bowang0911/MedQuAD huggingface dataset:
The most common sign of primary amyloidosis of the kidneys is nephrotic syndromea collection of signs that indicate kidney damage. The signs of nephrotic syndrome include
                
- albuminuriaan increased amount of albumin, a protein, in the urine. A person with nephrotic syndrome excretes more than half a teaspoon of albumin per day.  - hyperlipidemiaa condition in which a persons blood has more-than-normal amounts of fats and cholesterol.  - edemaswelling, typically in a persons legs, feet, or ankles and less often in the hands or face.  - hypoalbuminemiaa condition in which a persons blood has less-than-normal amounts of albumin.
                
More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Nephrotic Syndrome in Adults.
                
Other signs and symptoms of primary amyloidosis may include
                
- fatigue, or feeling tired  - shortness of breath  - low blood pressure  - numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in the hands or feet  - weight loss
The symptoms of dialysis-related amyloidosis may include
                
- pain, stiffness, and fluid in the joints.  - abnormal, fluid-containing sacs, called cysts, in some bones.  - carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by unusual buildup of amyloid proteins in the wrists. The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness or tingling, sometimes associated with muscle weakness, in the fingers and hands.
                
Dialysis-related amyloidosis most often affects bones, joints, and the tissues that connect muscle to bone, called tendons. The disease may also affect the digestive tract and organs such as the heart and lungs. Bone cysts caused by dialysis-related amyloidosis can lead to bone fractures. Dialysis-related amyloidosis can also cause tears in tendons and ligaments. Ligaments are tissues that connect bones to other bones.
A health care provider diagnoses primary amyloidosis of the kidneys with
                
- a medical and family history  - a physical exam  - urinalysis  - blood tests  - a kidney biopsy
                
Medical and Family History
                
Taking a medical and family history may help a health care provider diagnose amyloidosis of the kidneys. He or she will ask the patient to provide a medical and family history.
                
Physical Exam
                
A physical exam may help diagnose primary amyloidosis of the kidneys. During a physical exam, a health care provider usually
                
- examines a patients body to check for swelling  - uses a stethoscope to listen to the lungs  - taps on specific areas of the patients body
                
Urinalysis
                
A health care provider may use urinalysisthe testing of a urine sampleto check for albumin and amyloid proteins in urine. The patient provides a urine sample in a special container at a health care providers office or a commercial facility. A nurse or technician can test the sample in the same location or send it to a lab for analysis. More-than-normal amounts of albumin in urine may indicate kidney damage due to primary amyloidosis. Amyloid proteins in urine may indicate amyloidosis.
                
Blood Tests
                
The health care provider may use blood tests to see how well the kidneys are working and to check for amyloid proteins and hyperlipidemia. A blood test involves drawing a patients blood at a health care providers office or a commercial facility and sending the sample to a lab for analysis. Blood tests for kidney function measure the waste products in the blood that healthy kidneys normally filter out. Hyperlipidemia may indicate nephrotic syndrome. Amyloid proteins in blood may indicate amyloidosis.
                
Kidney Biopsy
                
Only a biopsy can show the amyloid protein deposits in the kidneys. A health care provider may recommend a kidney biopsy if other tests show kidney damage. A kidney biopsy is a procedure that involves taking a piece of kidney tissue for examination with a microscope. A health care provider performs a kidney biopsy in a hospital with light sedation and local anesthetic. The health care provider uses imaging techniques such as ultrasound or a computerized tomography (CT) scan to guide the biopsy needle into the kidney and take the tissue sample. A pathologista doctor who specializes in diagnosing diseasesexamines the tissue in a lab for amyloid proteins and kidney damage.
                
The biopsy results can help the health care provider determine the best course of treatment. More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Kidney Biopsy.
A health care provider diagnoses dialysis-related amyloidosis with
                
- urinalysis  - blood tests  - imaging tests
                
A health care provider can use urinalysis and blood tests to detect the amount of amyloid proteins in urine and blood. Imaging tests, such as x-rays and CT scans, can provide pictures of bone cysts and amyloid deposits in bones, joints, tendons, and ligaments. An x-ray technician performs imaging tests in a health care providers office, an outpatient center, or a hospital. A radiologista doctor who specializes in medical imaginginterprets the images. A patient does not require anesthesia.
A health care provider treats primary amyloidosis of the kidneys with the following:
                
- medication therapy, including chemotherapy  - a stem cell transplant  - treating other conditions
                
Medication therapy. The goal of medication therapy, including chemotherapy, is to reduce amyloid protein levels in the blood. Many health care providers recommend combination medication therapy such as
                
- melphalan (Alkeran), a type of chemotherapy  - dexamethasone (Decadron), an anti-inflammatory steroid medication
                
These medications can stop the growth of the cells that make amyloid proteins. These medications may cause hair loss and serious side effects, such as nausea, vomiting, and fatigue.
                
Stem cell transplant. A stem cell transplant is a procedure that replaces a patients damaged stem cells with healthy ones. Stem cells are found in the bone marrow and develop into three types of blood cells the body needs. To prepare for a stem cell transplant, the patient receives high doses of chemotherapy. The actual transplant is like a blood transfusion. The transplanted stem cells travel to the bone marrow to make healthy new blood cells. The chemotherapy a patient receives to prepare for the transplant can have serious side effects, so it is important to talk with the health care provider about the risks of this procedure.
                
Read more in What Is a Blood and Marrow Stem Cell Transplant? at www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/bmsct.
                
Treating other conditions. Primary amyloidosis has no cure, so treating some of the side effects and other conditions seen with the disease is essential. Other conditions may include
                
- anemiatreatment may include medications  - depressiontreatment may include talking with a mental health counselor and taking medications  - fatiguetreatment may include changes in diet and activity level  - kidney diseasetreatment may include medications to help maintain kidney function or slow the progression of kidney disease
                
A patient and his or her family should talk with the health care provider about resources for support and treatment options.
                
More information about kidney disease is provided in the NIDDK health topic, niddk-kidney disease.
A health care provider treats dialysis-related amyloidosis with
                
- medication therapy  - newer, more effective hemodialysis filters  - surgery  - a kidney transplant
                
The goal of medication therapy and the use of newer, more effective hemodialysis filters is to reduce amyloid protein levels in the blood. Medication therapy can help reduce symptoms such as pain and inflammation. A health care provider may treat a person with dialysis-related amyloidosis who has bone, joint, and tendon problems, such as bone cysts and carpal tunnel syndrome, using surgery.
                
Dialysis-related amyloidosis has no cure; however, a successful kidney transplant may stop the disease from progressing.
                
More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation.
Researchers have not found that eating, diet, and nutrition play a role in causing or preventing primary amyloidosis of the kidneys or dialysis-related amyloidosis. People with nephrotic syndrome may make dietary changes such as
                
- limiting dietary sodium, often from salt, to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure  - decreasing liquid intake to help reduce edema and lower blood pressure  - eating a diet low in saturated fat and cholesterol to help control more-than-normal amounts of fats and cholesterol in the blood
                
Health care providers may recommend that people with kidney disease eat moderate or reduced amounts of protein. Proteins break down into waste products that the kidneys filter from the blood. Eating more protein than the body needs may burden the kidneys and cause kidney function to decline faster. However, protein intake that is too low may lead to malnutrition, a condition that occurs when the body does not get enough nutrients.
                
People with kidney disease on a restricted protein diet should receive blood tests that can show low nutrient levels. People with primary amyloidosis of the kidneys or dialysis-related amyloidosis should talk with a health care provider about dietary restrictions to best manage their individual needs.
- Amyloidosis is a rare disease that occurs when amyloid proteins are deposited in tissues and organs.  - Primary amyloidosis and dialysis-related amyloidosis are the types of amyloidosis that can affect the kidneys.  - The most common sign of primary amyloidosis of the kidneys is nephrotic syndrome.  - The signs of nephrotic syndrome include      - albuminuriaan elevated amount of albumin in the urine. A person with nephrotic syndrome excretes more than half a teaspoon of albumin per day.    - hyperlipidemiaa condition in which a persons blood has more-than-normal amounts of fats and cholesterol.    - edemaswelling, typically in a persons legs, feet, or ankles and less often in the hands or face.    - hypoalbuminemiaa condition in which a persons blood has less-than-normal amounts of albumin.    - Other signs and symptoms of primary amyloidosis may include      - fatigue, or feeling tired    - shortness of breath    - low blood pressure    - numbness, tingling, or a burning sensation in the hands or feet    - weight loss    - The symptoms of dialysis-related amyloidosis may include      - pain, stiffness, and fluid in the joints.    - abnormal, fluid-containing sacs, called cysts, in some bones.    - carpal tunnel syndrome, caused by unusual buildup of amyloid proteins in the wrists. The symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome include numbness or tingling, sometimes associated with muscle weakness, in the fingers and hands.    - A health care provider diagnoses primary amyloidosis of the kidneys with      - a medical and family history    - a physical exam    - urinalysis    - blood tests    - a kidney biopsy    - A health care provider diagnoses dialysis-related amyloidosis with      - urinalysis    - blood tests    - imaging tests    - A health care provider treats primary amyloidosis of the kidneys with the following:      - medication therapy, including chemotherapy    - a stem cell transplant    - treating other conditions    - A health care provider treats dialysis-related amyloidosis with      - medication therapy    - newer, more effective hemodialysis filters    - surgery    - a kidney transplant
You and your doctor will work together to choose a treatment that's best for you. The publications of the NIDDK Kidney Failure Series can help you learn about the specific issues you will face.
                
Booklets
                
- What I need to know about Kidney Failure and How its Treated  - Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis  - Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis  - Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Kidney Transplantation  - Kidney Failure: Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis
                
Fact Sheets
                
- Kidney Failure: What to Expect  - Vascular Access for Hemodialysis  - Hemodialysis Dose and Adequacy  - Peritoneal Dialysis Dose and Adequacy  - Amyloidosis and Kidney Disease  - Anemia in Chronic Kidney Disease  - Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral and Bone Disorder  - Financial Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure
                
Learning as much as you can about your treatment will help make you an important member of your health care team.
                

                

                
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings through its clearinghouses and education programs to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
                
The NIDDK would like to thank: Glenn Chertow, M.D., University of California at San Francisco; William J. Stone, M.D., Vanderbilt University; Morie A. Gertz, M.D., Mayo Clinic
                
This information is not copyrighted. The NIDDK encourages people to share this content freely.
                

                

                
September 2014
Kidney failure means your kidneys no longer work well enough to do their job. You need treatment to replace the work your damaged kidneys have stopped doing. The treatments for kidney failure are
                
- hemodialysis  - peritoneal dialysis  - a kidney transplant
                
Your kidneys filter wastes and extra fluid from your blood to keep you healthy. The wastes and extra fluid become urine that is stored in your bladder until you urinate. When your kidneys fail, dialysis can take over a small part of the work your damaged kidneys can no longer do. You can make treatments work better by
                
- sticking to your treatment schedule  - taking all medicines your doctor prescribes  - following a special diet that keeps wastes from building up in your blood  - being active most days of the week
                
Hemodialysis
                
Hemodialysis is a treatment for kidney failure. Hemodialysis uses a machine to filter your blood outside your body. First, a dialysis nurse places two needles into your arm. A pump on the hemodialysis machine draws your blood through one of the needles into a tube. The tube takes the blood to a filter, called a dialyzer. Inside the dialyzer, your blood flows through thin fibers that are like straws. The wastes and extra fluid leave the blood through tiny holes in the fibers. Then, a different tube carries the filtered blood back to your body through the second needle.
                
More information is provided in the NIDDK health topics, Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis and Home Hemodialysis.
                
Peritoneal Dialysis
                
catheter
                
Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis
                
Kidney Transplant
                
A kidney transplant places a healthy kidney from another person into your body. The kidney may come from someone who has just died. Your doctor will place your name on a waiting list for a kidney. A family member or friend might be able to give you a kidney. Then you dont have to wait.
                
The new kidney takes over filtering your blood. The damaged kidneys usually stay where they are. The new kidney is placed in the front lower abdomen, on one side of the bladder. Your body normally attacks anything that shouldnt be there, such as bacteria. Your body will think the new kidney shouldnt be there. You will take medicines called immunosuppressants to keep your body from attacking the new kidney.
                
More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation.
                
*See the Pronunciation Guide for tips on how to say the the words in bold type.
Learning about different treatments for kidney failure will help you choose the one that best fits your lifestyle. Talk with your doctor and people on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis to learn about the pros and cons of each treatment. Ask your doctor about the transplant waiting list and about medicines required after a transplant. Talk with people who have had kidney transplants and ask how it has changed their lives.
                
If you plan to keep working, think about which treatment can help make that easier. If spending time with family and friends means a lot to you, learn about which treatment may give you the most free time. Find out which treatment will give you the best chance to be healthy and live longer.
                
Talking with your doctor ahead of time about your options can help you take control of your care. Understanding the treatment you choose and getting used to the idea that you will be receiving this treatment takes time. If you choose one type of dialysis treatment and find it is not a good fit for your life, talk with your doctor about selecting another type of dialysis treatment that better meets your needs.
                
While kidney failure can make your life harder, treatments can help improve your life.
Eating the right foods can help you feel better when you are on dialysis or have a kidney transplant. Staying healthy with kidney failure requires watching how much of these elements are included in your diet:
                
- Protein is in many foods you eat. Protein is in foods from animals and plants. Most diets include both types of protein. Protein provides the building blocks that maintain and repair muscles, organs, and other parts of the body. Too much protein can cause waste to build up in your blood, making your kidneys work harder. However, if you are on hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, you need lots of protein to replace the protein that dialysis removes.  - Phosphorus is a mineral that keeps your bones healthy. Phosphorus also keeps blood vessels and muscles working. This mineral is found naturally in foods rich in protein, such as meat, poultry, fish, nuts, beans, and dairy products. Phosphorus is also added to many processed foods. You need phosphorus to turn food into energy; however, too much can cause your bones to weaken.  - Water is in drinks and in foods such as fruits, vegetables, ice cream, gelatin, soup, and popsicles. Your body needs water; however, too much can cause fluid to build up in your body and make your heart work harder.  - Sodium is a part of salt. You can find sodium in many canned, packaged, and fast foods and in seasonings and meats. You need sodium to help control the amount of fluid in your body; however, too much can cause high blood pressure.  - Potassium is a mineral that helps your nerves and muscles work the right way. Potassium is found in fruits and vegetables such as oranges, bananas, tomatoes, and potatoes. You need potassium for healthy nerves and brain cells; however, too much can make your heartbeat irregular.  - Calories are found in all foods and are especially high in oils and sugary foods. You need calories for energy; however, too many can cause weight gain and high blood sugar.
                
Talk with your clinics renal dietitian to find a meal plan that works for you. Each treatment requires a different diet. If you are on hemodialysis, you have to stay away from foods such as potatoes and oranges because they have lots of potassium. If you are on peritoneal dialysis, eating potassium is fine. Instead, you may need to watch your calories. Your food needs will also depend on your weight and activity level.
                
Changing your diet may be hard at first. Eating the right foods will help you feel better. You will have more strength and energy. Having more energy will help you live a fuller, healthier life. More information is provided in the NIDDK health topic, Eat Right to Feel Right on Hemodialysis.
- Kidney failure means your kidneys no longer work well enough to do their job.  - Learning about treatments for kidney failure will help you choose the one that best fits your lifestyle.  - Many people with kidney failure continue to work.  - Physical activity is an important part of staying healthy when you have kidney failure.  - You can help prevent relatives from having kidney failure by talking with them about their risk.  - Eating the right foods can help you feel better when you are on dialysis or have a kidney transplant.
Diverticular disease is a condition that occurs when a person has problems from small pouches, or sacs, that have formed and pushed outward through weak spots in the colon wall. Each pouch is called a diverticulum. Multiple pouches are called diverticula.
                
The colon is part of the large intestine. The large intestine absorbs water from stool and changes it from a liquid to a solid form. Diverticula are most common in the lower part of the colon, called the sigmoid colon.
                
The problems that occur with diverticular disease include diverticulitis and diverticular bleeding. Diverticulitis occurs when the diverticula become inflamed, or irritated and swollen, and infected. Diverticular bleeding occurs when a small blood vessel within the wall of a diverticulum bursts.
When a person has diverticula that do not cause diverticulitis or diverticular bleeding, the condition is called diverticulosis. Most people with diverticulosis do not have symptoms. Some people with diverticulosis have constipation or diarrhea. People may also have chronic
                
- cramping or pain in the lower abdomenthe area between the chest and hips  - bloating
                
Other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome and stomach ulcers, cause similar problems, so these symptoms do not always mean a person has diverticulosis. People with these symptoms should see their health care provider.