Dr. Arghya Majumdar
Renal Transplant Physician in Kolkata, India
MD, DNB, MRCP (UK), Higher Specialty Training (Nephrology), UK,
Consultant Nephrologist & Transplant Physician
MD, DNB, MRCP (UK), Higher Specialty Training (Nephrology), UK,
Consultant Nephrologist & Transplant Physician
The main test for kidney disease is a blood test. The test measures the levels of a waste product called creatinine in your blood. A doctor uses your blood test results, plus your age, size, gender and ethnic group to calculate how many millilitres of waste your kidneys should be able to filter in a minute.
What tests do doctors use to diagnose and monitor kidney disease? a blood test that checks how well your kidneys are filtering your blood, called GFR. GFR stands for glomerular filtration rate. a urine test to check for albumin.
For a kidney blood test, you visit your provider's office or laboratory to give a blood sample. A technician uses a small needle and test tube to collect a blood sample.
A urinalysis can help to detect a variety of kidney and urinary tract disorders, including chronic kidney disease, diabetes, bladder infections and kidney stones. Urine protein: This may be done as part of a urinalysis or by a separate dipstick test.
A nephrologist diagnoses and treats kidney conditions and kidney failure. In addition, they also recognize how kidney conditions affect other parts of your body, including: Autoimmune diseases. Cardiovascular disease.
In Stage 1 CKD, the damage to your kidneys is mild. Your kidneys are still working well, but you may have signs of kidney damage or physical damage to your kidneys. Stage 1 CKD means you have a normal estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) of 90 or greater, but there is protein in your urine (i.e., your pee).
A normal result is 0.7 to 1.3 mg/dL (61.9 to 114.9 µmol/L) for men and 0.6 to 1.1 mg/dL (53 to 97.2 µmol/L) for women. Women often have a lower creatinine level than men. This is because women often have less muscle mass than men. Creatinine level varies based on a person's size and muscle mass.
Blood tests reveal raised or altered levels of urea, creatinine and electrolytes including sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, blood urea nitrogen etc. Blood may also be tested for various organisms that may damage the kidneys including hepatitis B, hepatitis C, AIDS etc.
Symptoms can include:
1. weight loss and poor appetite.
2. swollen ankles, feet or hands - as a result of water retention (oedema)
3. shortness of breath.
4. tiredness.
5. blood in your pee (urine)
6. an increased need to pee - particularly at night.
7. difficulty sleeping (insomnia)
8. itchy skin.
How to increase creatinine levels. Gentle exercise to increase muscle mass, or increasing creatine intake in the diet may help, particularly for those on a vegetarian diet who may not be eating enough protein. For people who do high-intensity exercise, creatine as a dietary supplement is generally considered safe.
