NATIONAL Kidney Awareness which focuses on kidney function and health is commemorated annually from 7-11 September.
Mount Edgecombe resident, Sean Samujh, who is a kidney transplant survivor and chairperson for the KwaZulu-Natal Transplant Sports Association tells the Northglen News what signs and symptoms to watch out for and how to improve kidney health.
“The biggest problems we have in South Africa is hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Those are the two silent killers that contribute to about 70 per cent of kidney failures,” said Samujh.
Also read:Organ donation affected by Covid-19 pandemic
“If your sugar went up from a normal level of 5 millimoles per litre (mmol/L) to ten mmol/L you would feel so weak you wouldn’t be able to stand, yet there are people whose sugar levels are sitting at 15 and even higher and they are walking around as normal. The reason for this is their sugar levels increase gradually overtime. A lot of people don’t know that their blood pressure is going up over a long period of time as well. This adds to the risk of kidney failure,” he added.
As the body’s filters, kidneys play a vital role in regulating toxins in the blood.
“Your kidney filters your blood to clean the blood so it can circulate through your body again. If your kidneys are not working properly, then toxins build up in the blood. Dialysis is a means of substitution for the kidneys to filter blood, when the kidneys are no longer functioning,” said Samujh who received a kidney transplant in 2015, after three years of dialysis.
Also read: uMhlanga organ failure survivor becomes a mother
“Everything you eat can end up becoming a toxin if it’s not used up by the body. The main thing for your kidney health is not to overwork your kidney by having too much salt, chemicals, alcohol or fatty foods. Drinking plenty of water and following the recommended daily allowance (RDA) guideline is a good way to regulate diet, said Samujh.
Signs of kidney problems include less frequent urination and foamy urine with a strong odour as well as a loss of appetite and feelings of weakness and fatigue, said Samujh.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 
Here’s where you can download Telegram on Android or Apple.
