In view of the increasing cases of kidney disease in the country , A Consultant Nephrologist with the Lagos University Teaching Hospital , Idi-Araba, Dr. Babawale Bello, has called on Nigerians to find out the causes of the disease and prevent them.
Bello told our correspondent that many Nigerians were predisposed to kidney disease because one out of four of them have hypertension.
Experts say the number of Nigerians with kidney diseases have doubled in recent years owing to wrong diagnosis and lack of access to quality healthcare.
He identified high salt content in the nation’s foods, increasing rate of obesity among children and adults and sedentary living as factors increasing the population of Nigerians living with high blood pressure.
“We should focus on prevention and early detection. If people can check their blood pressure levels regularly, they can know if they have hypertension and manage it so that it does not develop into kidney failure, a situation that is irreversible.
“So, people should be aware of the causes of kidney diseases. People who have hypertension should have their blood pressure controlled. People who have diabetes should have their blood sugar controlled and people who have all these diseases associated with kidney diseases including infections should have proper treatment.
In addition to that, all adults should have annual medical check to ensure their kidneys and other major organs of their body are healthy”, he
advised.
According to the nephrologist, such tests are simple to perform both in terms of cost and procedure.
“ It requires just a urine and blood tests. Now, its impossible to screen everybody every time. I advise people who have the risks of kidney diseases to go for regular checkup”, he
added.
He continued: “Apart from that, people should adopt a health lifestyle such as having regular exercise, eating more fruits and vegetables and generally staying away from herbal concussions in the name herbal medicines because most of
them are actually responsible for the kidney
problem.”
