World Kidney Day: What You Need To Know About Kidney Disease And How You Can Prevent It
Whether you recognise it or not, kidney disease has grown at an alarming rate globally in the recent past. Currently ranked as the 17th most common cause of death world over and among the top 5 causes of death in certain countries, it's becoming a serious cause of worry according to a 2015 Global Burden of Disease (GBD).
In India, kidney disease is ranked as the eight leading cause of death at the moment.
Women in India are more susceptible to kidney diseases than men are, claimed a recent survey conducted by SRL Diagnostics. On average kidney abnormalities were 11.36 percent higher in women than in men (9.48 percent). Apart from a lack of awareness, women in India still don't get timely access to healthcare in comparison to men.
Why are kidney diseases such a big deal?
Since your kidneys are responsible for filtering toxic waste from your body, it is more vulnerable to bacterial or viral infections, toxins and drugs. Diabetes and hypertension are couple of the leading causes of kidney disease across the world. In fact, 1 in 10 people have some form of chronic kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease often occurs due to the gradual loss of kidney function. The average prevalence of chronic kidney disease remains at around 14 percent in women and 12 percent in men.
What are the symptoms of the disease?
The symptoms include blood in your urine, an increase and decrease in the frequency of your urination, swelling in your body, fatigue, tiredness, loss of sleep, nausea and vomiting.
Why you need to be weary even if you feel 'alright'?
Since kidney diseases, especially the chronic diseases, tend to develop over time, kidney damage progresses slowly.
In fact, a person can lose up to 90 percent of their kidney function before experiencing any symptoms! Since most people kidney diseases are often not aware of it, it makes sense to perform regular kidney function tests and seek medical advice if your symptoms persist.
What does curing chronic kidney disease involve?
Although there is no cure for chronic kidney diseases, treatment can slow the onset and the progression of the disease. Severe cases have no alternative but to opt for kidney transplants, which means waiting till you find a suitable donor.
The good news, however is that transplants from deceased donors have a 85 to 90 percent success rate the first year, while live donor transplants have a 90 to 90 percent success rate.
Can you prevent it from it occurring at all?
Since, diabetes and hypertension account for up to two-thirds of the causes chronic kidney disease, the first remedy would be to bring these conditions under control.
Lifestyle changes, such as the ones listed below can go a long way in preventing and even reducing the risk of developing kidney diseases, according to World Kidney Day website:
Keeping active and staying fit helps reduce your blood pressure, which is one of the primary causes of Chronic Kidney Disease.
The concept 'on the move for kidney health', for instance, is a worldwide collective march that includes celebrities and professionals walking, running and cycling in public spaces. You can get more information on the WKD website.
Keep a check of your blood sugar and blood pressure levels
Since diabetes and high BP are one of the key factors for kidney damage, people with diabetes have to constantly monitor their kidney function to detect damage levels. Early detection can help reduce or even prevent the damage.
A fasting blood sugar levels below 100mg/dl and 'postprandial' post meal sugar levels less than 140 mg/dl is considered safe. A normal blood pressure level is around 120/80. Between 120/80 and 139/89 is considered pre-hypertensive and you should be checking the risks with the doctor if your BP is 140/90 or above.
Keep your weight in check
Controlling your overall weight can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.
It's recommended to reduce salt intake to around a teaspoon a day, which is the equivalent of 5-6 grams, to keep your sodium levels in check. Eating home cooked food with fresher ingredients, will help you monitor and keep salt levels to a minimum.
Avoid smoking and reduce drinking as much as possible
Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. When less blood reaches the kidneys, it impairs their ability to function properly. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.
Alcohol can release an unwarranted number of toxins into your body making it harder for your kidney to filter them out of your blood stream. It also dehydrates your body taxing your kidneys further.
Try and keep over-the-counter pills to a minimum
Common drugs such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are known to cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly.
Such medications probably do not pose significant danger if your kidneys are relatively healthy and you use them for emergencies only, but if you are dealing with chronic pain, such as arthritis or back pain, work with your doctor to find a way to control your pain without putting your kidneys at risk.