1 in 3 Adults at Risk for Kidney Disease

Heather Zweifel | Writer

Emaline Schlaner was born with CKD, but didn't realize it until many years later.

How well do you know the function of the kidneys?

The kidneys are responsible for filtering out toxins in our body as well as fluid just like the liver. When the kidneys don’t perform up to capacity, you’re at a greater risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD). You may be surprised to learn that according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in three adults are at risk for CKD. Also 14 percent of women are more likely to get CKD, as opposed to 12 percent of men. More than one in seven adults aged 20 or older is estimated to have CKD.

Lehigh Valley resident, Emaline Schlaner, had unknowingly been battling kidney disease since birth. It wasn’t until her sister was diagnosed with the disease that she start getting checkups. When she was first diagnosed with CKD, she started noticing that she was extremely thirsty and tired.

Schlaner describes being “severely dehydrated, fatigued, and just wanting to sleep.” Schlaner also mentioned she had “very, very low energy as well as a need to urinate all the time.” She was one of the lucky ones to get a kidney transplant.

When an individual gets a kidney transplant, they have to be mindful that they will need a transplant every ten years. As with every medicine that is taken, there are side effects, which include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, stomach problems, weight gain, and weak bones.

Kidney transplant patients have to take immunosuppressants for the rest of their lives. Finding a donor is difficult because both parties have to go through a substantial amount of testing to ensure both patients are healthy enough to have a successful surgery. It is also possible for a person to live with one kidney. Unfortunately, there is no cure for CKD. In order to verify that your kidneys are up and functioning, yearly checkups are required.

The kidneys are vital organs in the human body. Life would not be possible without the many functions these organs perform.