November 2nd, 2010
Prevent Life-Threatening Kidney Failure With An Easy Kidney Test
If you’ve been suffering from unusual back pain or soreness lately, and you haven’t been able to determine the source as muscle damage or a spinal problem, think about talking to your medical professional about having kidney function tests done.|If you’ve been troubled lately by unusual pain and soreness in your back, you might want to talk to your medical professional about having some kidney tests done.|If you’ve had a mysterious, nagging back pain lately, and it doesn’t seem to be a nerve or muscular problem, you might want to ask your medical professional about having some kidney function tests done.|Have you been experiencing soreness or pain in your lower back lately, and it doesn’t seem to be a spinal or muscular problem? If so, it may be time to ask your medical professional about kidney tests.|Anyone who has had recent pain or soreness in the lower back that doesn’t seem to be muscular or spinal in nature should ask their medical professional about getting tested for possible kidney problems.}
There are a number of conditions and diseases that can result in a kidney problem. Some come on strong and fast. As the saying goes, you “dont know what hit you.” This type of pain usually comes from kidney stones or an acute kidney infection.
Other types of kidney back pain are not so acute. They come on gradually over a period of time? because the root cause is chronic. This is usually what happens in the case of kidney failure.
Many times, your doctor can determine if your kidneys are malfunctioning by taking a urine . Toxins, chemicals, blood and sometimes even tissue fragments will appear. This is usually a signal that more tests are required.
Taking blood is another way to ascertain if there is a kidney problem. Your kidneys filter out toxins in the blood, and if a kidney is malfunctioning, certain chemicals will appear in the blood sample .
These are the most common blood tests used to help evaluate the kidneys:
1. The blood urea nitrogen test When the blood is tested for nitrogen, this tells your physician if the urine that the kidney sends to the urethra (the tube connecting a kidney to your bladder) is healthy or not.
2. The creatinine test This resembles the blood urea nitrogen test but checks your creatinine levels. Creatinine is a waste product that is generated by your muscles and is carried to your kidneys through your blood. The kidneys screen it out and remove it through your urine. If creatinine levels are non-standard, then it’s probable that one or both kidneys are malfunctioning.
These are the most frequently used blood tests, but a number of others provide additional options.
At times, more than one of the tests mentioned above will be used at the same time. In fact, doing both tests is normal. Results can be relied upon.
Kidney back pain should not be ignored. Anyone who has concerns about their kidneys should see their physician and ask about kidney tests. Blood and urine samples can help the doctor to see what the issue is and if there is a problem with kidney function.
Kidney diseases that go untreated can lead to dire consequences. Kidney disease, a kidney infection or kidney failure can be life-threating. Someone with kidney failure has only two choices for staying alive: kidney dialysis, or kidney transplantation. Both are certain to have a major impact on your longevity and your everyday life.
Related topics: testing for kidney problems and preventing a kidney problem. Neal Kennedy is a former radio and television journalist.