How Do Doctors Test For Creatinine Levels
Doctors take a blood sample to test creatinine levels. They then use a formula to estimate creatinine clearance.
In some cases, they may also request that the individual collects all of their urine over 24 hours and brings it to the laboratory.
The doctor can then compare the urinary creatinine level with that of the blood. These results show how much creatinine the kidneys are filtering out of the body and how well they are functioning.
High creatinine levels usually indicate that the kidneys are not working as they should. Possible causes of this dysfunction include:
- a kidney infection
- glomerulonephritis, which is inflammation of the kidney structures that filter the blood
- kidney stones that block the urinary tract
- kidney failure
Outside of kidney function, several other factors can temporarily raise creatinine levels above normal. These include dehydration and consuming large amounts of protein either through food sources or nutritional supplements.
High intensity exercise can also increase certain blood biomarkers, including creatinine.
A person undergoing a creatinine test should let the doctor know if they are taking any medications, fasting, or adhering to a protein-rich diet.
Certain can cause a temporary increase in serum creatinine levels or damage the kidneys.
Some health conditions can also damage these organs, leading to increased creatinine levels. These conditions include:
- numb or tingling hands and feet
What Is Renal Hypertension
Renal hypertension is high blood pressure caused by the narrowing of your arteries that carry blood to your kidneys. It is also sometimes called renal artery stenosis. Because your kidneys are not getting enough blood, they react by making a hormone that makes your blood pressure rise.
This condition is a treatable form of high blood pressure when properly diagnosed.
Symptoms Of Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is called a silent disease as there are often no warning signs. People may lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney function before getting any symptoms. The first signs of kidney disease may be general and can include:
- high blood pressure
- changes in the amount and number of times urine is passed
- changes in the appearance of urine
- blood in the urine
- puffiness of the legs and ankles
- pain in the kidney area
- tiredness
- have a family history of kidney failure
- have a history of acute kidney injury
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.
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Is There A Causal Relationship
The researchers enrolled 3,749 residents of the town of Watari who had undergone an annual health check in 2017 and gathered information about their blood pressure levels and nocturia using questionnaires.
The data showed that getting up in the night to urinate was associated with a 40 percent greater chance of having high blood pressure, and the risk of hypertension rose significantly as the number of nocturia events per night increased.
Dr. Konno says that the results do not prove a causal relationship between nocturia and hypertension, and they may not apply to people who live outside Japan. The relationship may be influenced by various factors including lifestyle, salt intake, ethnicity, and genetic background, the researcher explains.
Hypertension is a national disease in Japan. The average salt intake in Japan is approximately 10 grams per day, which is more than double the average salt intake worldwide . This excessive salt intake is related to our preference for seafood and soy sauce-based food, so salt restriction is difficult to carry out, says Dr. Mutsuo Harada, the conferences press coordinator.
Dr. Harada adds that early detection and management of hypertension are crucial to prevent heart disease. It is important to research and understand the cause of nocturia in patients because this disorder can not only result from urinary organ problems it may also be caused by diseases such as hypertension.
What Are The Symptoms Of An Acute Kidney Infection
Signs and symptoms vary with age:
- Newborns: no fever but poor feeding and vomiting
- Children < 2: may have a fever , a poor appetite, vomiting and diarrhea
- Children > 2: fever, appetite changes, stomach or lower back pain, symptoms of urgency, frequency and pain with urination
If a toilet trained child is having accidents during the day or night, it may be a sign of an infection. Typically a childs urine will have a strong, foul odor, and there may be blood in the urine.
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Research Is Revealing More About Sars
While kidney damage in COVID-19 is still not well understood, more data will reveal how this occurs. Sperati, who also conducts research on kidney disease, says the Johns Hopkins Division of Nephrology is exploring exactly how SARS-CoV-2 and the bodys response to it is affecting kidney health.
He says that patients with COVID-19-related kidney damage should follow up with their doctors to ensure kidney function is returning to normal. Lasting kidney damage might require dialysis or other therapies even after recovery from COVID-19.
Mostly, Sperati stresses the importance of adhering to guidelines around physical distancing and hand-washing, the basics of prevention. For everyone, especially people with underlying chronic disease, avoiding infection with COVID-19 for as long as you can is crucial, he says.
Right now, we dont have a treatment or vaccine for this disease. The longer a person can go without getting infected, the better chance they have of benefiting from a future therapy.
Coronavirus
How Can I Prevent Kidney Disease Caused By High Blood Pressure
It can take many years for high blood pressure to damage your kidneys. You can take steps to control your blood pressure and prevent kidney disease. If you already have kidney disease, controlling your blood pressure can help prevent more damage to your kidneys.
To prevent kidney disease or keep kidney damage from getting worse, you can:
- Control your blood pressure
- Stay at a healthy weight
- Be active most days of the week
Control your blood pressure
Your doctor may ask you to check your blood pressure at home with a digital blood pressure monitor. Many pharmacies and grocery stores have in-store monitors that you can use for free. You can also get a monitor from your local drug store, hospital, clinic or online. Your doctor can help you find a monitor that is right for you and can show you how to use it.
When you check your blood pressure, your result will be two numbers. Both numbers are important:
- The first number is your systolic pressure. This is the pressure in your arteries and veins when your heart is beating and the pressure is at its highest.
- The second number is your diastolic pressure. This is the pressure in your arteries and veins when your heart is between beats and the pressure is at its lowest.
For most people a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 mm Hg . This means that your systolic pressure should be 120 mm Hg or less and your diastolic pressure should be 80 mm Hg or less. If either number is too high, your blood pressure is high.
Eat healthy
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Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy
There are a number of things you can do to keep your kidneys healthy, including:
- If you have diabetes, make sure that your blood sugar control is excellent. Follow your doctors advice about insulin injections, medicines, diet, physical activity and monitoring your blood sugar.
- Control high blood pressure. Have your blood pressure checked regularly. Medications used to lower blood pressure , such as ACE inhibitors or angiotensin blockers, can slow the development of kidney disease.
- If you have one of the risk factors for kidney disease, have a kidney health check at least every two years .
- Treat urinary tract infections immediately.
- Control blood cholesterol levels with diet and medications if necessary.
- Drink plenty of water and choose foods that are low in sugar, fat and salt, but high in fibre. Stick to moderate serving sizes.
- Do not smoke.
- Drink alcohol in moderation only.
- Stay at a healthy weight for your height and age.
- Try to exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes a day.
Is Surgery Necessary To Treat Renal Hypertension
If the condition does not improve with medication and/or angioplasty, or the narrowing recurs or cannot be stented for any reason, renal bypass surgery may be an option. By taking a vein or synthetic tube to connect your kidney to your aorta, the surgeon creates an alternate route, or bypass, for blood to flow around the blocked artery into your kidney. This procedure is complex and high risk and rarely used.
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Complications Of Kidney Infections
Most kidney infections are treated successfully without complications, although some people may develop further problems.
Complications of a kidney infection are rare, but you’re more likely to develop them if you:
- are a child
- rapid heartbeat
- breathlessness
Blood poisoning is a medical emergency that usually requires admission to a hospital intensive care unit while antibiotics are used to fight the infection.
If you’re taking certain medications for diabetes, such as metformin or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, they may be temporarily withdrawn until you recover. This is because they can cause kidney damage during an episode of blood poisoning.
Is It A Kidney Infection Or Something Else
Your symptoms could also result from another common illness. Some similar conditions you may mistake for a kidney infection include:
- Other UTIs. Other types of UTIs, such as those affecting the urethra and bladder, can also cause symptoms like urgent and painful urination, abdominal pain, and urine thats cloudy, foul-smelling, or bloody.
- Kidney stones.Kidney stones are hard deposits of materials like calcium or uric acid that form in the kidneys. When they become lodged in the kidneys, they can cause pain in the abdomen, side, or back, as well as nausea and vomiting.
- Lower back pain. If low back pain is your primary symptom, you may have a condition thats affecting your lower back. Examples include injuries, degenerative disc disease, and nerve compression.
- Pregnancy. Symptoms like frequent urination, nausea and vomiting, and abdominal cramping can all be early signs of pregnancy.
Its always a good rule of thumb to seek medical attention if you experience any new or concerning symptoms. A healthcare professional can work with you to determine what may be causing them.
Heres an idea of what you can expect when you seek care for a possible kidney infection.
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Coronavirus Kidney Damage: A Serious Sign
Organ systems like the heart, lungs, liver and kidneys rely on and support one another’s functions, so when the new coronavirus causes damage in one area, others might be at risk. The kidneys essential functions have an impact on the heart, lungs and other systems. That may be why doctors note that kidney damage arising in patients with COVID-19 is a possible warning sign of a serious, even fatal course of the disease.
How Common Are High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
Almost 1 in 2 U.S. adultsor about 108 million peoplehave high blood pressure.1
More than 1 in 7 U.S. adultsor about 37 million peoplemay have chronic kidney disease .2
High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in the United States after diabetes, as illustrated in Figure 1.2
Almost 1 in 2 U.S. adultsor about 108 million peoplehave high blood pressure.
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The Cold The Cure And High Blood Pressure
One way to decrease your risk of a spike in your blood pressure during illness is to check what drugs or medications you are taking.
In addition to the effects of fever, your blood pressure can also be affected by medications. Over-the-counter cold remedies, ones that contain decongestants, are some of the main culprits.
Decongestants work to narrow blood vessels in your nose, helping you breathe more clearly, but they also narrow other blood vessels, raising blood pressure. Decongestants to avoid if you have hypertension include pseudoephedrine, ephedrine, phenylephrine, naphazoline and oxymetazoline 1.
- One way to decrease your risk of a spike in your blood pressure during illness is to check what drugs or medications you are taking.
- In addition to the effects of fever, your blood pressure can also be affected by medications.
How Is Renal Hypertension Diagnosed
It is important to see your healthcare provider regularly to make sure your blood pressure numbers are checked and are within the normal range. He or she may recommend blood tests.
A healthcare provider can gather clues that vascular disease may be present by taking a thorough history and performing a physical exam. If you have a history of other vascular diseases, such as heart attacks or strokes, you are at higher risk for having renal artery stenosis. One exam, listening to the neck or belly with a stethoscope, may help identify narrowed arteries. When blood flows through a narrowed artery, it sometimes makes a whooshing sound, called a bruit.
Healthcare providers may order one of the imaging tests below to look for narrowed kidney arteries. However, finding a narrowed kidney artery alone does not mean that your high blood pressure is due to renal hypertension. Many people have narrowing of kidney arteries without high blood pressure or with high blood pressure that is not caused by the narrowing . The healthcare provider will need to use other clinical clues to help determine if the two are connected.
Imaging tests that can be done to see if the kidneys arteries have narrowed include:
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Can Kidney Infection Be Prevented
Hygiene: The main approach to the prevention of kidney infection is proper hygiene. Because the majority of infections tend to happen due to the presence of bacteria entering the urinary tract from the urethra, proper personal hygiene plays theoretical importance in preventing urinary infections. For example, in women, wiping the genital area from front to back after going to the bathroom may significantly prevent bacteria around the anus or vagina to gain access to the urethra. Hygienic use of bathtubs and douching may also have a preventive role, but is not universally supported by clinical experts.
Sex: Because sexual intercourse is another risk factor for kidney infection, it is advised to empty the bladder after sexual activity to drain bacteria that may have entered the bladder. This practice, however, is not overwhelmingly proven by available clinical data and not recommended by some experts.
Antibiotics: Preventive antibiotic therapy can sometimes be helpful in women who have recurrent UTIs . This could be guided by the presence of symptoms suggestive of an infection or after sexual intercourse if infections are temporally associated with sexual intercourse. Preventive antibiotics are also recommended for patients undergoing invasive urologic procedures when bacteria are detected in screening urine culture.
How Can I Prevent Or Slow The Progression Of Kidney Disease From High Blood Pressure
The best way to slow or prevent kidney disease from high blood pressure is to take steps to lower your blood pressure. These steps include a combination of medicines and lifestyle changes, such as
- being physically active
- managing stress
- following a healthy diet, including less sodium intake
No matter what the cause of your kidney disease, high blood pressure can make your kidneys worse. If you have kidney disease, you should talk with your health care professional about your individual blood pressure goals and how often you should have your blood pressure checked.
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Related Conditions Of Kidney Infection
Kidney infection can develop from, or lead to, certain other health conditions, including the following:
Urinary Tract Infection Most UTIs affect the lower urinary tract the urethra and bladder. But bacteria can migrate from the bladder to the kidneys, causing infection there.
Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Having an enlarged prostate can reduce the flow of urine, making it more likely that youll develop a UTI or kidney infection.
One of the most serious potential complications of a kidney infection, sepsis is an extreme immune system response to infection, resulting in widespread inflammation and sometimes vital organ failure and death.
Medications That Can Harm The Kidneys
No matter what kind of medicine you take, whether OTC or prescription, it is destined to take a trip through your kidneys. Taking a drug the wrong way or in excessive amounts can damage these vital, bean-shaped organs and lead to serious complications. In the worst-case scenario, it could necessitate a kidney transplant.
Compared with 30 years ago, patients todayhave a higher incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, take multiple medications, and are exposed to more diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with the potential to harm kidney function, according to Cynthia A. Naughton, PharmD, senior associate dean and associate professor in the department of pharmacy practice at North Dakota State University. All of these factors are associated with an elevated risk of kidney damage.
An estimated 20% of cases of acute kidney failure are due to medications. The technical term for this scenario is nephrotoxicity, which is growing more common as the aging population grows, along with rates of various diseases.
The kidneys get rid of waste and extra fluid in the body by filtering the blood to produce urine. They also keep electrolyte levels balanced and make hormones that influence blood pressure, bone strength and the production of red blood cells. When something interferes with the kidneys, they cant do their job, so these functions can slow down or stop altogether.
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How Does Eating Diet And Nutrition Affect High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
Following a healthy eating plan can help lower your blood pressure. Reducing the amount of sodium in your diet is an important part of any healthy eating plan. Your health care professional may recommend the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension eating plan. DASH focuses on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and other foods that are healthy for your heart and lower in sodium, which often comes from salt. The DASH eating plan
- is low in fat and cholesterol
- features fat-free or low-fat milk and dairy products, fish, poultry, and nuts
- suggests less red meat, sweets, added sugars, and sugar-containing beverages
- is rich in nutrients, protein, and fiber
A registered dietitian can help tailor your diet to your kidney disease. If you have congestive heart failure or edema, a diet low in sodium intake can help reduce edema and lower blood pressure. Reducing saturated fat and cholesterol can help control high levels of lipids, or fats, in the blood.
People with advanced kidney disease should speak with their health care professional about their diet.