Question: What can I do to help my kidney function? I seem to be headed toward kidney failure.

Dr. Hibberd's Answer:

The most common causes of kidney failure (referred to as renal failure) are related to absent or delayed treatment for hypertension, diabetes, infection, or toxic effects from ingested medications. End-stage renal failure relies on dialysis treatment until the underlying condition is corrected. Some conditions, even though corrected, leave permanent damage requiring a lifetime of dialysis three to four times a week. A kidney transplant can replace time-consuming, expensive, and inconvenient dialysis treatments.

Early or slowly progressive renal failure requires close physician monitoring. Most patients are placed on modified diets with an emphasis on avoiding medications that may worsen renal function. Potassium is especially avoided because it often accumulates with renal dysfunction. The most common and life-threatening complication related to renal failure is not only the accumulation of blood urea but also the accumulation of potassium in the blood that will lead to cardiac arrest and sudden death because of heart arrhythmia if not corrected.