How can you test your kidney function at home?
Are you experiencing symptoms like bubbles in urine or swelling or puffiness in the legs, arms, eyes, and other body parts? These symptoms might indicate impaired kidney health. You can have better knowledge about whether your kidneys are functioning well or not with the help of various kidney function tests. Home kits are also available to perform these tests; otherwise, you can visit a diagnosis centre.
Our Kidneys purify and filter approximately 1700 litres of blood in a day. Along with this, they also support maintaining the right levels of water, acids, and electrolytes within the body. In such a situation, due to any reason, the inability of the organ to work properly can be the reason for many health-related challenges. However, most of the kidney diseases are highly manageable and treatable in their early stages.
Today, with the medium of this blog, we want to educate our readers on the signs and symptoms that symbolise some kind of kidney disease. By checking for these signs, patients can learn about their kidney health at home. There are also certain home test kits available to know about it. We will also discuss about management and treatment strategies for those who have already been diagnosed with kidney disease.
8 warning signs of kidney problems
The two most common conditions that cause the progression of various kidney diseases are high blood pressure and diabetes. Thus, patients suffering from such conditions must consult a doctor regularly for check-ups on their general health.
Let’s have a look at the indications and symptoms that can give you clues that there is some issue present in your kidneys and should never be ignored.
- Seeing bubbles in the urine
- Experiencing a foamy urine
- Frequent urination, especially in the night
- Swelling and puffiness ( this occurs due to fluid retention in the body)
- Fatigue and weakness ( as waste may build up in the body)
- Persistent itching/ Shortness of breath ( due to difficulty in removing waste)
- Nausea and loss of appetite ( toxins buildup in the system)
- Bad breath ( due to ammonia)
How do I check if my kidneys are ok at home?
You can conduct an at-home kidney function test using a number of kits and devices available. Home kidney test kits assess creatinine, BUN, and eGFR levels to provide insights into your kidney function. These at-home tests employ a finger-prick blood sample method.
Upon returning your kit, the laboratory processes your sample, and your results are updated on your online portal. To ensure the most accurate results, the company advises refraining from consuming high-protein meals, shakes, and supplements prior to your test.
Otherwise, visiting a diagnostic centre can provide you with customised test recommendations and provide more accurate results. While everyone must have their kidneys tested at least once a year, regular testing is recommended if you have conditions like;
- High blood pressure
- Diabetes
- Experienced some type of acute kidney injury
- Have cardiovascular problems
- People who are 60 years of age or above
- A family history of developing chronic kidney disease symptoms
It is also important to be aware of the various tests that are conducted to know about kidney health. In the next section, we will discuss about the same.
What do we check to detect kidney disease?
There are two most common tests that are used to analyse kidney health: blood tests and urine test for kidney function. By performing blood tests we check for the amount of creatinine present in our blood. Secondly, a urine test can provide information about the protein in your urine.
- Creatinine:
It is a type of waste product present in our blood. Elevated levels of this waste product in our blood can be a symbol of kidney disease and necessitate a high creatinine treatment. A doctor calculates your kidney’s filtration capacity by combining your blood test results with your age, size, and gender. This process is referred to as your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Healthy kidneys are capable of filtering more than 90 millilitres per minute. If your eGFR falls below this threshold, it may indicate Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD).
- Albumin to creatinine ratio:
A urine test is also performed to measure the levels of substances known as albumin and creatinine in your urine, referred to as the albumin: creatinine ratio (ACR). It also detects the presence of blood or protein in your urine. In conjunction with your eGFR, urine tests can provide a more detailed understanding of kidney function.
As we have also said above, Kidney diseases are highly manageable and treatable in nature. Along with a proper medical treatment plan, such diseases involve the implementation of certain lifestyle changes to prevent the condition from progressing. Next, we will discuss such lifestyle changes, and then we will come to the treatment part.
Steps to keep your kidneys healthy
Taking the following steps can help you in maintaining good kidney health;
- Blood sugar: Keeping an account of your blood pressure levels and taking all the necessary steps to maintain them can prevent you from being affected by kidney disease.
- Diabetes: Increased glucose levels can cause significant kidney damage, making it tough for them to fulfil their duties. Have regular visits to your doctor to keep track of your blood sugar level.
- Hydration: Drinking plenty of water at regular intervals throughout the day helps your kidneys function well, preventing congestion and calcification.
- Exercise: Engaging in 30 minutes of mild to moderate cardiovascular exercise daily is linked to improved kidney health. This is because it can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels and also aid in weight loss.
- Eat healthy: Most fresh fruits and vegetables are low in sodium, rich in vitamins, nutrients and minerals, and a great source of antioxidants. These nutrients are beneficial for both the cardiovascular system and the kidneys.
Can Homeopathy treat Kidney disorders?
Having kidney issues is a tough situation not just for the person with the problem but for their whole family, too. Homeopathy is a great and effective way to treat kidney failure treatment without dialysis. Finding and treating it early can often stop the disease from getting worse. The treatment plan is tailored to the person’s symptoms and what’s causing their kidney disease.
Even though all kidneys do similar things, the reasons they get sick can be different for each person, so the treatment will be different, too. Traditional homeopathic treatment for chronic kidney disease can help fix the damaged kidneys and also keep blood sugar and blood pressure in check.
If you are looking for a reliable homeopathic clinic, Bharat Homeopathy is widely recognized as India’s top homeopathic center offering treatment for kidney failure with utmost efficacy. Patients who have received our treatment in the past have shown unexceptional recovery from their conditions with the help of our homeopathic treatment of kidney. Reach out to us to know more about our treatment plans.
