A public Health expert, Dr. Abiodun Adelowo, has urged Nigerians to pay attention to changes in their body, noting that some transformations in the human body that are sometimes ignored could be signs of serious health conditions.
According to Adelowo, people who observed changes such as low s-ex drive, swollen ankle, and face should go for proper medical examination.
Such changes, he said, could be signs of chronic kidney diseases which if not promptly and properly treated could degenerate into kidney failure.
Abiodun explained that kidney failure is the terminal end of chronic kidney disease, noting that some people live with the condition without knowing until it has degenerated into kidney failure.
Speaking during the Health Response and Wellness Webinar Series organised by the PUNCH Newspapers on Saturday, Adelowo stated that kidney failure occurs once there is a loss of 75 per cent of kidney functionality.
Stressing the signs that people may have and downplay, the expert said a significant reduction in the sex drive of men and women could be a sign of kidney failure.
Speaking at the virtual event, Adelowo said chronic kidney disease is a long-term health condition, adding that it was the reason it is called chronic disease.
He posited that some of the symptoms of chronic kidney disease are mistaken for other health conditions. He, however, noted that people that noticed some strange changes in their body should visit the hospital for a checkup to eliminate the possibility of kidney disease.
The symptoms that suggest people have chronic kidney diseases are not specific, he said, adding that many other diseases can also present the same symptoms.
“When you notice some of these symptoms, it is a sign that you need to check them out before they turn to kidney failure, he advised.
“Some of these symptoms include persistent tiredness, swollen feet, ankle and stomach. Another symptom is when you wake up in the morning and noticed that your face is always puffy. When you observed these signs, then you need to get yourself checked.
“Also, when your skin is peeling unnecessarily or you are getting pale. You use blood tonic and after using blood tonic for a while you go pale again, remember that the kidney helps to produce red blood cells so if it is not functioning well, one of the things that will happen is that it will not produce red blood cells again.
“Some people start vomiting or having nausea, loss of appetite. The level of urine output either increases or decreases. Also, if you experience a significant drop in s-ex drive, you may need to check your kidney.”
He stressed that constant dehydration, family history, unhealthy lifestyle, underlying diseases like hypertension, diabetes remained important risk factors for kidney failure.
PUNCH