BUKIT MERTAJAM: Imagine being thirsty on a sweltering afternoon but having to ration every sip of water because your body can no longer get rid of excess fluid.
For many kidney failure patients, that is daily reality, carefully measuring every meal and drink while spending four hours hooked up to a dialysis machine, three times a week.
Nephrologist Datuk Dr Tan Kah Keong (pic) said the burden goes far beyond the treatment itself.
“When you factor in travelling time, preparation and recovery, it consumes a significant part of a patient’s life.
“Restricting fluids and salt is often the biggest challenge, especially for those who produce very little urine,” he said.
Dr Tan, a former president of the Penang Medical Practitioners’ Society, said dialysis patients must monitor their diet closely, although most still require adequate protein intake rather than a severely restricted diet.
Having treated thousands of patients and served as medical adviser to numerous charity haemodialysis centres, he said many people on dialysis are still able to continue working and lead productive lives.
However, he warned that chronic kidney disease often develops silently.
“Many patients only discover they have kidney disease through routine blood or urine tests because early-stage kidney disease usually causes no symptoms,” he said.
Possible warning signs include persistently foamy urine, swelling of the ankles or face, blood in the urine, frequent urination at night and unexplained fatigue.
For suitable patients, Dr Tan said a kidney transplant offers the closest return to a normal life, although recipients must continue taking anti-rejection medication for life.
To reduce the risk of kidney disease, he urged the public to control diabetes and high blood pressure, avoid unnecessary use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stay away from unregulated herbal remedies and seek prompt treatment for severe dehydration, infections and urinary obstruction.
Those with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, heart disease or a family history of kidney disease should undergo regular kidney screenings, he added.
Dr Tan said early blood and urine tests remain the best defence against kidney failure.
