HSE raises awareness on World Kidney Day
On Thursday, the HSE marked World Kidney Day this year by raising awareness about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Chronic Kidney Disease is a silent disease. The diagnosis is often unexpected and it leaves the patient vulnerable to other medical complications. It is more common as we age. Chronic Kidney Disease can be easily measured with a simple blood test and urine sample test.
Professor George Mellotte, HSE National Clinical Lead for Renal Services says: “Chronic Kidney Disease is easily detected and if managed early, the damage to the kidney can be minimised. The good news is that early diagnosis and treatment has been shown to slow the rate of kidney damage, reduce the chances that you need dialysis and reduce the risks of developing medical problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure and/or heart attack which are more common in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease.”
Treatment to prevent further kidney damage is relatively simple:
• Avoiding medications known to damage the kidney such as certain painkillers (known as NSAIDS - Ibuprofen, naproxen diclofenac etc.)
• Checking blood pressure regularly, and if it is high your doctor will prescribe medication to bring it back to the normal range.
• Getting a urine test to check for protein and if present in urine, your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce the amount
• For patients with diabetes, controlling their diabetes better.
Your doctor can advise you on how to control CKD with interventions that include early check-ups, blood pressure monitoring and blood sugar control as well as management of associated diseases such as heart disease. World Kidney Day encourages everyone worldwide to not only be aware of the disease but to actively get themselves checked out.