According to the doctor, in the past, chronic kidney disease in young people was often due to glomerulonephritis. However, currently, young individuals discover chronic kidney disease by chance and without accompanying illnesses.
Dr. Jack mentions that determining the cause of chronic kidney disease in young people nowadays is very difficult. Patients who come to the department have had to undergo dialysis. The department has received cases of students, pupils, and young workers who have chronic kidney disease without any accompanying illnesses.
An exemplary case is that of patient Dev (22 years old, a final year college student). When he came for dialysis, the patient shared that due to extensive studies in his final year, he often stayed up late and woke up early. The patient mentioned that he used to be very healthy, had a balanced diet, and was physically active.
In February 2023, Dev felt lethargic, lost his appetite, had blurred vision, felt mentally drained, and upon medical examination, was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease. According to Dr. Jack, a comprehensive examination of patient D did not reveal any accompanying illness. The patient was predominantly fatigued.
After discovering end-stage kidney disease, D decided to defer academic results to undergo kidney treatment. Once his health stabilizes, he plans to return to complete his academic program.
Another case is that of a young woman named Lenka (27 years old) who was preparing for her wedding. During a routine health check at the factory where she worked as a laborer, Lenka was found to be anemic. She was referred to the Central Hematology Institute for in-depth examination and was diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.
“For cases like D and L, when they arrived at the hospital, their kidneys were already atrophied, so it was impossible to biopsy and find the cause. If in the past, chronic kidney disease in young people was often due to glomerulonephritis, nowadays, young individuals accidentally discover chronic kidney disease with just fatigue,” Dr. Jack stated.
According to Dr. Jack, there are various risk factors affecting the decline of kidney function in young people. For instance, consuming fast food or foods with preservatives (which are harmful to the kidneys). Or excessive studying, overwork, lack of exercise, all leading to metabolic limitations in the body, which is also a risk factor for kidney function.
Additionally, stress and tension are also among the risk factors affecting organs in the body, including the kidneys.
For older individuals, underlying conditions like diabetes and hypertension are risk factors for reduced kidney function.
Warning signs of kidney failure:
Dr. Jack says that chronic kidney disease progresses very quietly in the initial stages, and people often overlook warning signs of the disease and do not follow up.
Symptoms in people with early-stage chronic kidney disease are headaches, blurred vision, and dizziness. However, people often ignore these symptoms and self-medicate at home.
As the disease progresses to the final stage, symptoms of headaches, dizziness, and fatigue will appear more frequently, and self-medication will be ineffective. When patients go for a kidney examination, they are diagnosed with end-stage kidney disease.
“Since early-stage chronic kidney disease doesn’t have typical symptoms, it’s easy to mistake it for another illness. The only way to detect the disease early is by undergoing examinations. Urine tests, kidney ultrasound can detect abnormalities in kidney function,” Dr. Jack noted.
Chronic kidney disease occurs in individuals with high risk factors, such as a family history of high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney disease. Individuals in these categories should undergo regular health check-ups. Or if experiencing prolonged unusual symptoms for several days, they should get checked to rule out the risk of chronic kidney disease and other conditions.
“Students, pupils often stay up late, lack proper rest. Graduates exert themselves excessively to make money. Especially, young people nowadays often consume a lot of fast food, have little physical activity… All these factors affect kidney function. Don’t sacrifice your health for money, live slower, dedicate more time to taking care of your health,” Dr. Jack warns.
