The father of a caregiver I know died nearly 20 years ago as a result of kidney disease and failure. He had commuted to another city an hour from his home for dialysis three times per week for almost a year before he died. Ironically, he succumbed to the disease only two days before he was to start dialysis in his own town at the new dialysis center.
I tell you this story because I have learned that kidney disease is the 9th leading cause of death in Illinois, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Furthermore, Illinois ranks 4th behind California, Texas, and Pennsylvania in kidney disease mortality with approximately 2,651 deaths per year.
March is National Kidney Month, and because the Illinois statistics are so alarming in terms of kidney disease, I wanted to learn more about it and share the information with you as a means of educating readers as to the causes, risk factors, treatments, and prevention methods for kidney disease among aging adults in Illinois.
What are the functions of kidneys?
The Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative, a division of the CDC, explains more about kidneys and their functions, “Your kidneys, each just the size of a computer mouse, filter all the blood in your body every 30 minutes. They work hard to remove wastes, toxins, and excess fluid. They also help control blood pressure, stimulate production of red blood cells, keep your bones healthy, and regulate blood chemicals that are essential to life.”
What causes kidney disease?
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDKD) identifies diabetes and high blood pressure as the most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, environmental and genetic factors can also result in CKD.
What are the risk factors for kidney disease?
Additional risk factors for developing kidney disease include heart disease, obesity, a family history of CKD, inherited kidney disorders, past damage to the kidneys, and older age.
What are the symptoms of kidney disease?
The American Kidney Fund says that most people with stage 1 CKD do not always have signs or symptoms to indicate they have kidney disease, so they simply don’t know.
Some signs and symptoms may include:
- High blood pressure
- Swelling in the hands and feet
- Urinary tract infections
- Protein in urine
- Blood in urine (hematuria)
- Kidney damage that shows up in an ultrasound, CT scan or MRI
What are the treatment options for kidney disease?
According to the Mayo Clinic, “Depending on the cause, some types of kidney disease can be treated. Often, though, chronic kidney disease has no cure. Treatment usually consists of measures to help control signs and symptoms, reduce complications, and slow progression of the disease. If your kidneys become severely damaged, you might need treatment for end-stage kidney disease.”
Treating the symptoms and complications of CKD may include:
- High blood pressure medications
- Medications to relieve swelling
- Medications to treat anemia
- Medications to lower cholesterol levels
- Medications to protect bones
- A lower protein diet to minimize waste products in your blood
End-stage kidney disease treatment options are dialysis and kidney transplantation.
Dialysis acts as the body’s kidneys to artificially remove waste products, toxins, and excess fluid from the blood via a machine.
Kidney transplantation involves removing the diseased kidney from the patient and replacing it with a matching kidney from a deceased or living donor. After a kidney transplant, the patient will take medications for the duration of their life to prevent the “new” kidney from being rejected by the body.
What are ways to prevent kidney disease?
The best ways to prevent kidney disease is by making lifestyle changes to keep a healthy body weight, like exercising and eating a balanced diet, as well as managing high blood pressure and sugar levels, both of which are positively impacted by proper nutrition and increased activity levels.
Do you or someone you know have chronic kidney disease, high blood pressure, or diabetes? Home Helpers® Kankakee employs compassionate caregivers to provide assistance and support. Our caregivers are licensed, bonded, insured, and highly trained to help with medication reminders, personal care, light housekeeping, grocery shopping, nutritious meal planning and preparation, 24-hour monitoring, transportation assistance to and from doctor appointments and treatments, and many other in-home care services.
I am happy to offer a FREE Assessment to discuss specific needs and discover all the ways a professional caregiver can make a difference by Making Life Easier℠ for you or your aging loved one with CKD.
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Sources:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chronic Kidney Disease Initiative
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
American Kidney Fund
Mayo Clinic
