urinary infection

I am a 56-year-old housewife. I have been suffering from recurrent urinary infection for the last three years. Is it an indication of some kidney problem?

If you do not have a urinary stone or obstruction in the urinary tract you probably have sex hormone deficiency. You may benefit from supplementation of the hormone oestrogen and long-term antibiotic treatment after the current infection is brought under control. Get in touch with a gynaecologist for this treatment. Ordinary urine infection may not damage kidneys in adults like you, but such repeated infection in children may permanently damage the organ.

acute nephritis

My three-year-old son had an attack of nephritis when he began passing reddish urine accompanied with a strange swelling of the body. It happened a couple of weeks after he suffered from a sore throat and fever. Is he going to acquire some life-long kidney disorder?

I don?t think he?ll get any such problem. Such an attack of acute nephritis in children happen only once and usually does not have any long-term consequence. However, acute nephritis in adults may lead to leaking of protein through urine, high blood pressure and even kidney failure.

fever and red urine

I am 30. For the last few weeks I have been suffering from a low-grade fever accompanied with the passage of reddish urine. Is it because of kidney stones?

Kidney stones with or without urine infection can cause reddish urine and fever, but it is usually a painful problem. You should consult a kidney specialist without further delay because you may be suffering from nephritis or tuberculosis of the urinary tract.

protection tips

Recently, a relative of mine died of an acute kidney disorder. I?m scared of suffering from the same ailment. Can you suggest ways to protect the kidney?

Well, try to drink more water during summer and eat either home-made or natural food. Food items in the market, particularly fast foods, are often loaded with artificial flavours and dyes which are harmful for the kidneys. Also, avoid over-the-counter (unprescribed) medicines, smoking and alcohol. Ensure regular physical activity and check blood pressure and blood sugar levels regularly.

pregnancy trouble

I am going through the seventh month of pregnancy. Recently, I have developed swelling of the body along with a rise in blood pressure. Have I developed some kidney disorder?

If it is your first pregnancy you probably have pregnancy-induced hypertension which should subside after childbirth. You should be in bed rest and your pregnancy should be supervised to keep blood pressure and associated complications under check. However, if the problems you?ve mentioned recur in your next pregnancy, or high blood pressure persists even after childbirth, you should consult a nephrologist for proper guidance.

kidney donation

I am a third-year student in an engineering college. My younger brother (16) has been ailing from a critical kidney disease and is currently undergoing dialysis. The doctors have prescribed a kidney replacement. Is it okay if I donate a kidney to him?

If you have a blood group that is compatible to that of your brother and you don?t have either high blood pressure or diabetes, you can be a potential kidney donor. But before you?re allowed to donate one of your kidneys you?ll have go for a test called HLA antigen matching. It?ll see if you and your brother have compatible HLA antigens (a kind of genetic marker used to define a person?s tissue type). When properly supervised, kidney donation is a safe procedure and should not cause any problem for the donor in getting a job, or in marriage and getting a child.