- Written by Dwain Francis
- Published in Health Matter
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Lifeline RX, Week 1, March 2016
The theme for the 2016 World Kidney Day campaign recognized on the 10th of March is “Kidney Disease and Children: Act Early to Prevent It!” Kidney diseases affect millions of people worldwide, including many children who may be at risk of kidney disease at an early age.
The kidneys are two organs located in your midsection on either side of your spine in the middle of your back, just above the waist. They clean your blood, keep the balance of salt and minerals in your blood, and help control blood pressure.
When your kidneys are damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in your body, causing swelling in your ankles, vomiting, weakness, poor sleep, and shortness of breath. If you don't treat them, diseased kidneys may eventually stop working completely. Loss of kidney function is a serious -- and potentially fatal -- condition.
Doctors call the sudden loss of kidney function "acute kidney injury" or "acute renal failure" (ARF). It has three main causes:
- Lack of blood flow to the kidneys;
- Direct damage to the kidneys themselves; or
- Urine backed up in the kidneys.
These can happen when you:
- Have a traumatic injury with blood loss;
- Are dehydrated;
- Go into shock during a severe infection called sepsis;
- Have a blocked urine flow, which can happen with an enlarged prostate;
- Take specific drugs or are around certain toxins; or
- Get certain complications with a pregnancy;
Kidneys that don't work well for longer than 3 months is called chronic kidney disease. It's dangerous, because you may not have any symptoms until a lot of damage that often can't be repaired, has happened.
Many people who have chronic kidney disease don't know it because the early signs can be very subtle. It can take many years to go from chronic kidney disease to kidney failure. Most people with chronic kidney disease live out their lives without ever reaching kidney failure. People with stage 3 chronic kidney disease have about an 80% chance of never having their kidneys fail.
At any stage of kidney disease, knowledge is power. Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help you get the treatment you need to feel your best.
Symptom 1: Changes in Urination
Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change.
Symptom 2: Swelling
Failing kidneys don't remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, face, and/or hands.
Symptom 3: Fatigue
Healthy kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin (a-rith'-ro-po'-uh-tin), or EPO, that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they make less EPO. With fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, your muscles and brain tire very quickly. This is anemia, and it can be treated.
Symptom 4: Skin Rash/Itching
Kidneys remove wastes from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, the build- up of wastes in your blood can cause severe itching.
Symptom 5: Metallic Taste in Mouth/Ammonia Breath
A build-up of wastes in the blood (called uremia) can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don't feel like eating.
Symptom 6: Nausea and Vomiting
A severe build-up of wastes in the blood (uremia) can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.
Symptom 7: Shortness of Breath
Trouble catching your breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia (a shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.
Symptom 8: Feeling Cold
Anemia can make you feel cold all the time, even in a warm room.
Symptom 9: Dizziness and Trouble Concentrating
Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to memory problems, trouble with concentration, and dizziness.
Symptom 10: Leg/Flank Pain
The most common causes of chronic kidney disease do not cause any pain. And, much of the pain that is near the kidneys is not caused by a kidney problem. But some people who have chronic kidney disease do have pain. Some people with kidney problems may have pain in the upper back (where the kidneys are) or on the same side as the affected kidney.
If you or someone you know has one or more of the aforementioned symptoms of chronic kidney disease, or you worry about kidney problems in yourself, spouse or children, see a doctor for blood and urine tests. Remember, many of the symptoms can be caused by other health problems. The only way to know the cause of your symptoms is to see your doctor.
For additional information regarding kidney disease, contact the Health Promotion Unit at 338-3064.
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