Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) means a condition that damages one’s kidneys. It decreases kidneys’ ability to keep one healthy by doing their functions.
CKD is a common, life-threatening illness that often goes undetected until very advanced.
CKD may progress slowly over a long time. A lot of people are not aware that they have
kidney disease until it’s severe. If it’s found and treated early, CKD may often be slowed down or stopped.
The risk factors for CKD include:
– Diabetes
– High blood pressure
– A family history of kidney disease, diabetes or high blood pressure
– Obesity
– Kidney stone
– Above 50 years old
Annual Health Screening is vital to check whether your kidneys are healthy.
You should visit your doctor or clinic and get tested. Your checkup should include: o Urine test for protein(NKF Health Screening) - Protein is an important building block in your body. Any filtered protein
is normally reabsorbed and kept in your body. When your kidney are
damaged, however, protein leaks into your urine. - There are different tests to check for protein in your urine. If you have two
positive tests over several weeks, you are said to have persistent protein
in your urine. This is a sign of CKD. o Blood pressure o Blood test for glucose o Blood test for creatinine - Creatinine is a waste product that comes from muscle activity. - Your kidneys normally remove creatinine from your blood. When your kidneys are damaged, however, your blood creatinine may build to a high
level. - The results of your test should be used to estimate your Glomerular
Filtration Rate, or GFR. Your GFR tells how much kidney function
you have.
Your doctor will want to pinpoint your diagnosis and check your kidney function to help plan your treatment. The doctor may do the following:
Calculate your GFR, which is the best way to tell how much kidney function you have. You do not need to have another test to know your GFR. Your doctor can calculate it from your blood creatinine, your age, race and gender. Your GFR tells your doctor your stage of kidney disease and helps the doctor plan your treatment. (See the chart below on “5 Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease”)
Perform an ultrasound or CT scan to get a picture of your kidneys and urinary tract. This tells your doctor whether your kidneys are too large or too small, whether you have a problem like a kidney stone or tumor and whether there are any problems in the structure of your kidneys and urinary tract.
Perform a kidney biopsy, which is done in some cases to check for a specific type of kidney disease, see how much kidney damage has occurred and help plan treatment. To do a biopsy, the doctor removes small pieces of kidney tissue and looks at them under a microscope.
Your doctor may also ask you to see a kidney specialist (nephrologist) who will consult on your case and help manage your case.
Early detection and treatment can often slow or stop CKD. How well your treatment can achieve this goal depends on:
Your stage of CKD when you start treatment. The earlier you start, the better you are likely to do.
How carefully you follow your treatment plan. Learn all you can about CKD and its treatment, and make sure to follow all the steps of your treatment faithfully.
The cause of your kidney disease. Some kidney diseases are more difficult to control..
