As we all know, every person has two kidneys in the body, which are mainly responsible for filtering nitrogenous substances such as urea, creatinine, acids, etc. from the blood. (These are all products of metabolism in the body) and thus produce urine.
Millions of people live with various kidney diseases and most of them are not even aware of it. This is why kidney disease is often referred to as the "silent killer" because most people don't know about it until it gets serious. While people regularly check their blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, they don't even get a simple creatinine test in their blood to detect any kidney problems. According to the 2015 Global Borden Disease (GBD) study, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is ranked as one of the eighth leading causes of death in India.
There are many warning signs of kidney disease, but most of the time they are ignored or mistaken for some other kind of problem. Therefore, everyone should be very careful and have confirmatory tests (including blood, urine, and imaging) done as soon as possible if symptoms of renal dysfunction are seen. Such a person should visit a nephrologist and clear his doubts. However, if you have a family history of coronary artery disease, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome, or kidney failure, or if you are older than 60, you should have regular kidney checks.
While the only surefire way to diagnose kidney disease is a confirmatory test, here are some early warning signs of kidney disease:
One of the first symptoms is inflammation that appears close to the heels, foot, or ankles. Edema will appear in places where pressure is applied, and this is called pitting edema. As the kidneys stop working properly, the body begins to build up salt, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. In summary, if a person experiences these symptoms, they should see a nephrologist and have their kidney function assessed immediately.
Periorbital edema: This is where swelling appears around the eyes due to fluid buildup in the cells or tissues. This is one of kidney disease's initial signs. This is especially true in individuals who leak large amounts of protein through their kidneys. The destruction of protein from the body reduces intravascular oncotic pressure and leads to excessive accumulation of fluid in various places around the eye.
Early tiredness is a typical symptom of kidney disease. The severity of these symptoms increases as renal failure worsens. Compared to average days, the person may feel more tired and unable to do more activities and need to rest regularly. This is mainly due to the accumulation of toxins and impurities in the blood, resulting in kidney failure. Because it is a non-specific symptom, it is often overlooked and not fully explored by most people.
Loss of appetite: Accumulation of toxic substances such as urea, creatinine, and acid reduces appetite. In addition, as kidney disease progresses, the patient's taste changes, which patients often describe as metallic. If a person feels full in the stomach even without eating anything during the day, alarm bells should ring in the brain and their kidneys should be checked.
Morning nausea and vomiting: One of the early symptoms of kidney failure is morning nausea and vomiting, and it is detected when the patient brushes his teeth in the bathroom in the morning. This also reduces the person's appetite. In end-stage renal failure, the patient experiences frequent vomiting and loss of appetite.
Anemia: The hemoglobin level begins to drop and the person may appear pale without any blood being pumped from the body. It is one of the most common complications of kidney disease. It can also cause weakness and fatigue. This anemia is caused by many reasons including low levels of erythropoietin (synthesis of erythropoietin in the kidneys), low iron levels, bone marrow suppression due to toxic accumulation, etc.
Change in urinary frequency: urine output must be monitored very carefully. For example, the patient may have decreased urine output or feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night (called nocturia). This can be a warning sign and indicate that the filtering units of the kidneys have been damaged or are being damaged. Additionally, it may occasionally indicate a urinary tract infection or a swollen male prostate. Therefore, any change (increase or decrease) in urine output should be reported to your nephrologist immediately.
Foam or blood in the urine: Excess foam in the urine indicates the presence of protein in the urine (which should be very low under normal circumstances). When the kidney's filtering system is damaged or worn out, proteins, blood cells, and other substances leak out of the urine. In addition to indicating kidney disease, blood in the urine can indicate a tumor, kidney stone, or infection. In addition, pus in the urine with a fever or chills can be severe and again a sign of a serious urinary tract infection. Therefore, any change in the color, consistency, or nature of urine should be reported to a nephrologist as soon as possible.
Dry and itchy skin: Dry and itchy skin may indicate kidney disease in its severe stages. As kidney function declines, toxins build up in the body, causing itchy, dry, and smelly skin.
Back pain or lower abdominal pain: Pain in the back, side, or below the ribs can be an early symptom of kidney diseases such as kidney stones or pyelonephritis. Likewise, lower abdominal pain can be associated with a bladder infection or stones in the ureter (the tube connecting the kidney and bladder). Such symptoms should not be ignored and should be further investigated through routine imaging studies such as X-ray KUB or abdominal ultrasound.
High blood pressure: Kidney disease might have high blood pressure as a symptom. Anyone diagnosed with hypertension should have a detailed renal function and renal imaging to determine the renal etiology of hypertension. As kidney function deteriorates, sodium and water build up in the body, leading to high blood pressure. Symptoms of high blood pressure include headache, stomach pain, cloudiness, and perhaps early signs of kidney disease.
Kidney failure or renal failure can be prevented if the warning signs are recognized and treated in time, otherwise, the patient may require dialysis or a kidney transplant and, if left untreated, may even die.
Tips to keep the kidneys healthy:
There are many ways to prevent kidney disease. So why wait until you have kidney disease? Here are some tips to take care of your kidney health:
Drink a lot of water. This is the most common and easy way to keep your kidneys healthy. Drinking plenty of water, especially warm water, helps the kidneys flush sodium, urea, and toxins from the body.
Low sodium/salt diet: Check the amount of sodium or salt in your ears. This means you should also avoid packaged/restaurant foods. Don't over-salt your food either. A low-salt diet reduces the burden on the kidneys and prevents the development of hypertension, and hypertension-related diseases, and also prevents the development of kidney disease.
Maintain a healthy body weight: Eat healthily and control your weight. Have your cholesterol levels checked regularly to prevent cholesterol from building up in your renal arteries? Also, keep saturated fat/fried foods away from the diet and emphasize eating plenty of fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. As a person gains weight, the burden on the kidneys increases. Try to keep your BMI under 24, especially if you live in India.
Check blood sugar regularly and keep it below optimal levels: Kidney failure is very common in diabetic patients and can be prevented if detected early. It is therefore advised to periodically monitor your blood sugar, avoid sugary foods and see a doctor if you have low blood sugar (fasting or postprandial) or HbA1c. Keep the HbA1c level below 6.0.
Check and control blood pressure regularly: If you have high blood pressure, take antihypertensive drugs as advised by your doctor, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and make necessary dietary changes. An average blood pressure level is <120/80. In addition to kidney problems, high blood pressure can also lead to a stroke or heart attack.
Get a kidney function test along with regular urinalysis as part of your annual checkup: As I mentioned earlier, kidney function tests if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity or if you are over 60 years of age should have kidney imaging and urinalysis done. be done regularly. Consult your nephrologist if even small amounts of protein are found in the urine. Especially diabetic patients should be careful with this.
Quit smoking: Smoking is one of the main risk factors for developing kidney disease. Even smoking 1 cigarette can further damage an already weakened kidney. Smoking is also a risk factor for diabetes, high blood pressure, and CAD. So one should stop smoking immediately, which is important not only for the kidneys but also for the overall health of the body.
Sports such as jogging, cycling, swimming, and racket games at least 5 out of 7 days a week, if not daily, about 45 minutes a day, and thus maintain a healthy lifestyle by doing light exercise. Change your sedentary lifestyle, take a walk in the office or take a walk after lunch, or exercise in the morning and evening.
Balance your lifestyle appropriately by getting at least 8 hours of restful sleep a day. A good night's sleep is essential to stay healthy.