What happens when the kidneys don’t work well? Many things, including Renal failure and uremia, both of which are life-threatening.
Few know about kidney health. Yet, we all have a pair of kidneys that do their work silently. Urine helps to clear the toxins from your body, and it’s the kidneys that do this essential work of filtration.
But what is Chronic kidney disease?
Chronic kidney disease is continuing kidney damage causing abnormal renal structure and progressive functional deterioration of the kidneys lasting at least three months to several years.
The numbers:
Worldwide 850 million people live with chronic kidney disease. (source)
A survey by ASSOCHAM and TARI showed kidney diseases to be the eighth most common non-communicable disease in India. Though exact data is unavailable, in India, 40-60% of cases of chronic kidney disease are due to hypertension and diabetes.
The Good news: Kidney diseases have effective treatment. Early diagnosis is essential.
In 2021 the slogan for World Kidney day was “Living Well With Kidney Disease”.
In case you already have kidney disease, what can you do?
- Follow up with your nephrologist regularly.
- Do the tests they recommend on time.
- Don’t stop eating healthy food, exercise,” focus on” mental health, and sleep. They help prevent the risk factors of Hypertension, Diabetes, and Cardiac problems in the long run. Slowing the underlying cause goes a long way to effectively manage CKD.
- Join an authentic Chronic Kidney disease support group. Having a support group helps you find information related to your choices and also monetary. Knowing about the best places to get treated, transplants, and funding available from the government or NGOs make the journey easier. The community support helps too.
- You can Check the Government Medical Colleges in your city for access to affordable Dialysis options.The Pradhan Mantri National Dialysis Programme helps with Dialysis for the needy.
- Get dialysis done on time when you need it.
How Serious is Chronic Kidney Disease?
- Kidney diseases are silent and are often identified late.
- Screening of at-risk populations at least once a year will help detect kidney disease early.
- It has high prolonged health care costs and affects the quality of life.
- Diagnosis and follow-up require urine tests and blood tests.
- Timely diagnosis helps in effective treatment and can prevent complications.
- It presents late and often doesn’t go away.
- Preventing Hypertension and Diabetes enables you to protect your kidneys.
Note: Prevention is the best policy.
Common Risk factors for Chronic Renal disease (CKD)are :
- Hypertension
- Diabetes Mellitus
- Cardiac diseases
- Obesity
- Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis
- History of sexually transmitted infection or injection drug use: Hepatitis B or C, HIV infection
- Urinary tract infection, obstruction, or stone
- Autoimmune disease (e.g., cryoglobulinemia, systemic lupus erythematosus)
- Men and women are equally affected by genetic causes of kidney disease. Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, Autosomal recessive Polycystic Kidney disease, Alport syndrome are genetic causes of CKD.
- Certain drugs
- Vesico Ureteric Reflux
- Prolonged urinary obstruction due to kidney stones, prostate, cancer.
What are the preferred screening tests for CKD?How is CKD diagnosed?
- Serum Creatinine
- Spot urine albumin/creatinine ratio from an early morning urine sample.
What are the diagnostic indicators for CKD?
- Persistently elevated Creatinine and albuminuria.These also have prognostic significance,
Other indicators include; altered acid-base balance :
- Altered serum electrolytes
- Abnormal Renal imaging finding
- Urinary sediments
- Altered glomerular filtration rate
What can you do to prevent Chronic Kidney disease?
- Preventing causative risk factors can go a long way in preventing chronic kidney disease.
- Genetic screening to rule out more such risks in a subsequent pregnancy is crucial if a child has kidney disease.
- Eat healthy, exercise, sleep.
- Drink water
- Monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar.
- If you have any risk factors or a family history of kidney disease, talk to your doctor about it and get screened.
- Smoking and other addictions increase the risk.
Take care of your Kidneys today for a healthy tomorrow.