March is Kidney Health Awareness Month; a time for raising awareness about kidney health and sharing facts about ways to keep your kidneys healthy.
“According to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), one in three Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure,” said Doris U. Theune, GNP-BC Sheboygan Internal Medicine Associates. Sadly, more than 30 million Americans already have a kidney disease, and most don’t even know it because there are no symptoms until the disease has progressed.
You have two kidneys that are bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist; they are located at either side of your spine near the middle of your back. Many think the kidneys are only responsible for producing urine, but they have many important functions in your body. For instance, when your kidneys are functioning normally, they accumulate urine and dispose of it through the urinary tract. Excess water and toxins from metabolic processes, along with the urine, are removed from the body as if through a filter. In addition, the acid-base balance is regulated by the kidneys to prevent excess acidity in the blood. The kidneys are also important for regulating your blood pressure by producing hormones. In addition, kidneys influence the amount of calcium in the blood and the production of vitamin D needed in mineralization that provides bone stability.
Facts:
Most people do not have symptoms of decreased kidney function until the GFR is 20–30, and they do not feel sick until it is 10–15. A GFR below 15 indicates that you need to start a treatment for kidney failure, which includes dialysis or kidney transplant. “Knowing your GFR is as important as knowing blood pressure numbers,” said Theune. “And remember the earlier kidney disease is detected the better your outcome will be.”
Treatment:
The progression of chronic kidney disease may be reduced with lifestyle changes such as:
Most importantly, Theune recommends that you talk to your doctor honestly about the following. • Your lifestyle: diet, alcohol and tobacco consumption, physical activity • Medications or supplements you take. • Your full health history • Speak up about any medical conditions you and any family member has had relative to kidney failure.
Sources:
https://www.kidney.org/prevention
https://nccd.cdc.gov/ckd/help.aspx?section=F
https://www.mainlinehealth.org/specialties/nephrology/frequently-asked-questions
https://www.kidney.org/news/monthly/Focus_KidneyMonth
http://www.urologyhealth.org/careblog/march-is-national-kidney-month-x3078