Your kidneys may be quiet. But they're always working.
Your kidneys work around the clock to filter waste, balance fluids and help keep your body working properly. Kidney disease can develop without obvious warning signs. Knowing your risk—and your numbers—matters.
Two small organs. A very big job.
Two small organs. A very big job.
Your kidneys do far more than make urine. They help maintain the internal balance your body depends on every day.
Filter your blood
Remove waste products and excess fluid from the bloodstream.
Control blood pressure
Help regulate systems involved in maintaining healthy blood pressure.
Balance fluids & minerals
Help control sodium, potassium, water and your body's chemical balance.
Support healthy bones
Play an important role in mineral and bone health.
Support red blood cell production
Produce hormones involved in helping your body make red blood cells.
Make urine
Carry filtered wastes and excess fluid out of the body.
You can feel perfectly well and still have kidney disease.
Chronic kidney disease can be silent in its early stages. By the time noticeable symptoms develop, kidney function may already be significantly reduced.
Are your kidneys at risk?
Your risk may be higher if one or more of these apply to you.
That does not mean you have kidney disease—but it is a good reason to discuss kidney screening with a healthcare professional.
The numbers can speak before symptoms do.
Kidney health is not something to guess. These measurements help your healthcare team understand your risk and kidney function.
Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys.
Blood Sugar
Persistently high glucose can damage the kidneys over time.
Creatinine
A blood measurement used when assessing kidney function.
eGFR
An estimate of how well your kidneys are filtering your blood.
Urine Albumin
Albumin or excess protein in urine can be a sign of kidney damage.
Kidney disease often has no early warning signs.
As kidney disease advances, symptoms can appear. These symptoms can also have many other causes, so they need proper medical assessment.
8 things your kidneys wish you would do.
Kidney health is shaped by everyday habits and by how well conditions such as hypertension and diabetes are managed.
Check your blood pressure
High blood pressure can be silent too. Measure it and work with your healthcare team to control it.
Know your blood sugar
Diabetes is a major cause of kidney disease. Good glucose control helps protect your kidneys.
Keep moving
Regular physical activity supports healthy weight, blood pressure and cardiovascular health.
Watch the salt
Reducing excess sodium can help with blood-pressure control.
Hydrate appropriately
More is not always better. Fluid needs vary, especially with kidney, heart or liver disease.
Be careful with painkillers
Regular NSAID use, such as ibuprofen, can harm the kidneys in some people.
Don't smoke
Smoking damages blood vessels and is associated with poorer kidney and cardiovascular health.
Get screened if at risk
Blood and urine tests can detect kidney problems before you feel sick.
Kidney failure doesn't mean the end of the road.
When kidney function becomes severely reduced, kidney replacement therapy may be needed to remove waste and excess fluid and replace important kidney functions.
Your kidneys won't always tell you when something is wrong.
If you have diabetes, hypertension, a family history of kidney disease, or other risk factors, make kidney screening part of your routine healthcare.
Kidney Health Screening
Church Road, Bog Walk, St. Catherine, Jamaica
876-708-2273