Anyone with diabetes or high blood pressure should be aware that these conditions can lead to chronic kidney disease and even kidney failure. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure and high blood pressure is the second most common cause. 70 percent of African Americans have kidney failure due to diabetes and high blood pressure, and African Americans are four times more likely to have kidney failure than whites. To measure kidney performance we should take a proper lab test.
The good news is that kidney failure does not happen overnight. Instead, it usually occurs after years or decades of kidney damage. You can significantly reduce the risk of kidney failure by taking certain precautions and monitoring your health by online lab test booking.
Your Kidneys
Most people do not stop thinking about their kidneys, but life depends on them. These fist-sized organs are located on either side of the spine, approximately hip height, and play an important role in maintaining health.
An important function of the kidneys is to filter waste products from the blood. That is found after blood test report. Every two minutes, the whole body’s blood supply circulates through the kidneys, where the blood is filtered. Purified blood flows back to the heart and slag products are filtered out in the urine.
In addition to filtering waste, the kidneys regulate the amount of fluid in the body, help regulate blood pressure and help in the production of red blood cells and healthy bones.
Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure
Both diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the kidneys, leading to chronic kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease is a condition in which a person’s kidneys do not function as well as they should.
Finally, the damage from chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure. When a person has kidney failure, it means that their kidneys are not working well enough to keep the person alive, and the only options are dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant.
In the United States, more than 7.4 million adults over the age of 20 suffer from chronic kidney disease. This is 4.5 percent of the population. Currently, 400,000 Americans have kidney failure and are kept alive by dialysis or a kidney transplant.
More than 75,000 people die each year from kidney failure. Kidney disease is the ninth most common cause of death in the United States.
With early diagnosis and treatment, chronic kidney disease can slow down and prevent kidney failure. Without treatment, chronic kidney disease can develop into kidney failure with little or no warning.
Symptoms and screening
Early chronic kidney disease usually has no symptoms. Chronic kidney disease sometimes develops so slowly that many patients do not realize they are sick until the disease has progressed far and are transported to the hospital for life-saving dialysis. The only way to know if you have chronic kidney disease is to do some simple medical tests.
Sometimes there are warning signs of chronic kidney disease, especially when kidney failure is approaching. The warning signs are as follows:
Swelling of body parts such as ankles, feet or face
- Burning or unusual feeling when urinating
- Foamy, bloody or coffee-colored urine
- more often wet, especially at night
- Mild bruising or bleeding
- you feel bad or tired
A chronic kidney disease test should be done if you have any of the symptoms above, or if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or if your family member has kidney disease. Remember that you feel perfectly healthy and you may still have chronic kidney disease.
Simple tests for chronic kidney disease include a urine protein test and a blood creatine test. Your doctor uses these tests to determine a number called the GFR (glomerular filtration rate). The GFR number measures how well your kidneys are working. Your doctor should be able to explain exactly what your GFR number means.
Therapy
The goal of treating patients with chronic kidney disease is to slow or stop kidney damage. It is very important for a person with chronic kidney disease to control their blood pressure, control their blood sugar levels if they are diabetic, avoid certain medications, and follow a special diet that can be explained by a doctor or nutritionist.
Prevention
You can reduce your risk of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure if you lead a healthy lifestyle: eat lean, salty foods, exercise regularly, limit alcohol consumption, and refrain from smoking.
Another aspect of prevention is regular check-ups, including check-ups for diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease – even if you are feeling well!
If you have high blood pressure you need to take the medicine correctly and talk to your doctor often. If you have diabetes, follow a diet, take medication, and measure your blood test from a medical lab like Chughtai lab Lahore regularly.
