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Kidney Disease and You
March is National Kidney Month, an opportunity to raise awareness about kidney disease. This year’s focus is on taking charge of your health and the many factors that go into managing your kidney disease.
The kidneys filter your blood to remove wastes and excess fluid to make urine. They also help control blood pressure and make hormones that your body needs to stay healthy.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious condition affecting 37 million people. CKD is progressive and can put you at risk for other health complications including high blood pressure, heart disease, and kidney failure.
The two main causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure, which are responsible for up to two-thirds of the cases. Diabetes happens when your blood sugar is too high and without proper treatment can cause damage to many organs in your body, including the kidneys and heart, as well as blood vessels, nerves, and eyes. High blood pressure, or hypertension, occurs when the pressure of your blood 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.
Chronic kidney disease has a silent onset, which means there are often no symptoms until the kidneys are damaged. Kidney tests will tell you how your kidneys are working. If you are at risk, you should talk with your medical provider and find out as early as possible if you have kidney disease to avoid problems and slow the loss of kidney function.
High risk groups include those of an older age and individuals with diabetes, hypertension or a family history of kidney failure.
To learn more about Diabetes and High Blood Pressure, the two main causes of Chronic Kidney Disease, talk with a certified diabetes care & education specialist, your medical provider or visit: https://www.sihf.org/ for more information about screenings and ways to manage this disease.