Kidney Reflux Disease: Symptoms and Treatment

Kidney health is a vital part of long term health and reduced risk for cardiovascular complications. In many older adults, the complications with kidney health are often overlooked as symptoms typically do not manifest early in disease progression. If you are concerned about your kidney health as you age, it is important to become familiar with the health issues associated with kidney reflux disease and how you can identify and treat the condition early.

Much like complications with kidney stones in women, the issues of kidney reflux disease can often be misdiagnosed as another health condition. In patients who have kidney reflux, the symptoms often begin as recurrent bacterial urinary tract infections. Overtime, these infections lead to chronic kidney health issues that can be challenging to reverse. The cause of the urinary tract infections, UTIs, are often considered isolated and related to a suppressed immune system when, in fact, the condition is kidney reflux disease.

If you are suffering from poor emptying of the bladder, incontinence, and if you have issues with recurring bladder infections, a urologist should be consulted immediately. While your family practitioner may recommend sulfide based medications to fight the urinary tract infections, these will not resolve the underlying kidney reflux disease. With testing by a urologist, kidney reflux disease can be ruled out, or confirmed, and then treatment can be modified to suit the diagnosis.

To treat kidney reflux disease, most patients will require medications to manage bladder spasms and urethra movement but, in addition, surgery may also be needed. To address the type of treatment for your particular kidney reflux disease, the condition will have to be graded and then weigh the risks and benefits of performing surgery. In most cases, kidney transplant is not required as a surgical urologist can perform repair of the urethras that are the underlying cause of this health issue.

No matter what type of reflux you are suffering from, if your bodily fluids are not moving in the way nature intended, abnormal health issues will arise. Just like acid reflux, the complications with kidney reflux disease can be treated with medications but ultimately will not resolve the underlying health issue. If you have a history of kidney health issues, always seek out urological care.

Sources: Little Black Book of Nephrology and Hypertension, by Charles Jacobs