Students on a kidney disease awareness walk in Coimbatore. File Photo: M. Periasamy
Kidney Day is observed all over the world on the second Thursday of
March every year. Incidence of kidney failure cases is increasing day by
day due to a steep increase in the number of diabetes and hypertensive
patients in the recent past. Globally, nearly 50 million people suffer
from renal failure but only 1 million among them undergo treatment. It
has been estimated that 360 million people will die of renal failure in
2015.
Though there are no accurate statistics on the subject, the available
data shows that 7.58 million people in India are suffering from kidney
failure. Surveys conducted point out that less than 5%of the general
public is aware of the location and functions of the kidney.
It was to create awareness among the people that Joel Kopple, the
founder of International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF),
conceived the idea of World Kidney Day (WKD) in the year 2003. The day
offers a crucial and visible opportunity to educate policymakers as well
as the general public including all those who are at the risk of kidney
disease/failure.
The kidney does a magnificent job in our urological system, thus
becoming a unique organ in the body. Every day, it filters 200 litres of
blood. It is an amazing organ not only excreting urine from the blood,
but also maintaining the body electrolyte, maintaining blood pH,
synthesises active form of vitD3. It produces Erythroprotien, which is
essential for maturation of the red blood corpuscles and to maintain the
blood pressure.
Then why does the kidney fail? It can fail due to uncontrolled
hypertension, diabetes, failure to take proper treatment for the
nephritic syndrome (excess protein in the urine), prolonged obstruction
in the urinary tract, frequent use of analgesic (pain-killers) tablets,
use of native medicine made of the metals, and a family history of renal
disease. Some do suffer from kidney failure, without any specific or
identifiable cause. Various reports from Sri Lankan studies reveal that
environmental factors like the use of pesticides, use of medicines
containing metals, hydrocarbon, etc., too can cause kidney failure.
Chronic kidney failure causes severe economic burden to the individual
and his family, and to the nation as a whole on dialysis and renal
transplantation. Such patients undergo a lot of stress and strain for
want of a potential donor for transplant, most often resulting in
depression. With frequent rackets and malpractices involving kidney
donation which have become common, in spite of the strict enforcement of
rules, the motivation of brain-death patients for organ donation is the
only alternative for transplantation.
Prevention is always better than cure. In order to prevent kidney
failures, it is essential that everyone knows about the kidney and its
importance. There are eight golden rules which help to avoid kidney
failures.
1. Keep fit and active. Maintain ideal body weight.
2. Keep regular control of blood sugar.
3. Monitor your blood pressure.
4. Eat healthy and keep your weight in check.
5. Maintain a healthy fluid intake.
6. Do not smoke.
7. Do not take over-the-counter pills regularly.
8. Check your kidneys function if you have any one or more of the high
risk factors. The theme for the this year's World Kidney Day (March 8)
was: “DONATE — RECEIVE — KIDNEYS FOR LIFE”
(The writer is retired Professor of Nephrology, Thanjavur Medical
College, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu. His email is mohandas562@gmail.com)
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