National Kidney Month in the U.S. takes place in March and is used as a time to bring awareness to kidney health.

Author: Jasmine Lowe, Vkind Communication Specialist

March is National Kidney Month in the U.S. and World Kidney Day takes place on March 9th. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located in the back of the abdomen. They perform crucial functions to filter out toxins, produce red blood cells, and regulate pH. You can live very long without the function of your kidneys. The loss of their function may lead to seizures or coma and will ultimately result in death. If your kidneys stop working completely, you will need to undergo dialysis, which has a life expectancy of five to ten years, or a kidney transplant. This is why taking care of your kidney health is so important.

Why Do We Need To Promote Awareness? 

National Kidney Month was established by the National Kidney Foundation to help spread awareness of kidney disease and share ways it could be tested for and prevented. The awareness month is represented by the color green, with green ribbons being used in campaigns that help raise awareness. World Kidney Day is the global equivalent and is also observed as a campaign to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and associated health problems worldwide. 

Kidney disease is often referred to as a “silent disease” because there are usually no symptoms during its early stages. As many as 90 percent of Americans who have chronic kidney disease (or CKD) don’t know they have the disease until it is very advanced. Kidney disease affects about 800 million individuals or 10 percent of the general population worldwide. In the year 2005, there were approximately 58 million deaths worldwide, with 35 million attributed to chronic disease, according to the World Health Organization, making chronic kidney disease a worldwide health crisis.

What Puts You At Higher Risk For Kidney Disease?

People are more likely to develop kidney disease if they are over 60 or if they have risk factors like a family history of kidney failure, diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease. Smoking and consuming alcohol also increases your risk of developing kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease is also more common in African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, and Native Americans because diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney disease and is more common in these groups. High blood pressure is the second leading cause of chronic kidney disease, and it appears more often in African Americans than in other ethnic groups.

How Can You Increase Your Chances Of Detection?

You can check for kidney disease with a urine test to look for damage and a blood test to check how well your kidneys are removing wastes from your blood. If your kidneys show signs of damage, your doctor may refer you to a kidney specialist (a nephrologist) or recommend annual or more frequent testing.

Symptoms of advanced chronic kidney disease include chest pain, dry skin, itching or numbness, feeling tired, headaches, increased or decreased urination, loss of appetite, muscle cramps, nausea, shortness of breath, sleep problems, trouble concentrating, vomiting, and weight loss. People with chronic kidney disease can also develop other health problems such as anemia, bone disease, heart disease, and malnutrition. Kidney disease also increases your chances of having a stroke or heart attack.

How Do You Prevent Kidney Disease?

Managing health conditions that cause kidney damage, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, helps prevent the development of kidney disease. Also, getting tested, and seeing a provider right away if you develop a urinary tract infection (UTI), which can cause kidney damage if left untreated, is another way to protect your kidney’s health.

Choosing foods that are healthy for your heart and your entire body, like fresh fruits, fresh or frozen vegetables, and whole grains, helps reduce the amount of risk of developing the health problems that lead to kidney disease. Specific foods include dark leafy greens, berries, sweet potatoes, olive oil, and cruciferous vegetables like cabbage. Oddly enough, kidney beans aren’t mentioned as a type of food to help the kidneys, but they are named after the organ because they’re similar in shape.

A plant-based or vegan diet goes a long way in improving your overall health and helping you reduce the level of risk you have for developing illness and disease. Opting to cut back on salt and added sugars, aiming for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day, adding physical activity to your daily routine, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol intake also help reduce your risk.

This March and throughout the rest of this year, I encourage you to do more for your overall health and help prevent this avoidable disease. Visit Vkind.com and download the app to find a plant-based primary physician for you to consult for more information on your kidney function and how you can improve your health.

References

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. What Is Chronic Kidney Disease? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/what-is-chronic-kidney-disease  

Race, ethnicity, and kidney disease. NIDDK website. www.niddk.nih.gov. Published June 13, 2017.

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