How to Handle Chronic Fatigue with CKD
2013-10-10 14:17
How to handle chronic fatigue with CKD? Before answering this question, I’d like to explain why CKD patients have chronic fatigue, as the detailed management of this problem is based on the exact causes.
Why CKD patients feel tired easily?
People who are living with CKD may find they become tired or fatigue easily. Actually, many of them complain fatigue due to renal anemia which refers to low red blood cells in blood caused by kidney disease.
Healthy kidneys secrete a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO) that can stimulate bone marrow to produce red blood cells. When there is chronic disease in kidney, kidneys will make less of the hormone. Anemia is a shortage of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to all of the cells in our body and when there is shortage of red blood cell, our body cells can not get enough oxygen, and consequently, we become tired or fatigue easily.
How to handle chronic fatigue with CKD?
Since chronic fatigue has close relation with low red blood cells, so repairing kidney damages to restore kidney function is a must. Kidney is responsible for secreting EPO, thus, only when kidney damages are repaired, can production of EPO be increased and also, can production of red blood cells be increased. In this way, problem of chronic fatigue can be resolved from root.
Besides, although renal anemia is a complication of CKD, if not controlled well, it will accelerate illness progress. In cases of CKD, kidney function can not be improved over night, so to have a tight control of renal anemia and protect residual kidney tissues from being damaged, some measures are needed by CKD patients.
1. Have a regular and good bed rest
2. Make sure the supply of iron is sufficient
3. Erythropoietin Stimulating Agents are also helpful
4. Blood transfusion can be applied if necessary
Lastly, for CKD patients with chronic fatigue, they need to find out the root cause of the problem and then take measures according to the causes. Only in this way, can they receive satisfactory treatment effects.
- Tag: CKD Symptoms
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