The Consultant Physician of Kidney Diseases and Supervisor General of Prince Salman Center for Kidney Diseases (PSCKD), Dr. Khalid Al-Sa‘ran, has emphasized that in order to avoid incidence of kidney diseases, one should eat healthy and balanced fresh food, free from artificial ingredients like soft and canned beverages or snacks, as well as ensuring undergoing periodical check-up for kidney diseases at least once a year. Dr. Khalid has pointed out that this check-up is very easy and simple, involving measurement of blood pressure and diabetes by strips as is the case of urine analysis which is available nowadays to do at clinic without need for laboratories. One can even do it himself by training.
“This mentioned periodic check-up becomes more important and necessary when person suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure or any symptoms of kidney diseases. Therefore, one has to periodically follow up with doctor; in order to control these two diseases, as diabetes and high blood pressure constitute 75% of the causes that trigger kidney failure,” added Dr. Khalid.
Within the same vein, he has advised the kidney patient to abide by dietary diet, taking the amount of fluid prescribed by the treating physician and the commitment to taking the medication prescribed to him. And in case of intending to travel outside the city, especially in summer, the patient had better notify the treating physician well in advance of travel; in order to ensure a place for dialysis at his destination. Furthermore, Dr. Khalid has recommended patients with kidney stones to drink much water and avoid direct exposure to the sun and hot weather.
This was pointed out by Dr. Khalid Al-Sa’ran when he was hosted by the MOH Media and Health Awareness Information Center via the Center’s toll free number: 8002494444, and the MOH account on Twitter: @SAUDIMOH; in order to answer callers’ inquiries from all over the Kingdom on how to avoid incidence of kidney diseases, as well as the most crucial health tips to be abided by kidney disease patients before and during travelling, especially in summer.
Answering a question on the importance of the medical kit that must be prepared and carried around by kidney disease patients before traveling, Dr. Al-Sa’ran was quoted as saying, “Blood dialysis patients are advised to maintain this medical kit which contains the essential medicines prescribed to them by the physician. Also, the peritoneal dialysis patients are advised to carry around this medical kit that contains the peritoneal dialysis device and the related solutions. However, if they travel for a long time, this medical kit will not be enough, but they will need to prior arrangement with the treating physician; in order to arrange the required solutions and the peritoneal dialysis supplies.”
Furthermore, Dr. Al-Sa’ran has also answered several questions via Twitter, stressing that: “The treatment of kidney stones depends on the size of the stone and its composition. If it is small (less than 0.5 cm at its diameter), there will be no need for any treatment, but the patient is advised to drink much water, as the stone is most likely to get out with urine. But if the stone is large (larger than 1 cm), the rapeutic intervention will be a must, such as fragmentation of the stone or the surgical treatment whether by endoscopic or making a simple opening in the abdomen. Also, some kidney stones could be treated with medications, the matter of which is to be determined by the treating physician.”
Regarding the effect of painkillers and medications on kidneys and how many consecutive days for maximum that painkillers can be taken in case of necessity without being affected by kidney, Dr. Khalid replied: “As for some painkillers, if they are taken for a long time and continuously, this may lead to kidney problems. Therefore, they should not be taken continuously for more than six months but can be taken intermittently when necessary.”
“Drinking a lot of Zamzam water does not cause any pain in the kidney, but only the kidney failure patients are not recommended to drink too much of it, but as for the public, there is no problem drinking a lot of Zamzam water,” replied Dr. Khalid about the cause of pain in the kidney as a result of drinking Zamzam water.