Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere

We’ve dedicated March to raising awareness for World Kidney Day, drawing attention to Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and Kidney Cancer, which claim the lives of 2.4 million yearly.

Did you know that Kidney Cancer is the 13^th most common form of cancer worldwide, and particularly prevalent in children?

Taking preventative measures to decrease the chances of developing CKD and Kidney Cancer is a vital step to sustaining your health. So is sharing the knowledge and educating those around you about CKD and its symptoms. This is why we’ve compiled a list of signs and symptoms to help raise awareness of the diseases:

Risk factors for CKD and Kidney Cancer:

• Obesity
• Diabetes
• Hypertension
• Smoking
• Overuse of over certain medications

Symptoms for CKD and Kidney Cancer:

• Blood in the urine
• Lower back pain
• Lump in side
• Loss of appetite
• Severe weight Loss
• Fatigue

In Pakistan alone, 20,000 patients suffer from CKD, and most do not have a formal diagnosis. This is due to several factors, ranging from disparity in available healthcare services, to a lack of public awareness regarding CKD and its symptoms. Adding to this is a the absence of an established mechanism for screening the common risk factors of CKD disease, such as diabetes and hypertension. All of these issues play a big part in preventing patients from receiving the potentially life saving treatments they require.

At Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital, medical staff ensure that all patients are appropriately screened for kidney disease, and are provided with appropriate education regarding the disease and its treatment. People diagnosed with acute or chronic kidney problems are reviewed and followed up by the Nephrology team. If you’d like to support our life saving work, Find Out how your Zakat and sadaqah can help.

Remember, the best way to fight any disease is to prevent it. Find out moreon how you could adopt little changes in your lifestyle, to you help prevent any risks in developing the diseases.