March is National Kidney Month in Canada, and March 10th is World Kidney Day to help raise awareness of the importance of kidney health.
It is estimated that 200,000 British Columbians have some level of kidney disease, with around 90 percent of them having no symptoms. Patients can be ill for years, with their kidneys gradually deteriorating, yet they often do not discover their life-threatening condition until their kidneys no longer function properly and they need kidney replacement therapy. Kidney diseases are known for being “silent killers” that will largely affect ones life. Most chronic kidney disease (CKD) is not curable.
Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease are only noticeable after approximately 50% of kidney function is gone. These symptoms include foamy or bloody urine, loss of appetite, fatigue/shortness of breath, headaches, nausea, frequent night-time urination, puffiness of ankles, feet or eyes, persistent generalized itching, and bad taste in mouth.
People are more likely to develop CKD if they; have diabetes or high blood pressure, have heart disease, have a family history of kidney disease, have an ancestral backround that is Aboriginal, African, Asian, South Asian, or Hispanic, or over 50 years of age.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada encourages anyone who is at risk or shows a variety of these symptoms to get screened immediately.
Also, it has been recognized for some time that end-stage renal disease is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease, recently there has been a large amount of evidence suggesting that early-stage kidney disease is also associated with an increase in the risk of developing heart disease. Studies have shown that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease in kidney patients is more likely than the risk of progressive renal disease that would require dialysis or transplantation. Consequently someone with the early stages of kidney disease is more likely to suffer from a heart attack and heart failure than to require dialysis. When it comes to dialysis patients, cardiovascular disease accounts for over 50 percent of deaths, out weighing any other known case.
However, if your doctor discovers you have a kidney problem early enough, there may be a many ways to help slow down the disease, help you feel better, and help you make better medical decisions. The Kidney Foundation of Canada encourages people to help reduce the risk of kidney disease by keeping fit and active, having regular control of your blood sugar level, monitoring your blood pressure, maintaining an ideal body weight, not smoking, not taking over-the-counter pills on a regular basis, and reducing your salt intake.
In the province there are 2,720 people on life-saving dialysis and 230 people on the BC Transplant waiting list for a kidney. The Kidney Foundation of Canada and the BC Renal Agency have partnered together this year in encouraging British Columbians to learn more about the risk of developing kidney disease, and have made a quiz online to help people do so. People are encouraged to take this quiz at www.bcrenalagency.ca.
The Kidney Foundation of Canada’s British Columbian branch has been providing accommodations since 2000 to kidney patients who live outside of the lower mainland that need to travel to Vancouver for prolonged treatment, such as kidney transplants or dialysis training. The foundation provides four suites to patients helping them recover without having to worry about the financial strain that long-term hotel stays can rack up. The Kidney Foundation reached out for financial assistance from many generous, helpful people.
During this month, thousands of volunteers will go door-to-door in communities for the March Drive campaign all around the Province to help raise awareness and funds for kidney disease. The March Drive campaign is the Foundation’s biggest source of revenue. It funds medical research, support such as the suites for kidney patients, education, public awareness campaigns on the importance of kidney health, and organ donation. The Foundation hopes to raise half a million dollars during this year’s campaign. People are encouraged to give generously if a canvasser comes to their door, or help out by donating online at HYPERLINK "http://www.kidney.bc.ca" www.kidney.bc.ca.