Blog
CKD and Your Sexual Health
In our past blog, we explored some of the effects CKD can have on the rest of your body and explained how vital our kidneys are to our overall health. In that blog, we touched on some of the effects that CKD has on the reproductive system and fertility, but there are more implications that […]
Top Foods to Avoid When You Have CKD
Nutrition is the foundation of our overall health and wellness, so it’s not surprising that our kidneys are also affected by what we eat. Your diet and lifestyle choices have a significant impact on the development of kidney disease and its progression, so having the knowledge of what to eat and what to avoid is […]
Your Guide to Dialysis
At Durham Nephrology, dialysis is at the core of our service offerings. We specialize in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and treat patients at six dialysis centers located throughout Durham and Granville counties. Dialysis is used to replace some of the functions of the kidneys in advanced stages of kidney disease. While a nephrologist will try […]
Protein in the Urine: What You Need to Know
In the grand scheme of medical conditions, excess protein in the urine may not seem like that big of a deal, but in reality, this excess protein is one of the main factors of chronic kidney disease. Medically referred to as “proteinuria,” protein in the urine isn’t just a side effect of CKD; it can […]
How to Manage Pain Associated with Kidney Disease
Both chronic and acute pain is a common side effect of chronic kidney disease (CKD). While pain affects 100 million people in the United States alone, it disproportionately affects those with CKD. A staggering 60% of hemodialysis patients report having moderate or severe chronic pain. While dialysis is a necessary treatment for those with dysfunctioning […]
Difference Between Nephrology and Urology
If you’re facing issues with your kidneys, there may be more than just one specialist that you can be referred to. Both nephrology and urology touch on different facets of kidney health, so it can be difficult to decipher which specialist to go to for treatment. In some cases, a patient may need to see […]
Environmental Factors that Contribute to Kidney Problems
In past blogs, we have discussed possible risk factors for CKD. While some of these risk factors you can control, such as smoking, other health conditions and uncontrollable risk factors like age and ethnicity also play a role in the health of your kidneys. Other less commonly talked about causes of kidney disease and kidney […]
The Effects CKD Can Have on the Rest of Your Body
When dealing with chronic kidney disease (CKD), the disease’s effects, such as gradual loss of kidney function, have severe implications for various other systems within the body. While either high blood pressure or diabetes typically causes CKD, the damage to your kidneys can lead to more problems with other parts of the body. While high […]
5 Types of Heart-Healthy Self-Care
Selfcare has been a popular topic of conversation, especially as we navigated this last year of social distancing and sheltering in place. With mental health facing many adverse effects during the pandemic, many of us are scrambling to find peace by practicing small self-care acts throughout our busy weeks. While many of these acts have […]
How to Prepare for Your Nephrology Appointment
If you’ve been referred to a nephrologist for the first time, it’s normal to have some questions. Nephrology is a specialty branch of medicine that focuses on the kidneys, specifically studying kidney function and kidney disease. There are several reasons why your primary care physician may refer you to a nephrologist. Those with diabetes, high […]
