Your Kidney...Kidney for life!

Please check your kidney for life! A must read.

The kidneys are two bean shaped organs situated in the abdomen responsible for the excretion of metabolic waste, production of hormones and metabolism and excretion of drugs and toxins, amongst others. Chronic renal failure is said to occur when
there is an irreversible deterioration of kidney function, which develops over a period of years.

This ultimately leads to end stage renal failure at which stage kidney function must be replaced artificially by either renal dialysis or renal transplantation in order to avert death. The incidence and prevalence of kidney failure has been on the increase in recent times. The prevalence increased from 10% in 1988-1994 to 13.1% in 1999-2004. Kidney failure is also the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.

   March 8 is observed as World Kidney Day.
In Nigeria, the data from various centres indicate an increasing incidence of kidney diseases in the population. The increase in kidney failure is partly explained by the rising incidence and prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, the two leading causes of kidney failure. Other causes of kidney failure include glomerular disease, analgesic nephropathy, obstructive uropathy, chronic pyelonephritis, sickle cell disease, amongst others.

The symptoms of kidney failure include nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, and hiccough due to uraemia. Others are; weakness, difficulty with breathing and fatigue due to anaemia; chest pain, dry and itchy skin, bleeding episodes, erectile dysfunction, seizures and loss of consciousness, amongst others. Most patients are also hypertensive in the course of their illness. More worrisome is the fact that many people with kidney disease may not be aware of the disease until it is advanced.

Management of kidney failure is very exorbitant, time consuming and affects the individual, his family and society. It costs an average of about 75,000 naira to undergo three sessions of dialysis every week excluding other medications and procedures, and this has to be done indefinitely in order to keep the individual alive, and dialysis is also not without complications. It will also cost an average of about 3 million naira to have a renal transplant if the individual is fortunate to have a donor, while it will cost an average of about 150,000 naira monthly in order to afford medications after the transplant so that the body does not reject the transplanted kidney, and these drugs will have to be taken for life, and are also not without adverse effects.

Renal transplanation remains the most effective form of renal replacement and hence the theme for this year's celebration which is “Kidney for life, promoting organ donation and transplantation” is apt, appropriate and commendable. By encouraging organ donation among the population, persons who receive renal transplant are once again given the opportunity to live.

With this worrisome trend, especially the financial implications, the best approach will be to focus on primary prevention of kidney failure. Diabetes Mellitus and hypertension are the leading causes of kidney failure, with Diabetes Mellitus being responsible for about 20 - 40% of the cases.


Bernard Unadike writes from Uyo





 
Now you know, it is important you go check your kidney for life!!

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