March is Kidney Awareness Month, and Prairie Mountain Health is encouraging everyone to learn more about protecting their kidneys, and to know the risks and warning signs of kidney disease.
A release from PMH says Manitoba has the highest incidence and prevalence of kidney disease in Canada, with as many as 1 in 10 adults in the province thought to be living with the disease, with most of them not even knowing it.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common factors leading to kidney disease among adults, with other risk factors including obesity, smoking, and having heart disease, as well as a family history of kidney disease and using drugs that are damaging to the kidneys.
Symptoms of kidney disease can include high blood pressure, anemia, weak bones, and nerve damage.
Kidneys can lose 80 per cent of their function before any symptoms are felt.
PMH encourages you to go to www.kidney.ca to take a self-screen test to see if you are at risk.
You are also encouraged to talk to your doctor about kidney disease.
