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Many people have chronic kidney disease and yet don’t know it. The reason for this might be because chronic kidney disease is a silent disease. You may have the condition for years without any symptoms. As deterioration of kidney function occurs, you may experience fatigue. However, fatigue may also be a sign of other conditions as well. Without actual measurement of kidney function and consultation with your doctor, you may not know that you have an impaired kidney function.

The kidneys play a vital role in cleaning the blood. They help remove wastes, as well as, help maintain normal amounts of fluid in the body. When kidney function fails, wastes and excess fluid accumulate in the body. Available treatments for kidney failure include dialysis or kidney transplantation.

Getting tested is the only way to know whether your kidneys are working well. Getting screened for kidney disease is important if you have the following key risk factors.

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure (hypertension)
• Cardiovascular (heart)disease, or
• A family history of kidney disease

Screening procedures or tests to detect kidney disease include blood and urine tests.

Blood tests helps to measure your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). GFR measures how much blood your kidneys filter each minute.

Urine tests. This test is used to look for high amounts of protein or albumin, a specific type of protein. Albumin is too big to pass through a healthy kidney. If your kidneys are damaged, albumin can pass into the urine. You can’t see or feel albumin in your urine. So, a urine albumin test is important.

In general, the less albumin in your urine, the better. Your doctor may give you medicines to lower the amount of albumin in your urine and to keep your kidneys healthy.

The earlier kidney disease is detected, the better chances of preventing complications. If you think you are at risk for kidney disease, you should talk to your doctor about getting tested.

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Related Readings: Kidney Health Care

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• Kidney Disease
• Kidney Disease: Are You at Risk?
• Kidney Failure in Children
• Kidney Failure Related Conditions and Their Treatments
• Talking to Your Doctor About Kidney Disease
• Tests and Diagnostic Procedures to Detect Kidney Disease
• Total Kidney Failure: Treatment Options
• Understanding Glomerular Filtration Rate
• Ways to Protect Your Kidneys

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Reference: U.S. National Kidney Disease Education Program (www.nkdep.nih.gov)

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