BTE TEA TIME 2024: Casual Chat About Kidney Health

S1 Telecommunication Engineering held their annual routine activity, namely BTE TEA TIME. In BTE TEA TIME 2024 this time, there were two non-academic materials presented by speakers who are experts in their fields, one of which discussed ‘Kidney Failure‘ which was presented by dr. Rizka Novita Indriani Sp.PD. The kidneys are vital organs in our bodies that function like filters. It filters blood, removes waste, and regulates the balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body. When the kidneys do not function properly, a condition called kidney failure occurs. In general, kidney failure is divided into two types:

• Acute Kidney Failure: Acute Kidney Failure is a kidney disease that occurs suddenly and can return to normal or if it cannot return to optimal function, the healing process for acute kidney failure does not depend on the device.

• Chronic Kidney Failure: Chronic Kidney Failure is a decrease in kidney function and will be evaluated for three months, if kidney function remains below normal then further evaluation is carried out for further treatment. The nature of this Chronic Kidney Failure disease is also progressive and cannot return to normal, which means that if it is not treated immediately and kidney function continues to decline, it can lead to end-stage or terminal kidney disease, where if the patient has reached this stage of terminal kidney disease, it means that the patient must undergo kidney replacement therapy.

There are various causes of kidney damage, and the most important cause of damage is metabolic diseases such as Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus. Apart from other internal disease factors, kidney failure can also be triggered if you consume foods containing high concentrations of food coloring too often and use E-Cigarettes. E-Cigarettes may be different from conventional cigarettes in general, but e-cigarettes are still just as dangerous. If conventional cigarettes only smoke and nicotine are inhaled, e-cigarettes contain a content that is not found in conventional cigarettes, namely ‘Propylene glycol‘, this is a synthetic plastic, so not only do they inhale smoke and nicotine, e-cigarette users also inhale and accumulate synthetic plastic in their lungs. The use of e-cigarettes can cause the effect of blood vessel blockage (including blood vessels to the kidneys) and if there is a disturbance in the blood vessels of the kidneys, this is what causes kidney failure.

Symptoms of kidney failure can vary depending on the stage and type of kidney failure experienced. Some common symptoms include:

• Fatigue
• Nausea and vomiting
• Swelling of the feet, ankles and hands
• Changes in urine frequency and volume
• Itchy rash
• Hard to breathe
• Headache
• Loss of appetite

If you experience the above symptoms, immediately visit a doctor for examination. The doctor will perform a physical examination, blood test and urine test. The blood test will measure the levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen in the blood, which are indicators of kidney function. The urine test will check for protein or blood in the urine. The treatment methods also vary depending on the stage and type. You can use ‘Medicines’ that have been prescribed by a doctor, usually these drugs are to control blood pressure, reduce inflammation, and protect the kidneys. Then there is ‘Dialysis’ which is a process of artificially cleaning the blood to remove waste and excess body fluids, and finally there is ‘Kidney Transplant’ replacing damaged kidneys with donor kidneys. As a student, responding to the phenomenon of many people suffering from kidney failure, one of which is by adjusting your lifestyle. Sweet foods and drinks around us are the hardest temptation to avoid. Not to mention the many assignments that must be done can require staying up late. There is a proverb that says “Prevention is better than cure“, of course if the method of treating kidney failure is that troublesome then maintaining the health of the body and kidneys is certainly very important. To prevent kidney failure, you can do the following:

• Blood sugar control: If you have diabetes, it is important to keep your blood sugar levels stable.
• Blood pressure control: Keep blood pressure normal.
• Drink plenty of water: Water can help cleanse the kidneys.
• Limit salt intake: High salt intake can increase blood pressure.
• Exercise regularly: Exercise can help keep your kidneys healthy.
• Avoid smoking: Smoking can damage the blood vessels of the kidneys.

By implementing a healthy lifestyle, not only the kidneys can feel the benefits, the whole body can also feel the benefits. Therefore, let’s start a healthy life TelUtizen Jakarta!

Author : Siti Zakiyah | Editor : Husna Rahmi Also Read : BTE TEA TIME 2024