Kidney Failure

Kidney failure or renal failure is a medical condition. During this, the functionality of the kidney drops by 15% in the patient's body. Under such conditions, the human kidney is unable to filter out blood properly. This results in the overloading of toxins and wastes, to an unsafe level. Read on to know more about kidney failure, its causes, symptoms, specifications, treatment, preventive measures, and the best-suited health insurance plans.

There may be several reasons resulting in kidney failure.

1. As per the health workers and doctors, the two most prominent reasons are diabetes and high blood pressure.
2. The condition in which the body is unable to exclude urine from the body results in the building up of toxins. This results in problems leading to kidney disorders.
3. Sudden hindrance in blood flow to the kidneys due to dehydration, severe burns, or medical conditions like heart attack, and liver failure also results in improper functioning of the kidney.
4. Conditions such as blood clots or damaged nerves connected to the urinary bladder affect the functioning of the kidney.

Now let us discuss what are the symptoms of Kidney failure. Kidney failure symptoms evolve slowly. In some cases, patients may witness no symptoms at all. You may watch out for the following signs of kidney failure in your body:

• Dry or itchy skin
• Upset stomach and vomiting
• Blood in urine while urinating
• Swollen eyes, ankles, or hands
• Fluently has to go to the bathroom
• Fluent and sometimes extreme muscle cramps
• Descended body energy levels.

There are two broad categories of kidney failure. They are:

• Acute kidney failure - caused by a sudden halt in kidney functionality
• Chronic kidney failure - happens over a longer duration of time.

These two are further sectioned into five categories of ailment:

• Chronic Prerenal Kidney Failure
• Acute Intrinsic Kidney Failure
• Acute Prerenal Kidney Failure
• Chronic Post-Renal Kidney Failure.
• Chronic Intrinsic Kidney Failure

If you want to know how to prevent kidney failure at home, read on.

A decent diet for a healthy kidney should consist of essential components like sodium, cholesterol, and fat. Vegetables, fruits, low-fat dairy, grains, and lean meats such as eggs, seafood, nuts, soy products, and poultry. The two most prominently observed reasons for kidney failure are high blood pressure and diabetes.

Severe dehydration, particular medications, obstruction of the urinary tract, and uncontrolled systemic illnesses are also some of the causes of kidney failure. Several steps can be taken to prevent kidney failure:

• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Attaining proper cycles of sleep
• Avoiding smoking as much as possible
• Strictly limiting/ avoiding the consumption of alcohol
• Undertaking certain exercises and activities to boost energy levels and release stress
• Maintaining the blood sugar level of your body
• Consuming plenty of liquids
• Undergo kidney function tests to check for any kidney failure stages in your body.

The best way to remain financially secure in case of any medical emergency or personal accident is to have a health insurance plan.

• Plan purchase specifications:

  Even with pre-existing kidney disease, the patient is eligible to avail of health insurance.

• Kidney treatment is expensive:

  Kidney failure treatment can be exceedingly costly for most of the population. A decent health insurance plan usually covers the complete expenses of kidney dialysis and transplant.

• Savings on taxes:

  Another benefit of a health plan is tax-exemptions. Under Section 80D of the Income Tax Act, the premium you pay towards health insurance is tax-free.

• Protect your savings:

  The disease of the kidney will generally require a long time in the hospital. Being the primary earner, you may be forced to dig into your hard-earned savings. Suitable health insurance will save you from such a crisis.

• Safety of your family:

  In today's time, health insurance has turned out to be valuable for the future of all the members of a family. You must buy it for your near and dear ones at the earliest.

The benefits included in your health insurance policy greatly depend on the details and features of your plan. There are certain common inclusions in almost every health insurance policy for kidney failure. These are stated as follows:

• Post-hospitalization and pre-hospitalization charges are covered under the insurance budget.
• Charges for the ambulance, ICU room and the fees of your doctor are covered under the insurance plan.
• Fees on the tests and diagnosis before and after hospitalisation is mostly covered under the terms of certain health insurance plans.
• Health plans cover the expenses of medical dialysis and transplant up to a certain amount depending on the plan purchased.

Common circumstances that are not covered in kidney failure health insurance are provided below. We suggest you read the terms carefully before signing on for insurance.

• Do some insurance companies restrict the expedition charges up to a certain amount.
• Insurance Companies do not cover the expenses of the organ donor in case of a kidney transplant.
• Any complications that arise during or after the operation are not payable within most insurance plans.