"Zhan Mitrev" clinic shows how to take care of the health of your kidneys

What happens if you have kidney damage?
Symptoms of kidney disease are often similar to many other common health problems and can be overlooked in the early stages of the disease. Serious signs of impaired kidney function may not appear until the kidneys begin to fail. Therefore, it is considered that kidney diseases, depending on the basic disease that brought or caused their damage, often develop in a hidden way, with unclear symptoms. It is believed that only 10% of those suffering from chronic kidney disease are aware of their disease.

How do you know if you have a kidney problem?
Some of the symptoms that may make you think that maybe something is wrong with your kidneys are:
• Change in the color of urine, cloudiness or bubbles in the urine.
• You urinate frequently, especially at night.
• You have blood in your urine or pass a small amount of urine.
• You have poor urine flow and intermittent urination (especially older men).
• You have swelling around your ankles, feet, hands, face.
• You are anemic, have loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, feel tired, smell and taste unpleasant in your mouth.
• You have itching, dry, yellow/pale skin, muscle cramps.
• You have high blood pressure that is difficult to control with medication.
• You have heart arrhythmias.
• In children who have chronic kidney disease, growth retardation, short stature, or abnormal development of the bones of the lower limbs may be observed.

In this case, your doctor will do a blood test to determine the level of creatinine and urea, glycemia, electrolytes in it. He will then check the urine for the presence of protein, blood, leukocytes and glucose. He will check your blood pressure and of course check your kidneys by ultrasound. According to the results obtained from the tests performed, it will calculate the glomerular function - GFR of your kidneys, which shows how well your kidneys are able to remove toxins and excess water from your body.

What is the best way to keep your kidneys healthy?
At each visit to your doctor, be sure to have a urine test for protein/microalbumin, glucose, and leukocytes. Once or twice a year, collect 24-hour urine for protein determination. Early diagnosis also means delaying the progression of kidney disease.

Which people are most likely to develop kidney disease?
Diseases that lead to kidney damage in addition to DM and Hypertension also include inflammatory kidney diseases - glomerulonephritis, congenital and hereditary diseases - polycystic kidney diseases. Of course, diseases related to blockage of the urinary tract - stones, enlarged prostate, tumors and cancers. This is why early screening and monitoring of the disease is extremely important.

What can you do to prevent kidney failure?
According to the new guidelines for patients with diabetes mellitus, microalbuminuria and chronic kidney disease, the cut off blood pressure is <130/80 mmHg.
In addition to the reduced amount of salt up to 2g/day, a reduced protein intake of 0,8-1,0g/kg body weight/day, moderate physical activity of 30-60 minutes (walking, cycling, swimming) is recommended. . Weight loss (waist circumference below 102 cm for men, below 88 cm for women). Drink 2-3 liters of liquid, of which at least half of this amount should be water. Stop the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes. Regularly (at least once a year) do systematic examinations, which will include checking your kidneys.

For all problems with your kidneys, our team of doctors in the nephrology department is at your disposal. Book your checkup or consultation on 00389 2 3091 484