NAZARETH: Being on dialysis can place an unexpected financial burden on individuals, their families and the government. CHARLES E. BUBAN
Every 33 minutes, one Filipino undergoes dialysis. This means by the end of a day 43 individuals or close to 16,000 every year go through this procedure that, through a machine, allows their blood to be filtered and purified because their kidneys are already functioning poorly.
For Dr. Maria Gina Nazareth of the Philippine Society of Nephrology, this incidence rate is not a sign of a healthy society. She said: “Being on dialysis can place an unexpected financial burden on individuals, their families and the government. The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) spends P2,600 per patient per session (currently, maximum of 90 sessions). Last year alone, payments made by PhilHealth to hospitals and health-care providers reached P7 billion.”
Those who are not covered by PhilHealth will have to spend up to P4,000 per session depending on where they avail themselves of the procedure that takes about four hours to complete at least three times a week.
Getting dialysis is unavoidable because once our kidneys start failing and no intervention is done one could only be expected to survive for several days if not weeks because of complications like fluid buildup in the lungs that can cause shortness of breath; chest pain, particularly if the lining that covers the heart becomes inflamed; and muscle weakness that results when the body’s fluids and electrolytes (the body’s blood chemistry) become out of balance.
Warning
Nazareth warned: “Once acute kidney failure caused the permanent loss of kidney function, that individual will be required to undergo either permanent dialysis or a kidney transplant in order to survive. Otherwise, death is almost always inevitable.”
Of course, all these things may be prevented, Nazareth reminded the public, if one undergoes two simple and inexpensive blood and urine tests that can identify problems with your kidneys.
In the test using the person’s blood sample, creatinine presence will be observed. The kidneys usually completely filter creatinine from the blood and a high level of creatinine suggests a kidney problem.
In urine sample, the doctor will see the “albumin-to-creatinine ratio.” Albumin is a type of protein that should be in the blood, not the urine. Having this type of protein in the urine may mean that the kidneys are not filtering the blood well enough.
Nazareth stressed: “One should remember that early stages of kidney failure has no observable symptoms as the kidney can still adequately filter the blood even after extensive damage. Fatigue, nausea and fluid retention usually don’t occur until the late stages of kidney disease. This is why it’s important to get tested at least once a year so that prompt treatment can slow or prevent the progression of kidney disease.”
She reminded that one can still continue to live productive lives even with kidneys not working properly.
Lifestyle change
“Whether you are already on dialysis or not or taking preventive health screenings regularly, make these changes in your lifestyle and you could expect your kidney health to stay robust for years,” the doctor suggested.
- Keep your blood pressure at the level set by your doctor. For most people, the blood pressure target range is less than 140/90 mm Hg. Since consuming lots of salty food increases blood pressure, aim for less than 2,300 milligrams (mg) of sodium each day, which amounts to one teaspoon salt per day.
- If you have diabetes, control your blood glucose level. Good blood glucose control may help prevent or delay diabetes complications, including kidney disease.
- Keep your blood cholesterol within target range. Diet, being active, maintaining a healthy weight, and medicines can all help control blood cholesterol level.
4.Take medicines the way your doctor tells you to. Never take medicines without consulting the doctor because certain drugs may interact to the ones you are currently taking or have an adverse affect on the kidneys. Also, make sure the drug, particularly the generic ones, are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (Check the brand names at Consumers Corner at www.fda.gov.ph.).
- If you smoke, take steps to quit. Cigarette smoking can make kidney damage worse.
- Get or become more active. Physical activity is good for the blood pressure, as well as blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels.
- Lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight makes your kidneys work harder while losing weight helps your kidneys last longer.