Kidney Disease: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a major health concern worldwide. According to the recent report of Lancet, the cases of kidney disease have doubled in the last three decades. Compared to 1990, now about 80 crore people are affected by this disease.

It has been said in the report that in most of the patients, early stage of the disease i.e. stage 1 to 3 CKD was found, the total rate of which is about 13.9 percent. In the year 2023, CKD became the ninth leading cause of death worldwide, killing about 14.8 lakh people. Not only this, reduced kidney function has been cited as a major risk factor in 11.5 percent of deaths related to heart diseases. The report says that increased blood sugar levels, obesity and high blood pressure are the main causes of kidney disease.

A large number of people are affected in India also

According to the report, India is among the top countries in the world in terms of the number of people affected by kidney disease. In 2023, the highest number of CKD patients were found in China at 15.2 crore and India at 13.8 crore. At the same time, in countries like America, Indonesia, Japan, Brazil, Russia, Mexico, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand and Turkey, more than 1 crore adults are suffering from this disease.

Main causes of kidney disease

The report says that high blood pressure, high body mass index and seasonal temperature imbalance are the biggest reasons for kidney damage. These risks increase with increasing age. All these factors gradually increase between the age of 20 to 69 years, whereas after 70 years, high blood pressure becomes a bigger threat than BMI. At the same time, increased blood sugar levels have been found to be the biggest contributor to CKD at every age.

Symptoms are not visible in the initial stage

The biggest challenge of CKD is that there are no obvious symptoms in its initial stages. As the disease progresses, some common signs start emerging. Some of its main symptoms are as follows-

• fatigue and lack of energy
• swelling in feet, ankles, or hands
• Change in urine volume or color
• loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting
• itchy or dry skin
• muscle cramps or pain
• trouble sleeping or lack of concentration
• unexplained weight loss
• difficulty breathing

Early detection and prevention is the only solution

Most people do not recognize the symptoms until the disease has progressed significantly. In such a situation, it is very important to do urine test from time to time, check blood sugar and blood pressure, and adopt a healthy lifestyle. According to experts, by improving medicines and diet in the initial stage, the pace of the disease can be slowed down to a great extent and serious problems can be avoided.

Read this also- PCOS Symptoms: Risk of PCOS is increasing in women, know its early and serious symptoms

Disclaimer: This information is based on research studies and expert opinion. Do not consider this as a substitute for medical advice. Before adopting any new activity or exercise, please consult your doctor or relevant specialist.

Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Calculate The Age Through Age Calculator

Kidney is one of the most important organs of our body. It helps in purifying our blood, removing waste from the body and maintaining fluid balance. Apart from this, kidneys produce some hormones in our body which help in controlling blood pressure and producing red blood cells. But many people do not realize that their kidneys are not functioning properly until the situation becomes very serious. This is because kidney problems often do not give any obvious symptoms in the early stages. This is why almost 90 percent of people do not know that they have kidney disease. This is why timely investigation and caution is very important. In such a situation, let us know how to find out if the kidney is getting damaged before it fails and which test helps completely.

How to detect kidney failure before it fails?

1. Change in urine – Decrease in amount of urine, frequent urination, especially at night. Foam or bubbles in urine, which indicate the presence of protein, blood or strange color in urine can be a sign of kidney failure.

2. Swelling in the body – When the kidneys do not function properly, toxins start accumulating in the body. It often appears as swelling around the eyes, legs or hands.

3. Fatigue and weakness – The kidney produces erythropoietin, a hormone necessary for making red blood cells. Due to kidney failure, there is lack of oxygen in the body and the person feels tired.

4. Difficulty in breathing – Due to accumulation of toxins in the body, there may be problems in the lungs, which causes problems in breathing.

5. Vomiting and Nausea – When kidneys fail, toxins accumulate in the body, which can lead to loss of appetite, vomiting or persistent nausea.

6. Headache, dizziness and mental problems – Kidney problems can cause electrolyte imbalance in the body, which makes it difficult to focus and sometimes can even lead to mental problems. If you feel any of these symptoms, get tested immediately.

Which test is most helpful in knowing the condition of kidney?

1. Blood test – Creatinine and BUN to know the condition of kidney. Tests tell how well your kidneys are removing waste from your blood. Apart from eGFR, it shows the glomerular filtration rate. This test tells how well your kidneys are filtering the blood. If eGFR is less than 15, there is a possibility of severe kidney damage or failure.

2. Urine test – This test checks for protein, blood or other abnormal elements in urine. Also monitors quantity and color used.

3. Imaging Test – Ultrasound or CT scan helps in seeing the structure and size of the kidney. Information about stones, tumors or other diseases can be found in it.

4. Other Tests – In some cases, the doctor may also perform other tests, such as a kidney biopsy, which can reveal the structure of the kidney and the level of damage.

Prevention and precautions before kidney damage

By early detection of kidney disease, we can prevent it from progressing. For this, if your family is suffering from kidney disease or your age is more than 60, then get regular checkups done. Keep blood sugar under control. High blood pressure and diabetes can damage the kidneys. Apart from this, healthy lifestyle, balanced diet, drinking more water, regular exercise and avoiding smoking. Correct use of medicines, do not take any medicine or supplement without doctor’s advice.

Also read: Shreyas Iyer Spleen Injury: Shreyas Iyer’s spleen is seriously injured, what does this organ do in the body?

Check out below Health Tools-
Calculate Your Body Mass Index (BMI)

Calculate The Age Through Age Calculator