Are your kidney’s okay? – A message from KFG on the observance of World Kidney Month 2025

Mar 14, 2025 News

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By Dr. Alexis Maharaj

Kaieteur News- “Are you OK?” My friends tease me for occasionally asking others this in passing. “What if they say no, they’re not OK?” The truth is though, if they say no, it takes a few minutes out of my day- just a few minutes to get the gears turning, to acknowledge if something is wrong, and hopefully, to start figuring out how to fix it. It is only by asking that we can take action if something is wrong.

The theme for World Kidney Day this year is: Are your kidneys OK? Detect Early, Protect Kidney Health.

Our kidneys are two bean-shaped organs found in the abdomen. They perform many functions. Most people know that they are able to filter out and remove waste and toxic substances from our bloodstream. These substances are excreted from the body in urine. This is an extremely important task, because if these toxins build up too much in our blood, they can disrupt our cells’ functions and interfere with the normal functioning of our bodies. The kidneys are responsible for a lot more- they control the salt and chemical balances in the body, play a very important role in blood pressure control, are an essential for maintaining good bone health and an appropriate amount of red blood cells. Inside the kidneys are tiny units called nephrons. Think of these as factories that carry out the bulk of the work in the kidneys.

When a person has kidney disease, it may be Acute, where the damage occurs over a shorter period of time, or Chronic, with a longer duration of damage. There are many things that can lead to kidney damage. These can include certain medications, infections, genetic issues, prostate problems, or having other health conditions. Some common diseases associated with kidney disease are diabetes, hypertension and obesity. In addition to these, as we age, our kidneys tend to decline in function. It is important to note that you may be able to recover from acute kidney injury, when given the correct treatment. With chronic kidney disease, however, we can only try to slow down the damage occurring.

There are certain symptoms which may indicate a kidney problem.These may include changes in the urine- which may appear bloody, foamy or less in quantity. Persons may experience swelling of the ankles, difficulty breathing, itchy skin, or muscle cramps. They may feel more tired than usual and have a difficult time concentrating. It is important to note that some persons might not have symptoms until almost all of the kidneys are damaged.

We diagnose kidney disease with blood and urine tests. The blood tests check for the Serum Creatinine levels.Creatinine is a protein produced by the muscles. The kidneys help to remove it from the body. Therefore if they are not working properly, creatinine will accumulate in the blood and the levels will be high. Your doctor will do various calculations using this to determine if your kidneys are functioning well, and if they are not, they may be able to assess how much damage has been done. They take into account your ethnicity, gender and age when doing these estimates. Based on the calculations, persons can be placed into five stages of Chronic Kidney Disease, with Stage 5 being the worst. Your urine will also be tested for the presence of proteins and other substances, which indicate kidney damage.

Chronic kidney disease cannot be cured, but we can try to slow down the damage and prevent complications. The ways in which we do these are: ensuring that you maintain a normal blood pressure, which can be done through various methods including increasing physical activity, reducing salt intake and using medications. It is also recommended that smoking be stopped, body weight controlled and ensuring that blood sugars, blood cholesterol levels and normal blood counts are achieved. If the kidney damage has progressed enough, the only treatment options may be dialysis or a kidney transplant. These would remove the accumulated wastes and extra fluids in the body.

March 13, 2025 is World Kidney Day, dedicated to reducing the frequency and severity of kidney disease by raising awareness through media and various activities.

The Kidney Foundation of Guyana also aims to enhance public health awareness regarding the kidneys and diseases which impact their function. Our hope for the near future is that patients get preventative care, which helps to reduce kidney damage and slow the progression to dialysis. Join us this month on our social media outlets on Facebook and Instagram to continue getting more information on kidney health. We will also be in the print media, on radio and television, informing patients on what they can do to ensure their kidneys are okay.

The kidneys are extremely vital organs, and necessary for a healthy life. Today, I urge you to be curious about them. Ask yourself, “Are my kidneys OK?” Ask your doctor. It may be just a few minutes to get the gears turning, to acknowledge if something is wrong, and hopefully, to start figuring out how to fix it or prevent further damage. It is only by asking that we can find out if something is wrong. It is only in this way that we can Detect Early, and Protect Kidney Health.

(Are your kidney’s okay? – A message from KFG on the observance of World Kidney Month 2025)

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• bean-shaped organs, Dr. Alexis Maharaj, Protect Kidney, toxic substances, World Kidney Day

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