SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WAND) – Memorial Health System raises awareness about the vital functions performed by our kidneys, as well as the risk factors of kidney disease in recognition of World Kidney Day.
Primary functions of the Kidney include:
- Creating urine.
- Removing toxins and excess water from our blood.
- Helping control blood pressure.
- Producing red blood cells.
- Controlling bloodstream levels of minerals like sodium and potassium.
- Helping keep bones healthy.
One can lose up to 90 percent of kidney function before ever experiencing symptoms indicating a problem.Â
Signs of advancing chronic kidney disease include swollen ankles, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, decreased appetite, blood in the urine, and foamy urine.
Approximately 850 million people worldwide are affected by Kidney disease.
If you answer yes to any of the following questions, talk with your doctor about testing for kidney disease:
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you suffer from diabetes?
• Do you have a family history of kidney disease?
• Are you overweight?
• Do you smoke?
• Are you over 50 years?
• Are you of African, Hispanic, Aboriginal, or Asian origin?
Early detection and treatment are critical to help patients with kidney disease delay or prevent kidney failure.Â
For more information about transplant services through Memorial Health System, visit the Alan G. Birtch, MD, Center for Transplant Services, MemorialMedical.com/services/transplant-services.
