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Find the Help You Need at Spartanburg Nephrology Associates
New, Existing and Future Patients Are Welcomed!
Located in Spartanburg, SC
Spartanburg Nephrology Associates has been providing quality Nephrology care for Spartanburg and surrounding areas since 1989. We are currently staffed with five Nephrologists and five Nurse Practitioners, covering Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System (including the Mary Black and Pelham Campuses), Spartanburg Hospital for Restorative Care, and Spartanburg Rehabilitation Institute.
As Nephrologists, we take tremendous pride in our role as Medical Directors for seven dialysis clinics. These include Dialysis Clinic, Inc. (DCI), Spartanburg, East Spartanburg, West Spartanburg, Gaffney, Union, Landrum, and Woodruff. We are dedicated to providing each patient with our best possible care in a compassionate and friendly environment.
Your Care Is Our Mission
The goal of Spartanburg Nephrology Associates:
- Provide the highest quality of care with the best utilization of our resources.
- Value and respect the diversity of all individuals, acting honestly, compassionately, and ethically in all relationships.
- Cooperatively work with our medical staff and the community to provide a safe and seamless continuum of care.
- Keep all patient health information confidential as per HIPAA guidelines.
We ask the following of you:
- Please keep all appointments.
- Provide a 24-48 hour cancellation notice if unable to keep a scheduled appointment so that we may offer that appointment time to someone else.
- Keep us informed of any changes in address, telephone number, health insurance carrier, etc.
- Let us know if you have any suggestions or cause for complaint as soon as possible.
- Let us know when we have done well, as we constantly strive to improve.
Facts for You to Know about Kidney Disease
Nephrology
The study and treatment of kidney disease.
Nephrologist
A physician who specializes in the treatment of kidney disease.
Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease in which the body does not produce or properly use insulin. Insulin is a hormone needed to convert sugar, starches, and other food into energy needed for daily life. The cause of diabetes continues to be a mystery, although family history and environmental factors appear to play roles.
There are 20.8 million children and adults in the United States (7% of our population) who have diabetes. While 14.6 million have been diagnosed, unfortunately, 6.2 million people are unaware that they even have diabetes.
Health risk factors for diabetes include: being overweight, over 45 years of age, having a family history of diabetes, metabolic syndrome (insulin resistance), high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, history of gestational diabetes, polycystic ovary disease, habitually inactive, or have an account of vascular disease (such as stroke).
The most common symptoms of Type 2 diabetes are excessive thirst, frequent urination, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, fatigue, rapid breathing, blurred vision, dry itchy skin, headache, tingling or burning pain in your feet-legs-hands-or other parts of your body, high blood pressure, mood swings, irritability-depression, frequent or recurring infections such as urinary tract infections, yeast infections, and skin infections, and the slow healing of cuts and bruises. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, consult your health care provider for a medical evaluation.
The most common side effects of diabetes include:
- Heart disease (65% of death from diabetes is due to heart disease and stroke)
- Blood vessel damage or nerve damage may lead to foot problems that can lead to amputations, blindness, kidney failure, and even gum disease.
If you have a personal or family history of diabetes, be smart and maintain a close relationship with your health care provider.
Hypertension
Your heart beats about 100,000 daily, pumping 2,000 gallons of blood through your vessels. The force of blood against the walls of your vessels, plus your vessels’ resistance to blood flow, creates blood pressure.
Keeping your blood pressure from getting too high is essential. With normal blood pressure, your blood can move more quickly through your body. This may help you avoid damage to your blood vessels, eyes, and kidneys. It may also reduce your risk of stroke, heart attack, and other serious health problems.
More than 65 million Americans have high blood pressure. While you may not feel any symptoms, unmanaged high blood pressure may put you at risk for serious medical conditions. Because you often don’t have any symptoms, this is why high blood pressure is often called the “silent killer”.
High blood pressure cannot be cured, but it can be managed. The factors beyond your control are your gender, age, race, and family history. The factors that you can control are smoking, stress, physical inactivity, obesity, and a poor diet that is high in salt intake.
High blood pressure affects your kidneys by narrowing the arteries going to the kidneys. This causes the kidneys not to get the blood flow that they need to function properly.
Consult your doctor to determine your blood pressure.
Call (864) 582-5099 or (888) 430-3876 to schedule an appointment.