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Waste products are
filtered from your body in the kidneys. If this waste is not
filtered and removed; it builds up and becomes toxic to the
body. This toxic overload causes illness, disease, and can
lead to death. An enzyme produced in the kidney controls
blood pressure; so great-functioning kidneys are vitally
important for good blood pressure control.
There is a hormone
produced in the kidneys that is important for Red Blood Cell
production. Vitamin D is activated in the kidneys for
healthy bones. The kidneys are also important in homeostasis
– balancing fluids, chemicals, and minerals to help the body
work properly without you even thinking about it. You may
not have remembered about this delicate balance from your
anatomy class, but now that your memory has been refreshed –
stop taking your kidneys for granted.
Since there are few
symptoms of CKD, how would you know to make an appointment
with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) for evaluation? Think
about the kidney functions I just mentioned:
Are you producing more, or
less urine than usual?
Are you retaining fluid in
your feet, ankles, hands, face or lungs? Lung fluid would
cause shortness of breath.
Have you been told you
have protein in your urine?
Is your blood pressure
consistently above normal?
Your PCP may notice a
change in your Red Blood Cell count; and you may notice
fatigue or anemia.
Are your bones becoming
weaker? Any recent bone fractures?
Waste building up in your
body can cause bad breath or a metal taste in your mouth.
Waste can also cause your skin to be itchy when there is no
rash.
Do you generally just do
not feel well; or have more problems with your chronic
illnesses?
Pay attention to your
body. These symptoms don’t happen all at once. Your PCP
will review your history and current symptoms, and will
order lab work – primarily Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) and
Creatinine. If these values are above normal; this indicates
kidney disease. A referral to a nephrologist, a kidney
specialist is standard.
There are five stages
of CKD. A nephrologist will establish the stage based on
blood work values. Catching the disease at an early stage
and beginning treatment will slow the progression of the
disease. Stage 1 is Normal. Stage 5 is considered End Stage.
At this Stage or before, there will need to be a discussion
about dialysis or a kidney transplant. A registered
dietitian will also help with a kidney-friendly diet.
African-Americans,
Native-Americans, Latinos, and Asian-Americans are all at
very high risk for CKD, due to the high rates of high blood
pressure, and diabetes in these populations. Diabetes is
the number one cause of kidney disease. One in three
diabetics have Chronic Kidney Disease.
High blood pressure
is the second leading cause of CKD. One in five people
diagnosed with high blood pressure have CKD. Other causes
of CKD are Polycystic Kidney Disease; autoimmune diseases,
such as Lupus; HIV/AIDS; inflammation in the kidneys; birth
defects; Hepatitis C; too many over-the-counter pain
medications, such as ibuprofen or naproxen; and smoking.
Any of these
diseases, especially diabetes and high blood pressure need
to be tightly controlled. Those who are age 55 and older
need to be screened yearly for kidney disease. Take care of
your kidneys, and they’ll take care of you.
Contact Dianne Hart Pettis, MS, FNP-BC at
www.diannehartwellness.com
724-375-7519 |
