Kidney diseases are asymptomatic for a long time. The first symptoms are not very characteristic

Kidney diseases are usually mildly symptomatic or asymptomatic at all, until severe renal failure develops – warns Prof. Michał Nowicki of the Medical University of Lodz. They can be detected early by urinalysis and morphology.

1. Statistics show that there are approximately 210 people with chronic kidney disease in Poland, and not almost 4 million, as the screening tests show. The discrepancies result from the fact that we simply do not diagnose kidney diseases in Poland – explains in an interview with PAP Prof. Michał Nowicki
2. Kidney diseases are asymptomatic for a long time. Often times, the patient does not know that he is sick until acute renal failure occurs
3. The first symptom of the disease is often easy fatigue and exercise intolerance, but these symptoms are also difficult to relate to the kidneys.
4. You can find more similar stories on the TvoiLokony home page

How to recognize kidney disease?

According to the Polish Nephrology Society, 11 to 13 percent of patients suffer from chronic kidney disease. adults. In Poland, about 4 million people are sick, often because the disease was detected too late.

– If you look at the indicators of the National Health Fund or the Ministry of Health, you might think that there are only 210 people with chronic kidney disease in Poland, and not almost 4 million, as it would appear from screening tests. This is a very significant discrepancy. It follows that very often we simply do not recognize kidney diseases, points out Prof. Michał Nowicki, head of the Department of Nephrology, Hypertensiology and Kidney Transplantology at the Medical University of Lodz.

In his opinion, the reason for this is the fact that kidney diseases are largely asymptomatic or asymptomatic at all. And so it is until severe failure occurs. – That’s when it starts showing up easy fatigue and exercise intolerance. However, these are still general, non-specific symptoms. It is difficult to judge on the basis of them that the kidneys are damaged, and not, for example, the heart or some other organ – he adds.

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Kidney disease may be indicated by arterial hypertension, especially in young and middle-aged people, because in them it most often has a nephrological basis. Disturbing are also swelling caused by the excretion of large amounts of protein in the urine, as well as proteinuria or hematuria and significant foaming of urine.

Kidney failure develops gradually and it is an irreversible process, which is why early diagnosis of the disease is so important. Therefore, the specialist emphasizes, blood pressure should be monitored regularly and routine diagnostic tests, such as general urine tests and complete blood counts, should be performed.

Kidney disease – how to diagnose?

– I often say that pressure measurements and urine testing it’s a “kidney window” through which we can see our superfilters. In terms of urine testing, proteinuria and hematuria are of particular importance. If we suspect kidney failure, we should do a blood test to measure serum creatinine levels. This is the most important and easiest to measure renal excretory function index. On the basis of creatinine concentration, age and sex, the so-called glomerular filtration is automatically calculated in the laboratory, showing whether and how the kidneys work and filter – explains Prof. Michał Nowicki.

1. The disease develops asymptomatically. How can I check if my kidneys are healthy?

Basic examinations can be performed free of charge on the basis of a referral from a family doctor. They should be regularly performed by people who are most exposed to kidney diseases, i.e. those with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and atherosclerosis. It is especially dangerous glomerular disease, one of the most serious diseases, often leading to kidney failure.

– Other nephrological diseases are kidney interstitial diseases, most often developing as a result of repeated urinary tract infections. We also distinguish renal vascular diseases, mainly due to advanced atherosclerosis, and sometimes also other systemic diseases. Unlike chronic diseases, there are acute diseases. This includes acute kidney damage. If kidney ischemia occurs, for example due to a drop in blood pressure, acute kidney failure can develop, which is generally reversible if the pressure is stabilized and thus the kidneys work properly, explains Prof. Michał Nowicki.

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The specialist cautions that when chronic kidney disease develops, the patient’s overall prognosis worsens greatly. If someone has cardiovascular disease, has had a heart attack, and has kidney failure – the risk of dying from various types of complications is from several to several dozen times greater than if he did not have kidney failure. Only early detection gives a chance for a longer and better quality life – he emphasizes.

Kidneys – what is their function?

The kidneys are the body’s most important excretory organ. They produce urine with which waste products, toxins and drug metabolites are excreted. But they also have many important secretory functions.

– The kidneys not only play the role of a simple filter, but also the “chief chemist” of the system. Many chemical processes take place in them to deacidify the body, remove electrolytes or excess water from it. Many metabolic processes take place in the kidneys, and thanks to this, these organs guard the stability of the intracorporeal environment – explains Prof. Michał Nowicki.

The kidneys produce important hormones such as renin to regulate blood pressure. As a result of successive transformations, renin produces aldosterone, the hormone regulates blood pressure, sodium-potassium and acid-base balance in the body. The kidneys also produce erythropoietin, which controls the bone marrow to make red blood cells. Thanks to the kidneys, active vitamin D is also produced.

– What we get in the form of a tablet must be activated by the kidneys. When there is no proper kidney function, there is no active vitamin D, and it is vitamin D that regulates the economy, especially the bone condition in the body, adds the professor.

He adds that a healthy lifestyle is the most important factor in the prevention and treatment of chronic kidney disease. Regular and well-balanced meals, adequate hydration of the body, daily physical activity and protection against polluted air.

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