Vital for health: Kidney care

Organs such as the kidneys, heart, liver and others are vital to the functioning of the human body and yet we think little about them and how to keep them healthy. Often we only become aware of just how important they are when they start to fail and we start having health troubles, especially as we get older.

The sad thing about this is that if we had just shown a little more care for our bodies when we were younger, we may not have had the health problems in the first place.  The good news is that it is never too late to start treating our bodies and the amazing organs with the respect they deserve.

As part of the Government Employees Medical Scheme's (GEMS) ongoing effort to educate our members and future members on a range of healthcare topics, we would like to provide you with some vital information on your kidneys and how to take care of them.

The kidneys are among the most important of our organs and are critical to our well-being. Our two kidneys are not particularly large - about the size of our fist - but they do the most amazing job of ensuring that our bodies retain the substances that we need in order to stay healthy while at the same time keeping our blood free of toxins.

The National Kidney Foundation of South Africa says that 10 000 South Africans die from kidney disease and kidney failure every year while the lives of thousands and thousands of others are adversely impacted by these conditions. Some 10% of people around the world suffer from some form of kidney disease.

The Foundation says our kidneys manufacture essential chemicals, break down (metabolise) unnecessary or dangerous chemicals, retain substances that our bodies can use and eliminate toxic waste.

These are some of the functions our kidneys perform:

• Removing drugs, medicines and poisons in our body;
• Controlling the acid/alkaline levels of the body;
• Providing the nutrients to take care of our bones and joints;
• Producing chemicals that control our blood pressure;
• Producing chemicals that help produce our red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body; and
• Destroying chemicals and hormones that the body no longer requires, such as insulin.

One of the more important functions of the kidneys is to filter wastes from the blood. Wastes and extra water are processed into urine, which travels via tubes called ureters to the bladder. The Foundation likens our kidneys to a: "swimming pool filter, which never needs backwashing, and will rarely need an overhaul if you look after your health!"

When doctors talk of renal function they mean kidney function, or the efficiency of the kidney to filter blood. If the kidneys are functioning exactly as they should be we talk of 100% kidney functioning. The health of an individual starts to be seriously impacted if functioning falls to 25% or less. If it falls below 10% to 15%, a person will need to be treated using dialysis (blood cleaning treatments) or a kidney transplant.

Kidneys fail for various reasons. Sometimes they are damaged by poison or an accident and deteriorate quickly. Other people's kidneys are attacked by disease such as diabetic kidney disease, high blood pressure, Glomerular diseases and inherited disorders such as polycystic kidney disease. In most cases of kidney disease the deterioration in kidney function is also relatively slow. This is called chronic kidney disease or chronic renal insufficiency. If the deterioration is not picked up by healthcare professionals early enough, the kidneys may be permanently damaged. Chronic kidney disease is often not curable, but if it is caught early it can often be slowed a great deal.

Most chronic kidney diseases in South Africa are caused by high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Diseases such as high blood pressure and diabetes are often caused or exacerbated by poor diet and unhealthy lifestyle. Improving these in younger people could therefore go some way to helping prevent individuals develop these diseases and by extension, chronic kidney disease. And what about those who already have kidney disease? It is recommended that they:

• See their doctor/specialist regularly and follow his/her recommendations;
• Watch their blood glucose levels if they have diabetes;
• Watch and control their blood pressure if they suffer from hypertension;
• Change their diet as per the recommendation of their doctor;
• Give up smoking, which increases the risk of kidney disease and other problems; and
• Ensure that their cholesterol levels are not unacceptably high.

World Kidney Day is on 11 March this year and the National Kidney Foundation uses the day as a means to create awareness about this all-important human organ and how to keep it healthy.
 
Sources
1. National Kidney Foundation of South Africa, www.nkf.co.za.
2. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse, http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov.