SUKKUR-Prominent Urologist of SIUT Sukkur, Surgeon Dr Abdul Saboor Soomro has said that kidney diseases affect millions of children across the world with some children born with kidney-related illnesses. While talking to media in connection with World Kidney Day here on Thursday, he said the symptoms of kidney diseases in children are often non-specific, making it hard to diagnose. He said many renal diseases are developed early in life and are only diagnosed later and that regular checkups are hence very important.
Many of the kidney-related illnesses, common in children, are hereditary and have clear symptoms like passing of blood in urine, hypertension or swelling, he said. He added that many of the diseases diagnosed later in life develop because of risk factors that could have been detected in a patient in childhood. To a question, he said that it is our responsibility to make the public aware of the importance of regular checkups, early diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases in children and to tell people about the risk factors that could lead to such illnesses in the future. Toxic drugs and fake medicines are also one of the major causes of kidney damage, he added. He explained that kidney diseases are diagnosed by taking a thorough history, through detailed examinations and laboratory tests. Many kidney diseases can be treated if diagnosed timely, they added. Kidneys can be permanently damaged if not diagnosed on time, which can be fatal.
In case of kidney failure, patients who also suffer from high blood pressure and diabetes should see their doctors regularly and antibiotics dosage should be adjusted according to kidney function, he said. Dr Abdul Saboor Soomro stressed the importance of events like Children Kidney Day and of raising awareness about kidney-related illnesses. Healthy kidneys remove waste from the blood and in case of kidney failure waste keeps building in the blood. Some of the waste is from the food consumed which is why it is important to take care of what a patient eats to avoid further complications, he added. It is important for a patient to have controlled diabetes and blood pressure for the kidneys to remain healthy, he said and urged participants to adopt a healthier lifestyle, he maintained.
