YOUR KIDNEY, SMALL ORGANS, BIG ROLE

Removes waste and extra fluid
Regulates blood pressure
Helps keep our bones strong
Helps produce red blood cells

KIDNEY DISEASE, A SILENT KILLER

Most people who have kidney damage are unaware and they may find that out too late. Kidneys can lose their function up to 90% before the symptoms appear. Kidney failure may require you to go for frequent, costly dialysis sessions or renal transplantation to stay alive. You can prevent this if kidney diseases are detected early.

RISK FACTORS:

• Diabetic
• Having high blood pressure
• Over 50 years of age
• Family history of kidney disease
• Smoker

10 SYMPTOMS OF KIDNEY DISEASE

EARLY DETECTION allows EARLY TREATMENT of kidney disease and can slow or halt the progression of renal disease. Know your symptoms today before it’s too late!

Changes in urination: getting up at night to urinate, urine may be foamy or bubbly, increase or decrease in urination frequency, blood in urine, difficulty urinating.
Swelling: When your kidneys’ function starts to deteriorate, they fail to remove extra fluid, causing fluid buildup in your body.
Fatigue: kidneys make a hormone that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. When your kidneys fail, they make less of these hormones, and hence, fewer red blood cells are available to carry oxygen, causing your muscles and brain to become tired more quickly.
Skin rash/itching: build up of wastes due to failing kidneys can cause severe itching
Metallic taste in mouth: also caused by buildup of wastes in blood.
Nausea and vomiting: buildup of wastes in blood not only causes nausea and vomiting, but also loss of appetite leading to weight loss.
Shortness of breath: This may be due to swelling of lungs due to fluid retention, or lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the body.
Feeling cold.
Dizziness and trouble concentrating.
Leg/Flank pain: presence of large, fluid-filled cysts on the kidneys or liver causing pain.

Many of the symptoms above can be due to reasons other than kidney disease. The best way to know your kidneys’ condition is to see your doctor and get it checked.

KIDNEY PERFORMANCE TEST

Keep check of your kidneys’ performance through a renal function test*. A renal function test includes a blood test revealing the levels of sodium, potassium, chloride, urea, creatinine, uric acid, calcium, phosphorus, total cholesterol, total protein, glucose, urine FEME and specific gravity.

For a more comprehensive picture of your kidney status, you may also perform an upper abdominal ultrasound* (includes a kidney scan).