March is National Kidney Month! Your kidneys cannot function properly, if the arteries leading to them are damaged, as is the case in peripheral artery disease. Similarly, they are at risk even if blood flow becomes slow, as in the case of chronic venous insufficiency.
Kidney illnesses affect millions of individuals, most of whom are completely unaware of their existence until it is too late. As a result, kidney illness is sometimes referred to as a silent killer since most patients do not experience any symptoms until the disease has progressed substantially.
There are several warning indications of renal disorders; however, due to their non-specific character, they are frequently disregarded or mistaken for alternate conditions. As a result, one must be highly vigilant and have confirmatory testing at the first indication of a kidney problem.
Kidney Function and Edema
Your kidneys are in charge of filtering waste and controlling your body’s fluid balance. When a person has renal disease, these functions start to decline. Edema, or inflammation in the feet, is a common indication of renal disease. The feet and ankles naturally accumulate fluid due to gravity. The lower limbs will expand more quickly than other body parts when renal function is compromised.
Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease has five stages of kidney deterioration, from minor renal dysfunction to total failure. Chronic renal failure is growing more common globally, especially in developing nations.
The most common causes of chronic renal failure include:
- Genetics
Chronic renal disease has a heritable component to it as well. There is a significant frequency of chronic renal disease in family members of patients.
Moreover, it has been observed that men often have more severe chronic kidney disease than women, despite the fact that women tend to have a higher likelihood of developing kidney-related conditions.
- Hypertension
A prevalent comorbidity in people with chronic renal disease is hypertension. Although evidence suggests that slower progression of chronic renal disease is associated with hypertension treatment, both are deeply interconnected.
- Cancer
Chronic kidney disease can be brought on by cancer either directly or indirectly through the adverse side effects of treatments like chemotherapy.
- Chronic Heart Disease
Chronic renal disease is more likely to develop in individuals who suffer from cardiovascular conditions and diseases.
- Diabetes
Diabetes has long been known to increase the chance of developing chronic kidney disease.
Make an appointment with a podiatrist to examine your symptoms, especially if you notice persistent swelling in your ankles and feet and are uncertain of the cause.
Call the friendly My Chicago Foot Expert staff at (773) 561-8100 or click here to schedule an appointment with Cook County podiatrist Stavros O. Alexopoulos, DPM, in our modern, comfortable Ravenswood office today.