Chronic kidney disease (CKD) also known as chronic renal disease is a progressive loss of renal function.
Your kidneys work as a washing machine.
They remove waste products from your body and also produce vital hormones.
Each day 180 liters of blood is filtered by your kidneys.
Your blood gets cleaned about 50 times a day, yet many people still develops kidney problems.
When CKD develops, it normally ends up in end-stage kidney failure that requires immediate dialysis treatment or kidney transplantation.
Anyone can get CKD regardless of your age, whether you are young or old.
Elderly people, diabetic, those who have high blood pressure and a family history of CKD are more likely to develop kidney disease.
However, CKD is preventable and the first step to take is to have you checked by an expert.
Most people may not have any symptoms until their kidney disease is in the advanced stage.
Some of the symptoms to look out for are,
* tiredness
* lost of energy
* having trouble sleeping
* swollen ankles and feet
* puffiness around the eyes
* dry itchy skin
* need to urinate more often
* fatigue and weakness
* shortness of breath
* high-blood pressure
If you have these symptoms, see your doctor for medical checkup as to diagnose your condition.
A test called the eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) will be used to measure kidney function.
Your eGFR is calculated from the level of a chemical called creatinine in the blood.
GFR is a measure of the amount of blood your kidneys filter every minute.
The result reflects the filtration ability of your kidneys.
A normal eGFR is about 100 ml/min in young adults referred to as the percentage of normal kidney function.
Young adults with normal kidneys can have an eGFR as low as 75 ml/min and this will falls by 1 ml/min per year as people get older.
Healthy people aged 75 can have an eGFR of 50 to 60 ml/min.
CKD patients with complications like anemia, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or hyperphosphatemia are likely to develop symptoms at higher GFR levels.
Go for regular periodic medical checkup as early detection and treatment can often keep chronic kidney disease from getting worse.
Take these small steps to improve your kidney health,
* eat healthy
* exercise regularly to maintain your healthy weight
* get your blood pressure and kidney function checked
frequently
* control your blood sugar level
* stay active
* cut down on salt and processed foods
* don’t smoke
Many people around the world suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) without knowing it due to a lack of information about the matter.
Posted by: Mo Salle
Fact Sheet 2010:
• National Chronic Kidney Disease Fact Sheet 2010
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