here's the truth about symptoms and risk factors for kidney disease.
You shouldn't be worried about CKD symptoms.
You should take care of the RISK FACTORS instead.
Taking care of them can make all the difference.
Here's why.
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The kidneys are very important organs, they are a lot more of just filters for the blood.
They do filter the blood, actually, but there's a lot more.
They keep the delicate balance of minerals and electrolytes in the body.
These minerals includes sodium and potassium.
Do them sound familiar?
That's because they're really important for our body.
Patients with kidney disease really need to be careful with their diet to keep sodium
and potassium in balance, when their kidneys can't do it for them.
But, if you're here, you probably already know how important the kidneys are.
And maybe you are worried about a symptom you're starting to notice.
Being aware of our health is a good thing, but there's ONE THING that people tend to
overlook.
And that could make all the difference with kidney disease.
A lot of people are worried about the pain they're having in their back or the bubbles
they're starting to see in the urine.
I always tell them the same thing.
Do you know if you have any risk factors for CKD?
They always look at me with a puzzled expression in their faces.
But here is the problem.
They are worried about the wrong thing.
They worry about the symptom, but the symptom is just the result of a problem.
What they should be taking care of instead is the CAUSE.
CKD is called the silent killer.
Have you ever heard this definition?
Why do they call kidney disease the silent killer??
Because the symptoms only show up when the damage is already done.
When it is TOO LATE.
Let's think about this for a second.
CKD has different stages, it's a disease that progresses over the years.
If you are at stage one, you don't have any symptoms.
Not even one.
Your kidneys are already taking damage, they are already not working at 100%.
But they are a redundant system, meaning that they are made to be able to work even if there's
just one of them.
So, clearly, if they are at 90% of their function you won't be able to notice it.
And the years passes, kidney function still decreases because the root cause is not properly
addressed.
We get to stage 2.
Even at stage 2, still no symptoms.
To know if you have kidney disease, you have to get checked for creatinine levels and for
proteinuria, proteins in the urine.
This is why people don't usually get diagnosed at stage 2.
When they get diagnosed at stage 2 is because they were getting tested for something else,
a risk factor of CKD, usually.
This is because the kidneys are still operating at more than 60% of their function.
Remember, the kidneys are a redundant system, they are able to get their job done even at
50% of their function.
They will still filter the blood well enough to make everything look ok.
So there will still be no symptoms of the damage at stage 2.
BUT kidney function still keep decreasing and now you're in stage 3.
You have back pain, when the kidneys swell.
You start to see changes in the urine.
There's more protein in the urine, so you see a lot of foam.
Some patients go to the bathroom a lot more than usual.
Then there's fluid retention.
The kidneys cannot get rid of excess of water, and it starts building up in the body.
This can cause swelling in the legs, usually, but can even cause shortness of breath.
All these symptoms are becoming noticeable in a short amount of time, all together between
stage 3 and 4.
When the damage is done.
But even if you just have one of them, it means that your kidney function is already
seriously compromised.
Sure, the problem can still be treated.
You can even get some of your kidney function back, if you are really really careful with
your renal diet.
So when you see the symptoms it means that your kidneys are already in a bad situation.
They are a lot harder to recover now.
The point here is that you could avoid to get your kidneys damaged in the first place
caring more about the risk factors.
Kidney disease is a silent disease, so you cannot wait to see the symptoms to start the
treatment.
You have to act on the risk factors.
Before the symptoms show up.
How can you do this?
The best way of preventing kidney disease is KNOWING the risk factors.
And treating them, if possible.
Risk factors are all the conditions and characteristics you may have that can cause kidney disease.
The most frequent risk factor, the number one cause of CKD, is DIABETES.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, don't wait to see the symptoms of ckd.
Act immediately.
Get checked for kidney function, talk to your doctor and see if there's anything you can
do to improve your condition.
Diabetes if not properly treated can literally destroy the kidneys.
Then there's HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.
You can check your blood pressure even at home, with a simple device.
Absolutely never let go high blood pressure untreated if you have or suspect to have it.
It can do very serious damage to the nephrons.
The nephrons are the filtering units of the kidneys, the part doing all the work.
They are incredibly tiny and fragile.
If your heart starts pushing blood trough them at a too high pressure, it can destroy
them.
Any disease that cause scarring or injuries to the nephrons can cause kidney disease,
actually.
Obesity obviously can cause kidney disease.
Kidney stones too.
Infections of the urinary tract can climb up to the kidneys and start creating troubles
there.
High cholesterol too... really anything affecting our cardiovascular system should be considered
a risk factor, since the cardiovascular system and the renal system are working together.
They are part of the same system.
Then there's cigarette smoking.
People still do not believe how much damage smoking can do to our kidneys.
But there are studies...
Large studies, with very conclusive results... showing a direct correlation between cigarette
smoking and chronic kidney disease.
Obviously you also have to consider your age, CKD is a lot more frequent in people 65 years
or older.
And in people with ckd cases in their families.
So what to do if you have one or more of these risk factors?
Don't wait! get checked!
Start to treat them as soon as you can.
Also, if you know anyone with these risk factors, share this video with them!
Tell them to get checked.
And we need to understand that some of these risk factors are caused by bad habits.
So try to stop all the bad habits, especially those that can cause kidney disease!
Good habits and a healthy way of eating, can really improve your health a lot more than
you think!