Your skin itches and you have bruises? Watch out, there may be kidney problems

The kidneys are an extremely important paired organ for the human body, the main task of which is to regulate the water balance. Removing water and metabolites from the body is an important but not the only function of the kidneys. Disturbances in their functioning can manifest themselves very subtly, which is why appropriate preventive examinations are important. How else can you take care of your kidneys?

1. The kidneys do not hurt – this means that problems with this organ will manifest themselves differently
2. Most kidney diseases are asymptomatic
3. Important signs that something bad may be going on in the urinary system are itchy skin, bruising, and swelling, e.g. under the eyes
4. Check your health. Just answer these questions
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

What do you need to know about the kidneys?

The kidneys are located in the lumbar region, within the abdominal cavity and under the diaphragm. They are associated primarily with their flagship function, i.e. filtering harmful metabolic products from the blood and excreting them in the form of urine.

The kidneys filter even 100–180 liters of primary urine per day, 99% of which are urine. water returns to the bloodstream. The remaining 1 percent. is an average of 1,5 liters of final urine excreted by an adult daily. Contrary to appearances, filtering such an amount of fluids is not a problem for the kidneys, and drinking plenty of fluids every day makes the whole process easier. It is drinking insufficient water throughout the day that strains the kidneys.

If we are concerned that the pain we are experiencing is a problem with the kidneys, it is worth remembering one thing – kidneys don’t hurt. Pain in the lower back can actually be pain in the spine, joints, or muscles. The kidney itself does not have sensory nerves, but possible nephrological pain in the lumbar region may be related to the kidney capsule, renal pelvis or urinary tract.

Kidney disease does not have any specific symptoms. This is a major diagnostic problem and is often diagnosed by accident. Any ailments that may be associated with the kidneys are often underestimated or considered a symptom of other medical conditions.

The role of the kidneys in the body includes:

1. excretory function;
2. production of vitamin D3;
3. the kidney is involved in the catabolism of the amino acids from which collagen is formed;
4. glucose resynthesis – glucose is produced in the kidneys to a small extent, as its main source are liver cells;
5. the production of renin to regulate blood pressure;
6. maintaining blood pH balance.

How to properly care for the kidneys?

– What is good for the heart, good for the kidneys – says prof. Ryszard Gellert, Director of the Medical Center of Postgraduate Education. Thus, he emphasizes that by taking care of the heart and following the well-known recommendations regarding a healthy lifestyle, we will also keep the kidneys in good condition. It is therefore important to lead a balanced lifestyle.

For healthy kidneys, it is important to:

1. limit alcohol consumption;
2. eat according to a low-protein diet (the situation of diabetic patients is slightly different);
3. give up smoking;
4. maintain the body weight within the normal range, i.e. in accordance with the result indicated by the BMI calculator;
5. regular physical activity.

The rest of the text is below the video.

How to get tested to detect kidney problems?

Few people consider diagnosis of kidney diseases. This is not surprising as there is no group of common symptoms to indicate a problem. Many symptoms are easy to ignore or attribute to other health problems. Therefore, there is a risk that we will miss the signs of disease progression.

We should start the diagnosis of the urinary system if we observe:

1. disorders related to urination, including pollakiuria, nocturia, haematuria, cloudy urine with a sharp smell, pressure on the bladder, and difficulty or pain in passing urine;
2. swelling in parts of the body such as the hands, feet and eye area;
3. pain in the lumbar region that does not depend on changes in position or movement;
4. itchy skin, as well as pale skin and bruising;
5. high blood pressure;
6. high blood sugar.

The first step in detecting urinary and kidney abnormalities is a general urine test. According to general medical indications, it is worthwhile to have this test performed annually. If we follow this recommendation, we have a higher chance of detecting kidney disease when there are no symptoms that indicate kidney disease. In urine people with healthy kidneys there should be no erythrocytes, leukocytes, protein or granular cells. If any abnormalities are found, urine is cultured.

prof. Richard Gellert

75 percent cases of kidney failure and kidney disease can be detected in the office of a general practitioner, cardiologist or diabetologist.

In the diagnostic process, the doctor may find it helpful to perform more detailed laboratory tests, i.e. tests with a kidney profile. Usually, the levels of creatinine, urea, sodium, potassium and uric acid are measured. As part of more detailed biochemical tests, also the measurement of albumin, total protein, cholesterol, fasting blood sugar, blood pH and liver tests are performed. The diagnosis of liver diseases is also facilitated by ESR, morphology, imaging tests (eg kidney ultrasound), and also by examining the immune system.

Source: Conference “Polish woman in Europe”

Additional bibliography:

1. Jankowski M., The role of the kidneys in the regulation of the water management of the system, Nephrological Forum 2012, vol. 5, no. 1, 60–67.
2. Pietrzyk, Jacek A. (ed.), Nutrition of patients with renal failure, ed. 6 additions and amendments, Koszalin, Prosperius, 2010.