Why Is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Rising Among Indians? Doctor Lists Triggers That We Tend To Ignore

Triggers Of Kidney Diseases: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that affects the kidneys' ability to filter waste products from the blood. CKD also increases the risk of other health problems like heart disease and stroke. Developing chronic kidney disease is usually a very slow process with very few symptoms at first.

According to Mayo Clinic, in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you might have few signs or symptoms. You might not realise that you have kidney disease until the condition is advanced. Treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing the progression of kidney damage, usually by controlling the cause. But, even controlling the cause might not keep kidney damage from progressing. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.

In a conversation with Jagran English, Dr Mohit Khirbat, Consultant, Nephrology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram explained about triggers or symptoms of chronic kidney disease that we usually ignore. The factors responsible for the rise in CKD cases include the following:

Factors For Rise In Chronic Kidney Disease

Lifestyle factors: The prevalence of diabetes and hypertension, both strong risk factors for CKD, is on the rise in India due to factors like unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, and obesity.

Late diagnosis: Many people with CKD don't experience symptoms until the later stages of the disease. This means the disease can progress significantly before detection, making treatment more challenging.

Environmental factors: Exposure to pollutants like heavy metals, arsenic, and pesticides in water can damage the kidneys. This is a concern in some parts of India, where there may be contamination of water sources.

Uncontrolled blood sugar: Even if you have borderline diabetes, consistently high blood sugar levels can stress your kidneys.

Uncontrolled blood pressure: Similarly, persistently high blood pressure can damage the delicate blood vessels in your kidneys.

Unhealthy diet: A diet high in processed foods, red meat, salt, and sugar can contribute to CKD.

Pain medications: Overuse of certain pain relievers, especially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can increase the risk of CKD.

Smoking: Smoking narrows blood vessels throughout the body, including those in the kidneys.

Excessive alcohol consumption: Chronic heavy alcohol use can damage the kidneys.

(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis or treatment.)