure can be done with adequate nutrition, medication and in more serious cases when the kidney is very compromised, it may be necessary to undergo hemodialysis to filter the blood or even a kidney transplant.

In renal failure, the kidneys are no longer able to filter the blood, causing an accumulation of toxic substances in the body. In acute renal failure there is a decrease in kidney capacity while in chronic renal failure the loss of this kidney function occurs progressively.

Therefore, the treatment of kidney failure must be recommended by a nephrologist and nutritionist, and can be carried out at home or in the hospital, depending on the severity of the disease.

How to treat acute kidney failure

Generally, the treatment of acute renal failure can be done with:

• Diuretic medications and antihypertensives prescribed by the nephrologist;
• special diet recommended by the nutritionist with reduced consumption of foods containing salt, proteins, potassium, calcium and phosphorus and increased water intake;
• Administration of serum into the veincarried out in the hospital;
• Medicines to reduce the amount of potassium in the bloodapplied to the vein in the hospital;
• Hemodialysisto help eliminate toxic substances from the body.

It is important to carry out the treatment correctly because acute kidney failure is reversible, but when this does not happen, it can progress to chronic kidney failure. See more details on the treatment of acute renal failure.

How to treat chronic kidney failure

For the treatment of chronic renal failure, the nephrologist may recommend, in addition to medication and food, hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis sessions, which are two techniques that filter the blood. Kidney transplantation, in these cases, is a solution, but is only used as a last resort. See how kidney transplantation is performed.

Which doctor to consult?

The most suitable doctor to guide the treatment of kidney failure is the nephrologist, as he is a specialist in diagnosing and treating kidney problems.

In addition to recommending the initial treatment of kidney failure, the nephrologist will also evaluate the kidney’s response over time and carefully monitor the emergence of any complications, adapting the treatment whenever necessary.

Food for kidney failure

The kidney failure diet aims to reduce the consumption of foods rich in salt, potassium, protein, calcium and phosphorus in the patient’s diet and increase water intake. The patient must:

• Avoid foods rich in salt, such as sausage, ham and sausages;
• Replace salt with lemonvinegar or aromatic herbs;
• Avoid consuming soft drinks;
• Moderate or avoid the consumption of foods rich in proteins, such as eggs, fish and meat;
• Avoid foods rich in potassium, such as bananas, tomatoes, pumpkins, meat, potatoes and beans;
• Avoid foods rich in calcium and phosphorus, such as dairy products, eggs, vegetables and cereals.

Nutritional treatment of kidney failure must be recommended by a nutritionist. Watch our nutritionist’s video to find out what you can eat and some tricks for cooking food: