Improve your kidney IQ
Many Americans know the basics of leading a healthy lifestyle, but are regular exercise and a careful diet the only ingredients to maintaining a healthy body? As the third Annual World Kidney Day approaches on March 13, 2008, the National Kidney Foundation says it’s time to improve our Kidney IQ.
According to the foundation, one in every nine adults in the U.S. has chronic kidney disease, and African Americans, Hispanics and seniors are all at greater risk for developing this condition. In light of the great number of people suffering from or at risk for developing this condition, it is important to understand the causes of chronic kidney disease and its treatment.
The kidneys regulate sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium and water in the body, remove toxins and regulate hormones in charge of blood pressure, production of red blood cells and bone density. In chronic kidney disease, high levels of toxins can build up in the blood and make you sick. Your blood pressure may also rise, you may become anemic, your bones may get weaker and your overall health may be severely affected.
In addition, poorly functioning kidneys can contribute to heart disease. It has been determined that cardiovascular complications, such as heart attacks, are responsible for roughly half of all deaths in patients with kidney disease.
The most common causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, which together make up more than two-thirds of the cases. Other common causes include inherited kidney disease, kidney defects as a result of genetic abnormalities, lupus, kidney stones and repeated urinary infections. In some instances, the cause is unknown.
Generally, symptoms do not appear until the advanced stages of chronic kidney disease. Those at high risk — minorities with diabetes or high blood pressure — should talk with their doctor should they experience:
An abnormal lack of energy
Difficulty concentrating
Difficulty sleeping due to muscle cramps or increased trips to the bathroom to urinate
Swollen feet and ankles, puffiness around the eyes
Due to the general nature of these symptoms, their presence does not always mean you have developed this condition, but if you have a predisposition for chronic kidney disease you should visit your doctor regularly to ensure the health of your kidneys.
The best defense against chronic kidney disease is to prevent or carefully monitor the conditions causing the failure. Tests are available to screen for protein in the urine and waste products in the blood — indicators of kidney disease.
Controlling diabetes involves following your doctor’s treatment plan, exercising and maintaining a healthy, balanced diet. Keeping your blood sugar as near to normal levels as possible and taking prescribed medications is the best way to minimize the risk of kidney damage and disease.
The same holds true for high blood pressure. In addition to lifestyle changes, your doctor may start you on a drug therapy program to lower high blood pressure to a target measurement of 130/80. Medicines called ACE (angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors and ARBs (angiotensin receptor blockers) can lower blood pressure and protect the kidneys better than other medicines.
Recommended lifestyle changes include avoiding medicines that damage the kidneys (analgesics such as ibuprofen and naproxen), maintaining adequate hydration, not smoking, limiting alcohol and never taking illegal drugs.
Those with high levels of blood cholesterol may also require medication to reduce the risk of heart disease.
Your doctor may check for infections and blockages such as kidney stones, which also contribute to chronic kidney disease. Depending on the diseases causing your chronic kidney disease, your doctor will need to tailor a program for your specific conditions.
In the event the treatment is unable to control your chronic kidney disease, you may develop kidney failure and require either dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to sustain life. Your doctor can help determine the best course of action.
Dialysis is a mechanical method of doing your kidneys’ job for you by filtering wastes and toxins from your blood. The four-hour sessions are scheduled three times a week. Dialysis can continue for several years or until you receive a new kidney.
Kidney transplants are often preferred, as they allow you to return to a relatively normal life. Unfortunately, if you do not know someone who can donate a kidney, the waiting period for a donor can be lengthy. In addition to the long wait, kidney transplants require patients to take medication for life to keep their immune system from attacking the new kidney. The medication leaves patients more susceptible to sickness and cancer.
Because of the devastation of kidney disease, the best course of action is to prevent or control it by maintaining a healthy lifestyle and by regularly talking with your doctor about kidney disease if you are at risk.
This month, in honor of Annual World Kidney Day, challenge yourself to the National Kidney Foundation’s Kidney Quiz. For more information, or to register for World Kidney Day events, visit the foundation web site at www.kidney.org.
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