March 11th - World Kidney Day

World Kidney Day is celebrated annually on the 2nd Thursday of March. This year, in 2021, the date will be celebrated on the 11th. Initially, 66 countries celebrated the date. In two years, that number has risen to 88. World Kidney Day is a joint initiative of the International Nephrology Society (ISN) and the International Federation of Kidney Foundations (IFKF).

The main objective of this commemorative date is to raise awareness about the condition of the kidneys. Although many are treatable, they are a secondary medical concern of the large population.

Created in 2006, World Kidney Day highlights a different theme each year to be addressed during the campaign. In 2018, for example, taking advantage of the date coinciding with International Women's Day, the campaigns drew attention to women's health and women's care for the kidneys.

In 2021 the theme chosen to address the campaign was: "Living well with kidney diseases". Being diagnosed with kidney disease can be a big challenge, both for the patient and for the people around him. Its diagnosis and treatment, particularly in advanced stages of kidney disease, have a severe impact.

Kidney disease by reducing the affected person's ability to participate in daily activities such as work travel and socializing, while simultaneously causing numerous problematic side effects - for example, fatigue, pain, depression, cognitive impairment, gastrointestinal problems, and sleep problems.

Check out the following diseases that can cause kidney problems:

Arterial hypertension - Also known as high blood pressure, arterial hypertension (AH) occurs when the pressure that the blood makes on the artery wall is very strong and is above the limits considered normal for the age, which can end up causing kidney failure.
Diabetes Mellitus - anyone with diabetes (type I or II) is at risk of developing kidney disease. Kidney disease has no early symptoms. In addition to being invisible, the kidney damage process is irreversible and can progress to end-stage renal failure.
Urinary infection - urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most common causes of infection in the general population, it can be symptomatic or asymptomatic, being called in the latter case, “asymptomatic bacteriuria”. UTI can affect only the lower urinary tract, being called "cystitis", or it can also affect the upper urinary tract (high urinary tract infection), being called "pyelonephritis".
Renal lithiasis - also called nephrolithiasis, the disease is nothing more than the formation of stones inside a patient's urinary system, that is, the famous "kidney stones". The intake of water is important in preventing the disease, as this way the urine becomes more diluted and less concentrated from these salts.
Glomerulopathies - are diseases that affect the glomeruli and may originate in the kidneys and affect only these organs or may be secondary to other diseases. Patients with glomerulopathies may be asymptomatic or have urinary symptoms (dark urine, decreased urine volume) or swelling (of the lower limbs, face, or whole body).
Systemic lupus erythematosus - renal involvement is frequent in patients with lupus and, in general, corresponds to glomerulonephritis, which can present itself in the most varied forms, ranging from minimal urinary changes (hematuria and/or small proteinuria) to renal failure.
Acute Renal Failure - it is the sudden loss of the ability of your kidneys to filter waste products, salts, and liquids from the blood. When this happens, the waste can reach dangerous levels and affect the chemical composition of your blood, which can become out of balance. Insufficiency is common in patients who are already in the hospital with some other condition, and it can develop in a matter of hours or days.
Obesity - being overweight can have severe consequences as it is associated with several serious health problems. In addition to being related to several types of cancer, orthopedic problems, and varicose veins of the lower limbs, it can contribute to the development of adult diabetes (type 2) and hypertension or high blood pressure, which can cause kidney problems.

Suorce: WKD | Sociedade Brasileira de Nefrologia