Your kidneys are two of the most important organs in your body. Without your kidneys filtering waste out of your blood, leading a normal life would be impossible. This is why it is so important to be aware of your kidneys’ health.
One of the greatest threats to your kidneys’ health is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). CKD is a disease that attacks the filtering units in the kidney called nephrons. Over time it limits their ability to filter your body’s blood.
Unfortunately, CKD is a silent disease. Very little pain or discomfort is associated with CKD until it has reached an advanced stage. There is no cure for CKD, so you must be proactive and check for it. The earlier it is detected, the easier it is to treat.
According to Kimberly Bleichner, director of Renal Services at LMHS, early detection can prevent or delay the onset of chronic kidney disease. “Approximately 20 million Americans have CKD, more than 20 million others are at increased risk and most are not aware,” she said.
One of the best indicators of kidney health is a Kidney Score. Your Kidney Score can be determined by a simple blood and urine test. The results are put into a formula that uses age, race, gender and other factors to determine your Kidney Score. A score less than 60 will require active investigation into why your kidneys are not functioning correctly.
Kidney disease can strike anyone, at virtually any age. However, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes or family history of any of these increases the risk of CKD dramatically.
Early detection can prevent or delay the onset of CKD. Knowing your Kidney Score is the best way to measure the level your kidney health. Click
here for more information. Ask your family physician about getting your kidney score checked today!
For more information call Renal Services at 419.226.5144. Or visit the websites on the left for more resources on kidney health.
