Posted on 15th September, 2023 at 2:56:39 AM
Diabetes and high blood pressure, or hypertension, are responsible for two-thirds of chronic kidney disease cases says the Best Nephrologist in Kolkata Dr. Upal Sengupta.
Diabetes: Diabetes occurs when your blood sugar remains too high. Over time, unmanaged blood sugar can cause damage to many organs in your body, including the kidneys and heart and blood vessels, nerves, and eyes.
High blood pressure: High blood pressure occurs when your blood pressure against the walls of your blood vessels increases. If uncontrolled or poorly controlled, high blood pressure can be a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and chronic kidney disease. Also, chronic kidney disease can cause high blood pressure.
What are other conditions that affect the kidney?
There are a few other conditions or circumstances that can cause kidney disease says Top Kidney Doctor in Kolkata Dr. Upal Sengupta.
Glomerulonephritis: Glomerulonephritis is a group of diseases that cause inflammation and damage the kidney’s filtering units. These disorders are the third most common type of kidney disease.
Inherited diseases: Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is a common inherited disease that causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.
Kidney and urinary tract abnormalities before birth: Malformations that occur as a baby develops in its mother’s womb. For example, a narrowing may occur that prevents normal outflow of urine and causes urine to flow back up to the kidney. This causes infections and may damage the kidneys.
Autoimmune diseases: When the body’s defense system, the immune system, turns against the body, it’s called an autoimmune disease. Lupus nephritis is one such autoimmune disease that results in inflammation (swelling or scarring) of the small blood vessels that filter wastes in your kidney.
Other causes: Obstructions caused by kidney stones or tumors can cause kidney damage. An enlarged prostate gland in men or repeated urinary infections can also cause kidney damage.
What are the risk factors of chronic kidney disease?
Anyone can get chronic kidney disease at any age. However, some people are more likely than others to develop kidney disease. You may have an increased risk for kidney disease if you:
belong to a population group with a high rate of diabetes or high blood pressure, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians
What are the symptoms?
Most people may not have any severe symptoms until their kidney disease is advanced. However, you may notice that you:
What will happen if my doctor suspects chronic kidney disease?
Your doctor will want to pinpoint your diagnosis and check your kidney function to help plan your treatment. The doctor will perform these blood and urine tests:
Albumin to creatine ratio urine test: Albumin is a protein that shouldn’t be found in urine and indicates kidney function problems.
Blood test for creatinine: This determines if there is too much creatinine, a waste product, in the blood.
Learn about lab values.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR): The doctor will calculate your Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) using the results from the tests and other factors like age and gender. The result of the GFR is the best way to measure your level of kidney function and determine your stage of kidney disease.
