Do you know how to spot the signs of kidney disease or kidney failure in seniors? March is National Kidney Month and now is a great time for you and your companion care at home services provider to learn more about kidney disease in seniors. Some estimates are that as many as half of all seniors will develop or currently have kidney disease.
If kidney disease isn’t treated it could lead to renal failure. Seniors with renal failure don’t have a lot of safe options for treatment. So the best thing to do for your senior loved ones is to be aware of the signs of kidney disease and make sure that your senior loved one gets checked out by a doctor if they have symptoms. The most common symptoms of kidney disease in seniors are:
Hypertension
Are you surprised that hypertension is one of the primary symptoms of kidney disease? You shouldn’t be. Hypertension can cause the arteries that keep blood flowing to your organs to narrow and be impassable. That puts additional strain and stress on the kidneys. If your senior loved one has hypertension that isn’t really responding to medication that could be a symptom of kidney disease and renal artery blockage. Your senior loved one’s doctor will need to do an MRI and other tests to determine if there is kidney damage.
Blood In Urine
There’s no scenario where having blood in urine is healthy. If your senior loved one is passing blood in their urine they need to see a doctor. Your senior loved one may be hesitant to tell you that they are passing blood or have seen blood in their urine. If your senior loved one has a companion care at home provider that helps them around the house and helps with personal care ask them if your senior parent has shown any signs of having blood in their urine. Or ask the companion care at home provider to tell you immediately if your senior loved one’s urine looks red or cloudy.
Swelling In Feet And Ankles
Edema, which is another term for swollen feet and ankles, is something that happens to everyone at some point or another. It’s very common in seniors because seniors tend to not be very active. Fluid in the body settles in the feet and ankles because those are the lowest point in the body when your senior loved one is sitting. And if your senior loved one isn’t moving around and walking the fluid won’t get pumped up through the body it will just collect in the feet and ankles. Medications and many other things can contribute to edema. So your senior loved one’s doctor will have to diagnose the cause of the edema. If you notice that your senior parent has edema but they didn’t have it before, or if it gets worse, get them to a doctor right away.
Increased Urination Or Uncontrolled Urination
It’s not a part of aging that seniors will need to get up in the middle of the night to urinate. If your senior loved one is urinating several times at night and more throughout the day or if they are unable to control their urination that’s a cue to take your senior parent to the doctor for a checkup and kidney health analysis.
If you or an aging loved-one is considering Companion Care at Home in Ashburn, VA, please contact the caring staff at Decena Home Care, LLC today. 571-508-7144
Sources:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/end-stage-renal-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354532
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