Contents:
- Medical Video: Symptoms of Kidney Disease
- Why kidney disease becomes a kidney complication
- Rheumatic drugs can also cause kidney problems
- Prevent rheumatic complications by routinely checking yourself
Medical Video: Symptoms of Kidney Disease
Rheumatism, which in medical language is called rheumatoid arthritis, is a type of autoimmune disease that makes the joints inflamed and feels stiff. Rheumatism should not be underestimated. Because, kidney disease can be one of the complications of rheumatism that should be watched out. How can?
Why kidney disease becomes a kidney complication
Rheumatism is a type of autoimmune disease, which occurs when your immune system (immune) mistakenly considers healthy cells as foreign objects and then turns to attack them. So the immune system is supposed to protect you from disease, it actually causes inflammation.
Autoimmune diseases can affect almost all parts of the body, including the brain, nerves, muscles, skin, joints, eyes, heart, lungs, kidneys, digestive tract, glands, and blood vessels. When attacking joints, rheumatism is a result of symptoms of fever, sore joints and legs, to fatigue. Rheumatism can attack several joints at one time.
In addition to attacking the joints, inflammation caused by autoimmunity can also affect other areas of the body, including the blood vessels leading to the kidneys. This can reduce your kidney's ability to function properly and increase the risk of kidney disease.
Reporting from the Arthritis Foundation, one in four people who have rheumatism is at risk of developing kidney disease which then continues to decrease long-term kidney function. The risk of kidney disease can increase if in addition to having rheumatism, you also use corticosteroids, have high blood pressure, obesity, or high cholesterol levels.
Some kidney diseases that commonly occur as rheumatic complications are amyloidosis, glomerulonephritis (accumulation of immune substances in the kidneys), and diseases involving other kidney tissues.
Rheumatic drugs can also cause kidney problems
Apart from the effects of rheumatic inflammation, kidney function can also be disrupted due to consumption of rheumatic drugs. Especially if the kidneys have had problems before.
These drugs include:
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen are usually used to reduce pain due to rheumatism. However, this drug can also reduce the amount of blood flow to the kidneys resulting in further decline in kidney function.
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone, are commonly used to reduce inflammation and pain. However, corticosteroid drugs can also increase blood pressure, thus providing additional pressure on the kidneys.
- Disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs), usually used to slow the progression of rheumatism. However, certain DMARDs have the potential to cause kidney damage. Examples of DMARD are cyclosporine and methotrexate.
Prevent rheumatic complications by routinely checking yourself
There are a number of things you can do to minimize the risk of kidney disease if you experience rheumatism. One of them is to undergo blood screening or a urine test recommended by your doctor. This allows your doctor to recognize if there is a change in your kidney.
Also make sure you recognize the symptoms of kidney disease, including:
- Feel tired
- Swelling of the legs and around the eyes
- Hard to breathe
- Changes in frequency of urination
If you experience the above, then immediately visit a doctor for further examination.
In addition, you also need to improve a healthier lifestyle to maintain your kidney function, including:
- Control blood pressure
- Ensuring adequate body fluid intake
- Eat low-salt foods
- Maintain cholesterol levels
- Quit smoking
Do not forget to exercise regularly to maintain body fitness. Because, regular exercise can also reduce inflammation, control weight, and lower blood pressure.
