AFTER obesity and breast cancer, kidney disease is the most prevalent ailment in Saudi Arabia, with thousands of patients diagnosed each year. The first dialysis unit was installed in 1971 and at first, the number of patients was barely a hundred*.

The number of kidney disease patients began to increase with a change in the lifestyle of people in the region. In 2002, more than 7000 patients were on dialysis units and this number has been increasing ever since. Kidney ailments such as chronic kidney disease and cancers are becoming more prevalent with the increase in kidney transplants as well.

By the end of 2002, more than 3000 renal transplants have been performed and the need for kidney transplants has also been increasing. As sad as this may be, the need for organs for such transplants has been tremendous and there is a shortage of donors. The number of patients with hypertension and diabetes has been soaring as well, contributing further to kidney problems in patients suffering from these diseases.

The solution for the increase in kidney problems in Saudi Arabia is to have a controlled lifestyle with healthy changes. A majority of the expat and local population of Saudi Arabia are dependent on fast foods, soda drinks and fried items, especially the teenagers. There is hardly any physical activity and my experience with the majority of people living here is that they hardly drink water! Our bodies need water in its pure form and unless our bodies get it, we can't expect it to function in its optimum level. You may have a kidney problem if...

* You feel any changes in your urination. This is implied by its color (if it is dark all the time) and the urgency to go to the bathroom frequently only to know see that there are only a couple of drops. Your abdomen feels heavy and there is an irritation in the urine passage, urethra.

* Your feet are swollen. You feel colder than usual and you are very tired. Fatigue is extremely common.

* There is an unusual back pain on the right or left or both sides, depending on the side of the kidneys.

* Other symptoms include dehydration, nausea, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, edema and high blood pressure.

If you experience any of the symptoms above, please contact your healthcare provider immediately and seek medical treatment. Any of the above symptoms lasting for more than three months is listed as chronic kidney disease (also known as C.K.D.). In Saudi Arabia, there is an urgent need for more specialist kidney diagnostic centers that specifically cater to the needs of such patients in the main cities as well as the remote areas. Diabetics and those with hypertension should be educated by a health professional as to how they could reverse the effects of acute kidney disease before it is too late…

Watch out for my next article on how to avoid kidney diseases, naturally. Your health is in your hands... And only “YOU” can change it to be the way you want to be…