Small, silent and extremely efficient, the kidneys perform vital functions in the human body. The problem is that many kidney diseases progress without clear symptoms and, when signs appear, the organ’s function may already be compromised.
On the second Thursday of March, a day dedicated to kidney health is celebrated, when attention around the world turns to a problem that often goes unnoticed by the population: kidney disease. The date marks World Kidney Day, a global campaign created to raise awareness about kidney health and raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis.
The kidneys perform vital functions for the body. They are responsible for filtering the blood, eliminating toxins, regulating the balance of liquids and minerals and participating in blood pressure control.
When they stop functioning properly, changes can occur that compromise different body systems. The problem is that chronic kidney disease usually progresses silently. In the early stages, many people do not have obvious symptoms.
A disease that can progress without showing signs
It is a disease that can evolve for years without causing obvious signs or symptoms. It is estimated that around one in ten adults has some degree of impaired kidney function.
In many cases, diagnosis only occurs when the disease is already advanced. This is because in the early stages, the disease rarely causes noticeable symptoms.
This characteristic means that many people only discover the disease in later stages, when the treatment becomes more complex and may require therapies such as dialysis or, in addition to continuous medical monitoring.
Among the risk factors that deserve attention, two conditions stand out: diabetes and , responsible for a large proportion of cases of chronic kidney disease.
*Text written by nephrologist Carlucci Ventura (CRM/SP 75746), member of the International Society of Nephrology and Brazil Health
