Patients with low function of kidneys need extra care in fasting

Islamabad
Patients suffering from any of the kidney diseases or having kidneys with decreased function may suffer irreparable loss while fasting if they do not take extra ordinary care in diet fail in assessing severity of their disease before opting for fasting in the holy month of Ramazan.
Kidney diseases are considered as the silent killers that affect the quality of life of a patient to a great extent. There are many forms of kidney diseases like urinary tract infection, cyst around kidneys, kidney stones, acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease (CKD) which is particularly dangerous because a patient of CKD may not have any symptoms until considerable, often irreparable damage to kidney has occurred.
Patients with diabetes suffering from type 1 or type 2 of the disease and those suffering from hypertension need extra care while fasting as diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of CKD.
In most of the cases, one of the most common causes of acute kidney injury, the sudden loss of kidney function that is also called as acute renal failure is dehydration and it must be avoided while fasting, said medical specialist at Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences Dr. Wasim Ahmed Khawaja while talking to 'The News'.
He added the acute renal failure is a fatal condition. The most important thing for one to keep in mind that kidneys perform a number of life-sustaining roles in the body from cleansing blood from waste and toxins to maintaining balance of salt and minerals in the body and thus regulating blood pressure, he said.
That is why it is a must for a patient of decreased kidney function to undergo complete medical check-up before opting for fasting for a month or should immediately report to the nearest healthcare facility in case of developing any complication, he said.
Studies reveal that kidney damage and decreased function that lasts for more than three months is called CKD. The patients of CKD must undergo complete examination before opting for fasting in Ramazan, said Dr. Khawaja.
With the damage to kidneys, waste products and excess fluid starts building up in the body causing swelling in ankles, vomiting, weakness, poor sleep and shortness of breath and these symptoms should be taken seriously while under fast, he said.
He added that if these symptoms are left untreated, the diseased kidneys may stop functioning completely that is potentially a serious and life-threatening condition.
It is important that healthy kidneys maintain a balance of water and concentration of minerals such as sodium, potassium and phosphorus in the blood and remove waste by-products from the blood after digestion.
Kidneys produce rennin, an enzyme that helps regulating blood pressure. They also produce an active form of Vitamin D, needed for the health of bones while stimulate red blood cell production. According to Dr. Khawaja, the patients suffering from urinary tract infections, milder kidney stones and cyst can fast during Ramazan but after advice from their physicians. "If the kidney stones are silent and are not causing pain, the person can fast but if there is pain due to stone, the patient should seek treatment instead of opting for fasting without medical advice."
Similarly, patients of acute kidney injury should not fast because during fasting dehydration can take place which can further damage the kidneys, he said. He added also the patient with chronic kidney disease having high blood pressure and blood sugar should not fast.
He said the emergency department at PIMS has been receiving significant number of patients with urinary tract infections and kidney stones and with abdominal pain, fever, vomiting and dehydration. On average, the PIMS is receiving 50 to 60 patients with dehydration. The PIMS has been receiving a good number of patients with kidney pain due to excessive use of soft drinks who were not suffering from kidney diseases, said Dr. Khawaja.