Kidneys play a role in maintaining homeostasis in our body. It filters waste products in the body, balances water and electrolytes, and is also responsible for red blood cell production and vitamin D activity. Once the kidney is damaged, it is difficult to recover, and it tends to gradually lose its function, so prevention, early detection and treatment are important. Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital Nephrology Department Professor Lee Kyung-ho examines various kidney diseases and lifestyle habits that protect kidney health.
Kidney disease is called the ‘silent organ’ because it has no symptoms in the early stages. When symptoms appear, they are likely to have already progressed, so it is important to know the symptoms in advance.
The main symptoms that can appear when there is an abnormality in the kidneys are ▲decreased urine volume ▲frequent urination ▲pain during urination ▲feeling of residual urine ▲hematuria, pyuria, proteinuria ▲lethargy ▲decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea ▲whole body swelling ▲severe flank pain ▲hypertension. If you experience any of these symptoms, it is a good idea to have your kidneys checked at the hospital.
Decreased urine output, edema of the back of the hands and feet, vomiting and diarrhea may indicate ‘acute renal failure’ in which kidney function rapidly deteriorates within several days or weeks. Infection, dehydration, ingestion of toxic substances or drugs, or obstruction of urine output can cause acute renal failure. If these symptoms persist for more than 3 months, chronic renal failure, which is a persistent and irreversible decrease in renal function, can be suspected. Chronic renal failure is a common cause of diabetes, hypertension, and nephritis. Patients with decreased renal function due to chronic renal failure may experience asthenia, nausea, vomiting, electrolyte imbalance in the body, anemia, mineral-bone disease, high blood pressure, and systemic edema due to accumulation of waste in the body. When kidney function is destroyed by 90%, it is called end-stage renal failure, and at this time, dialysis treatment or kidney transplantation is required.
The kidneys contain glomeruli, which act as a trap, and tubules that control the absorption and excretion of water and electrolytes. When the glomerulus becomes inflamed, it is called ‘glomerulonephritis’, and abnormalities such as hematuria, pyuria, and proteinuria occur in urine tests, and edema and high blood pressure may occur due to decreased renal function.
Urinary tract infection, in which germs that can cause infection, such as bacteria, tuberculosis, or fungi, are detected in the urine, is also one of the kidney diseases. There may be symptoms such as dysuria, residual urination, and frequency of urination. Women’s urethra is thicker and shorter than men’s, so urinary tract infections are more likely to occur due to bacteria near the vagina or anus.
Stones in the kidneys, urinary tract, and bladder can also cause ‘nephrolithiasis’. Symptoms include sudden and severe pain in one side and radiating pain in the groin, and hematuria may occur. If the size of the stone is small, internal treatment can be performed. If stones are not removed by internal medical treatment, they can cause recurrent urinary tract infections, pain, and renal dysfunction, so it is better to remove them by surgery or ultrasonic lithotripsy.
If the kidneys do not play their part, waste products accumulate in the body and the balance of water and electrolytes is broken, making it impossible for our body to maintain normal conditions. To prevent this, it is important to follow a lifestyle that protects kidney health.
Hypertension and diabetes are the most common causes of chronic renal failure, so if you have high blood pressure or diabetes, you must constantly manage and treat them. In addition, when salt is increased in the body, the amount of water increases and blood pressure rises in the body, and a high-protein diet increases the pressure in the glomerulus and can cause kidney damage, so patients with chronic kidney disease should eat lightly and avoid high-protein meals. Smoking constricts blood vessels, causing an increase in blood pressure, and reducing the amount of blood going to the kidneys, which causes damage to kidney function, so you should stop smoking. Adequate fluid intake is also important because insufficient fluid intake reduces effective circulating body fluid volume and renal blood flow, leading to renal function deterioration.
Only necessary medicines should be taken according to kidney function. Most drugs are excreted through the kidneys, and unnecessary drug abuse can adversely affect kidney function. In addition, in some cases, the dose of the drug according to the kidney function may be determined, so patients with chronic kidney disease should take the drug appropriately in consultation with a nephrologist.