Kidney disease is a disease in which kidney function has decreased until finally no longer able to work at all in terms of filtering the disposal of the body electrolytes, maintain fluid balance and body chemicals such as sodium and potassium in the blood or urine production.

The occurrence of renal failure caused by several serious illnesses that already inside the patient which gradually affects the renal organ damage. As for some diseases that often affect kidney damage include:

* High blood pressure (Hypertension)
* Diabetes Mellitus (Diabetes Mellitus)
* There is a blockage in the urinary tract (stones, tumors, narrowing / stricture)
* Autoimmune disorders, such as systemic lupus erythematosus
* Suffering from cancer (cancer)
* Kidney disorders, where there has been development of many cysts on the kidney organ itself (polycystic kidney disease)
* Damage to filters in the kidney cells either by infection or inflammation due to the impact of high blood diseases. Medical terms is called glomerulonephritis.

Kidney failure develops slowly towards a worsening in which the kidneys are no longer able to work as its function. In medicine there are two types of attacks to kidney failure, acute and chronic.

The signs and symptoms of renal failure experienced by patients in acute include: Swelling of the eyes, legs, severe back pain (colic), urinary pain, fever, urinating a little, red urine / blood, frequent urination. Abnormalities of Urine: Protein, Blood / erythrocytes, Blood Cells White / leucocytes, bacteria.

While the signs and symptoms that may arise by the presence of chronic renal failure include: weakness, no energy, lack of appetite, nausea, vomiting, swelling, decreased urination, itching, shortness of breath, pale / anemia.

When you found yourself of your family having some indication of having kidney disease, better check it out with your medical consultant, and sometimes its better double check it.

Successful treatment of schizophrenia, therefore, depends upon a life-long regimen of both drug and psychosocial, support therapies. While the medication helps control the psychosis associated with schizophrenia (e.g., the delusions and hallucinations), it cannot help the person find a job, learn to be effective in social relationships, increase the individual’s coping skills, and help them learn to communicate and work well with others. Poverty, homelessness, and unemployment are often associated with this disorder, but they don’t have to be. If the individual finds appropriate treatment and sticks with it, a person with schizophrenia can lead a happy and successful life. But the initial recovery from the first symptoms of schizophrenia can be an extremely lonely experience. Individuals coping with the onset of schizophrenia for the first time in their lives require all the support that their families, friends, and communities can provide.

With such support, determination, and understanding, someone who has schizophrenia can learn to cope and live with it for their entire life. But stability with this disorder means complying with the treatment plan set up between the person and their therapist or doctor, and maintaining the balance provided for by the medication and therapy. A sudden stopping of treatment will most often lead to a relapse of the symptoms associated with schizophrenia and then a gradual recovery as treatment is reinstated.

Psychotherapy is not the treatment of choice for someone with schizophrenia. Used as an adjunct to a good medication plan, however, psychotherapy can help maintain the individual on their medication, learn needed social skills, and support the person’s weekly goals and activities in their community. This may include advice, reassurance, education, modeling, limit setting, and reality testing with the therapist. Encouragement in setting small goals and reaching them can often be helpful.

People with schizophrenia often have a difficult time performing ordinary life skills such as cooking and personal grooming as well as communicating with others in the family and at work. Therapy or rehabilitation therapy can help a person regain the confidence to take care of themselves and live a fuller life.

Group therapy, combined with drugs, produces somewhat better results than drug treatment alone, particularly with schizophrenic outpatients. Positive results are more likely to be obtained when group therapy focuses on real-life plans, problems, and relationships; on social and work roles and interaction; on cooperation with drug therapy and discussion of its side effects; or on some practical recreational or work activity. This supportive group therapy can be especially helpful in decreasing social isolation and increasing reality testing.

Family therapy can significantly decrease relapse rates for the schizophrenic family member. In high-stress families, schizophrenic patients given standard aftercare relapse 50-60% of the time in the first year out of hospital. Supportive family therapy can reduce this relapse rate to below 10 percent. This therapy encourages the family to convene a family meeting whenever an issue arises, in order to discuss and specify the exact nature of the problem, to list and consider alternative solutions, and to select and implement the consensual best solution.

Schizophrenia appears to be a combination of a thought disorder, mood disorder, and anxiety disorder. The medical management of schizophrenia often requires a combination of antipsychotic, antidepressant, and antianxiety medication. One of the biggest challenges of treatment is that many people don’t keep taking the medications prescribed for the disorder. After the first year of treatment, most people will discontinue their use of medications, especially ones where the side effects are difficult to tolerate.

As a recent National Institute of Mental Health Study indicated, regardless of the drug, three-quarters of all patients stop taking their medications. They stopped the schizophrenia medications either because they did not make them better or they had intolerable side effects. The discontinuation rates remained high when they were switched to a new drug, but patients stayed on clozapine about 11 months, compared with only three months for Seroquel, Risperdal or Zyprexa, which are far more heavily marketed — and dominate sales. Because of findings such as this, it’s generally recommended that someone with schizophrenia begin their treatment with a drug such as clozapine (clozapine is often significantly cheaper than other antipsychotic medications). Clozapine (also known as clozaril) has been shown to be more effective than many newer antipsychotics as well.

Antipsychotic medications help to normalize the biochemical imbalances that cause schizophrenia. They are also important in reducing the likelihood of relapse. There are two major types of antipsychotics, traditional and new antipsychotics.

Traditional antipsychotics effectively control the hallucinations, delusions, and confusion of schizophrenia. This type of antipsychotic drug, such as haloperidol, chlorpromazine, and fluphenazine, has been available since the mid-1950s. These drugs primarily block dopamine receptors and are effective in treating the “positive” symptoms of schizophrenia.

Side effects for antipsychotics may cause a patient to stop taking them. However, it is important to talk with your doctor before making any changes in medication since many side effects can be controlled. Be sure to weigh the risks against the potential benefits that antipsychotic drugs can provide.

Mild side effects: dry mouth, blurred vision, constipation, drowsiness and dizziness. These side affects usually disappear a few weeks after the person starts treatment.
More serious side effects: trouble with muscle control, muscle spasms or cramps in the head and neck, fidgeting or pacing, tremors and shuffling of the feet (much like those affecting people with Parkinson’s disease).

Side effects due to prolonged use of traditional antipsychotic medications: facial ticks, thrusting and rolling of the tongue, lip licking, panting and grimacing.
There are many newer antipsychotic medications available since the 1990’s, including Seroquel, Risperdal, Zyprexa and Clozaril. Some of these medications may work on both the serotonin and dopamine receptors, thereby treating both the “positive” and “negative” symptoms of schizophrenia. Other newer antipsychotics are referred to as atypical antipsychotics, because of how they affect the dopamine receptors in the brain. These newer medications may be more effective in treating a broader range of symptoms of schizophrenia, and some have fewer side effects than traditional antipsychotics.

Coping Guidelines For The Family
1. Establish a daily routine for the patient to follow.
2. Help the patient stay on the medication.
3. Keep the lines of communication open about problems or fears the patient may have.
4. Understand that caring for the patient can be emotionally and physically exhausting. Take time for yourself.
5. Keep your communications simple and brief when speaking with the patient.
6. Be patient and calm.
7. Ask for help if you need it; join a support group.

Self-help methods for the treatment of this disorder are often overlooked by the medical profession because very few professionals are involved in them. Adjunctive community support groups in concurrence with psychotherapy is usually beneficial to most people who suffer from schizophrenia. Caution should be utilized, however, if the person’s symptoms aren’t under control of a medication. People with this disorder often have a difficult time in social situations, therefore a support group should not be considered as an initial treatment option. As the person progresses in treatment, a support group may be a useful option to help the person make the transition back into daily social life.

Another use of self-help is for the family members of someone who lives with schizophrenia. The stress and hardships causes of having a loved one with this disorder are often overwhelming and difficult to cope with for a family. Family members should use a support group within their community to share common experiences and learn about ways to best deal with their frustrations, feelings of helplessness, and anger.

There were 12 questions frequently asked by parents about anxiety disorder. In the last article, we had answer 3 question, below are the rest.
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What are the most common side effects of SSRIs?

The SSRIs are generally tolerated very well, with minimal or no side effects. The most commonly reported physical side effects include headache, stomachache or nausea, and sleep difficulties. It is important for your doctor to determine if any of these physical symptoms are present before starting the medication. Physical symptoms could be related to an underlying medical problem, or reflect symptoms of anxiety (e.g. headache or stomachache) that may actually improve with treatment of the anxiety disorder. Your child’s physician should review symptoms of possible side effects with you and your child prior to starting an SSRI, and at subsequent follow-up visits.

5. What do I do if my child develops side effects?

Call your doctor with any questions or concerns regarding possible side effects during the course of treatment. Some children have side effects to one SSRI, but not to others, so a trial of a different SSRI may be needed if side effects develop to the initial medication.

6. How can I tell if the medication is working?

Treatment monitoring begins with a thorough assessment and understanding of your child’s anxiety symptoms. There are different types of childhood anxiety disorders, and hence, different types of symptoms. For example, separation anxiety disorder symptoms include avoidance of separation from caregivers or home, e.g. school refusal, “shadowing” parents around the house, or avoiding social get-togethers such as peer birthday parties or overnight camps. Generalized anxiety disorder, characterized by multiple areas of worry, is often accompanied by symptoms of tenseness, sleep difficulties and irritability. The child’s treatment plan should include specific “target symptoms” that the child is experiencing; these target symptoms can then be followed for assessment of treatment response. Symptom rating scales may be used by your child’s health care professional as an additional measure of treatment response. Finally, other adults, such as family members or teachers, are also important sources of information about your child’s symptoms.

7. How long will it take for the medication to work?

Initiation of treatment with an SSRI will not produce an immediate decrease in your child’s symptoms of anxiety. Improvement in your child’s symptoms may begin to occur after a week or more of treatment, although an initial treatment trial of four to six weeks is needed to assess clinical response. It is also very important that your child take the SSRI on a daily basis, at approximately the same time each day (i.e. not on an “as needed” basis), in order to achieve stable and effective medication levels.

8. How long will my child need to take medicine?

Current recommendations suggest that initial treatment of childhood anxiety disorders with an SSRI should be continued for approximately one year. Medication treatment may be recommended beyond this period if symptoms persist or reoccur. Symptoms and treatment response should be reassessed at regular intervals with your child’s doctor. Starting a child on an SSRI does not mean that he/she will be on the medication for life. Many children may not need more than one course of medication treatment.

9. Will my child become addicted to these medications?

Will the medications change my child’s personality?
There is no evidence that the SSRIs are addictive. If medications are discontinued abruptly, symptoms such as dizziness, nausea, headache, and behavioral changes may occur. Medication dosages should not be changed, and medications should not be discontinued unless directed by the child’s physician.

Treatment with SSRIs should not change your child’s personality. Conversely, anxiety disorders may cloud features of your child’s personality due to the impact of the anxiety symptoms and associated distress. If prominent changes in your child’s behavior and demeanor do occur, parents should check with their physician about possible medication-related side effects.

10. What if my child refuses to take the medication?

Children should not be forced to take medications, nor should the medications be disguised or inaccurately described. It is important to try to find out why the child does not want to take the medicine. Questions to consider:
Does the child have difficulty swallowing pills?
Does the child fear that something may happen to him/her if he/she takes the medicine?
Is the child concerned of possible embarrassment if others learn that he/she is taking a medication for anxiety?

Educating and involving your child in the discussion of his/her anxiety disorder is very important. Discussion should include review of symptoms that cause difficulties. Treatments should also be discussed, at a developmentally appropriate level, emphasizing the goal of symptom improvement. If the child refuses to take a medication, an initial treatment course of psychosocial interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy should be considered, with subsequent review of medication use if symptoms do not improve.

11. Can SSRIs be used with other medications, including over-the-counter medicines for common illnesses such as a cold or the flu?

Check with your physician before adding or changing any of your child’s medications to avoid potential medication interactions.

12. Are there other treatments available if I don’t want to put my child on medication?

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most widely studied and commonly used form of psychotherapy to treat childhood anxiety disorders. CBT targets the symptoms of anxiety, and incorporates a variety of approaches designed to change maladaptive thoughts/beliefs and behaviors associated with anxiety disorders. Other psychosocial interventions should also be considered for children with anxiety disorders including the possibility of school support, family therapy, and assessment of potential environmental (e.g. home or school) stressors contributing to the child’s difficulties.

The use of psychosocial interventions, including CBT, is recommended for all children with anxiety disorders, whether they are being treated with medications or not. Parents should actively discuss treatment options with their child’s health care provider.