Many dying of kidney failure, says doctor

ABOUT 800,000 persons live with kidney disease globally, and in Port Moresby, a lot of the sick people have died from kidney failure, according to a doctor.
Port Moresby General Hospital’s nephrologist Dr Steven Bogosia said that according to what he had seen, more had died and a lot had been put on dialysis machines for treatment.
“At PMGH, we used to get none at all to now we are getting at least five out of every 10 admission we see,” Bogosia said.
“Those are people who come in with swollen legs, loss of breath, loss of appetite and those who get very pale.
“These are the ones we are getting at the emergency (department) at PMGH.”
He said the recently established kidney dialysis centre at the hospital has already registered 22 patients who were receiving treatment.
Bogosia said many people did not know of the disease.
“Kidney is an important part of the body that removes waste products from the blood and produces urine,” he explained.
Causes of the kidney disease
Bogosia said the main and number one cause of kidney disease is diabetes.
“When you take in a lot of soft drink, sweets and sugary food, it adds more sugar into the body.
“That includes cream, cakes and any food and drinks that has a lot of sugar.
“When we take in more sugar, it goes into our body and burns it up like fire or small nails.”
He said it can’t be recognised at early ages, but the problem will start once people reach the ages of 30 and above.
“Sometimes, you notice that you can’t urinate and poop,” he said.
Bogosia said another cause of kidney disease was high blood pressure. “Most times, working a lot and having a lot of work to do causes our blood pressure to rise,” he said.
“Also, sometimes when we are mad and we argue or get into fights with our family, it causes it too.
“Pressure affects the kidney and it starts to die out.”
He said the disease is also caused by the voltaren and diclofenac medicines which people take to treat aches and pains, problems with joints and muscles and bones.
“Taking these medicines over a long period of time, they decrease the sizes of renal arteries, the large blood vessels that carry blood from heart to kidney,” he said.
He said that makes it difficult for the renal arteries to take blood into the kidney.
“That is when you will notice swollen legs, feel short of breath and loss of appetite and when you visit a hospital, doctors will tell you that you have a kidney failure,” he said.
He said obesity can also cause high blood pressure and diabetes.
Signs and symptoms
Bogosia said the common signs and symptoms of kidney disease are swollen legs, loss of appetite, and change of skin colour and shortness of breath or breathlessness.
“When you sleep in the night, it would be okay but when wake up and walk around, both legs will be swollen which will start from the leg and up to the tummy and you will feel that your tummy will be tight as well,” he said.
“Waste products that the kidney is no longer able to remove causes the change in your skin colour so it may turn grey or yellowish.”
He therefore has encouraged the public to minimise the sugar intake into the body and visit hospitals for checkups on the kidney disease.