world kidney day

Taking Care of Your Pair: Kidney Health Awareness

Xcene joins the international community to increase education and awareness about kidney health and on reducing the high chronic kidney disease (CKD) knowledge gap at all levels.

Stats show that 1 out of 10 adults worldwide has it, and if left untreated it can be deadly. While early detection allows for disease care and management to help prevent morbidity and mortality, and improve cost-effectiveness and sustainability, kidney disease-related mortality continues to increase yearly and is projected to be the 5th leading cause of death by 2040. A persistent and ongoing CKD knowledge gap exists, one that is demonstrable at all levels of healthcare.

How can you detect one with CKD? The following though not exhaustive can be used to ascertain one who might likely have such;

  • hypertension
  • anemia
  • edema, or swollen feet, hands, and ankles
  • fatigue, or tiredness
  • decreased urine output
  • bloody urine, in some cases
  • dark urine, in some cases
  • decreased mental alertness, when the condition is severe
  • a loss of appetite
  • persistent itchy skin, when the condition is severe
  • more frequent urination, especially at night, in some cases

The glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which measures how successfully a person’s kidney filters waste, may be used to determine stages 1 to 5, with 5 indicating a failed or near-failed kidney.

Is all hope lost if one has chronic kidney disease? Not at all.  A person may take certain medications to treat the symptoms and conditions and in addition, can try one of the following lifestyles;

Following a proper diet: Restriction of the amount of protein in the diet with the help of a doctor in determining the best sources of protein.

Avoid Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: Drugs such as ibuprofen and certain antibiotics may metabolize differently in individuals with related concerns.

End-stage treatment: Typically aimed at stage 5, a kidney transplant or dialysis will be needed for a patient to survive.

Some causes of CKD include;

Obstructed Urine flow, Kidney diseases, Malaria and yellow fever, Certain medications, Illegal substance use among others.

Prevention depends largely on managing the primary causes, which are diabetes and hypertension. However, there are other conditions — including kidney injury and heavy metal poisoning — that can cause CKD.

People who are at risk of the condition or who are concerned should speak with a doctor about testing. Leading a healthy lifestyle through diet and exercise can also help prevent CKD.

As we talk about kidney health for all, Xcene Research urges all to take care of their pair. We will continue to extend kidney disease awareness to patient education, encourage the general public to adopt healthy lifestyles, and encourage the adoption of policies that tackle the disease and ensure living well with kidney disease.

Share with friends!

4 thoughts on “Taking Care of Your Pair: Kidney Health Awareness”

  1. Good piece.
    Considering how there are a lot of patients in Nigeria coming down with kidney related issues, we need to begin to speak more about our kidney health. Lifestyle patterns that can make one susceptible to thesehealth conditions.

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *