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April 2016 | Read this issue and more at www.healthandwellnessmagazine.net |
Kidney Disease is
Manageable
The more you know about the kidneys, the better
By Jamie Lober, Staff Writer
When you talk about health, the kidneys do not always come to mind – but
they should.
“Unfortunately, a lot of people do
not know what the kidneys do, nor
do they know where they are located,”
said Anne Black, CEO of the National
Kidney Foundation (NKF).
People need to gain this basic knowledge in order to prevent kidney disease
and optimize wellness. The kidneys
are extremely important. The National
Institutes of Health says kidneys prevent the buildup of waste and extra
fluid in the body; maintain proper levels
of electrolytes such as sodium, potassium and phosphate; make hormones
that help regulate blood pressure; create
red blood cells; and keep bones strong.
“The kidneys are located just below
your back and rib cage,” Black said.
“They are each about the size of a fist
and basically act as the body’s natural
mechanism to clean your blood and
remove waste and any excess fluid
through urine.”
The kidneys keep busy. “If your kidneys are working properly, they are filtering a lot of blood through your body
every single day,” Black said. “They
take out anything considered toxic, and
that is released in the form of urine.
Anything good for the body goes back
in the blood stream.”
If the kidneys are not filtering
enough toxins, it can lead to trouble
such as kidney failure.
“One of the things that is unfortunate about kidney disease is that it
has very few symptoms,” said Black.
The Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) says more than 20
million U.S. adults have chronic kidney
disease and most of them are unaware
of their condition.
“In many cases, kidney disease can
be prevented because undertreated
or untreated diabetes and high blood
pressure are the two leading causes of
it,” Black said. “So if you have either
[condition], you should be treating
them so they do not wreak havoc on
the kidneys.”
Be alert to the red flags for kidney
disease. The CDC advises people to call
their healthcare provider if they notice
any signs of bladder infection, such as
cloudy or bloody urine, pain or burning when urinating or an urgent need
to urinate often. Signs of kidney infection include back pain, chills and fever.
Blood and urine tests are the only sure
ways to know if you have chronic kidney disease. Early diagnosis of kidney
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disease leads to the best outcomes.
Some people are at greater risk for
kidney disease than others. “Members
of the Latino and African American
communities have a higher risk of getting kidney disease,” Black said. “Part of
that is a predisposition to diabetes and
high blood pressure. Kidney disease
also increases dramatically in individuals over the age of 60.”
There are five stages of kidney disease. Stage 5 is considered to be endstage renal disease, where the kidneys
no longer function and you need to go
on dialysis. With dialysis, a machine
cleans your blood for you. The good
news is dialysis is a lifesaving treatment
for kidney failure.
“Since it came to the forefront,
there have been lots of improvements
and changes to it and a lot of different
options for individuals,” said Black.
The other choice for people with
end-stage renal disease is a transplant.
“Transplantation gives people more
freedom because they are not going
to do dialysis three days a week,” said
Black. There is a big push for living
kidney donations. Though we are born
with two, we really only need one, so
people are encouraged to ask a family
member or friend to see if they would
be a match for donation.
“There are obviously so many more
people waiting for a kidney than there
are kidneys available,” said Black.
The more you know about the
kidneys, the better. “People need to be
empowered to ask the right questions,
advocate for themselves and build a
network with their family members and
friends, as kidney disease in many cases
– actually most – can be managed very
well,” said Black.
Early diagnosis of
kidney disease leads to
the best outcomes.
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