World Kidney Day is celebrated to raise awareness about the importance of your kidneys and their relevance in maintaining overall health. The aim is to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease worldwide. Currently, there are about 129 chronic kidney disease cases per million population in India.
Chronic kidney disease or chronic kidney failure is a kidney condition that causes gradual loss of kidney function. Your kidneys are responsible for filtering toxic waste products from your body through urine. With chronic kidney disease, your body is unable to get rid of the toxic waste. All these products build up in your body resulting in dangerous levels of fluid and electrolytes.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS Symptoms of kidney disease develop as the kidney damage progresses. Based on the severity of the condition, you will experience:
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Muscle cramps
• Increased or decreased frequency of passing urine
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Dry, itchy skin
• Reduced mental sharpness
• High blood pressure
• Chest pain due to fluid build-up around the lining of the heart
• Shortness of breath due to fluid build-up in the lungs
CAUSES
Chronic kidney disease is caused due to a condition impairing kidney function. These diseases include:
• Diabetes Mellitus – Type 1 and Type 2
• High blood pressure
• Polycystic Kidney Disease
• Interstitial Nephritis – an inflammation of the kidney’s tubules
• Glomerulonephritis – an inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units
• Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract due to enlarged prostate, cancer, kidney stones
• Vesicoureteral reflux – a condition that makes your urine go back up into your kidneys
• Polycystic kidney disease – multiple cysts in your kidney
• Pyelonephritis – recurrent kidney infection
• CKD of unknown aetiology (new entity)
RISK FACTORS
Your chances of developing chronic kidney disease are high if you have the following:
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Smoking
• Family history of kidney disease
• Abnormal kidney structure
• Old age
• Use of medicines that cause kidney damage
DIAGNOSIS
Kidney disease is diagnosed with the help of a thorough clinical examination. Your doctor will take a detailed medical history of all our complaints. After the examination, you may be advised the following tests:
• Blood tests
• Urine tests
• Kidney function tests
• CT abdomen (if indicated) — KUB (kidney, ureter, bladder)
• USG kidneys
PREVENTION
You can reduce your chances of developing kidney disease by:
1. Maintaining a healthy weight – A healthy body weight ensures that you are mentally and physically fit. You need to exercise daily or include some form of physical activity. By being in the healthy range of your ideal body weight, your chances of developing most diseases reduce. Avoid high-calorie diet and excess salt, especially junk foods.
2. Quitting cigarette smoke -Cigarette smoking is a hazard for your entire body. It can damage your kidneys and worsen kidney functioning. Consult your doctor to understand the ways to help you quit smoking. You can join a support group or go for counselling sessions to quit smoking.
3. Managing your health – If you have any chronic condition, you must manage it properly. Speak to your doctor and understand how to control your condition. This will help maintain your health and not damage your kidneys. Get tested to look for signs of kidney damage and visit your doctor for regular follow-ups.
4. Avoiding self-medication – Most medicines are known to be toxic to your kidneys. Self-medication can cause harm to your kidneys. Ensure that you take medicines that are prescribed by your physician for the stipulated time only. Avoid taking painkillers for a long time.
5. Control your disease states – Be it DM / HTN etc meticulously from the beginning.
TAKEAWAY
Chronic kidney disease can be managed and prevented if you follow a healthy lifestyle. Consult your doctor if you have any of the above symptoms and get tested. Early detection is prevention and we know prevention is always better than cure.
The writer is Senior Consultant, Nephrologist, Manipal HospitalMalleshwaram.