The Impact of Air Pollution on Kidney Health

Story of Ram: 

The science teacher asked the students to write a microblog on “Kidney Disease and Air Pollution.”

The topper of the class, Ram, wrote “Air pollution can affect every system in the body, and the kidney is no exception. Air pollution can damage the kidneys and cause many kidney diseases, including:

1. Chronic kidney disease: It is a long-term condition that can lead to kidney failure. It is caused by the accumulation of toxins in the body from air pollution.
2. Acute kidney injury: This is a sudden and potentially reversible loss of kidney function. This may be due to living in high levels of air pollution.
3.  

In most cases, Dialysis is a treatment used for people with kidney failure. This involves filtering the blood to remove waste products and excess fluid.”

He also mentioned the connection between these diseases and air pollution. He wrote, “If the air pollution index is high, go out less in the open, wear a mask if you have to go out. Consult your doctor if the problem starts increasing. Quit drinking and smoking. Keep the environment clean and consult your doctor if the problem increases.”

His teacher gave him an A for this.

Story of Mehul: 

Mehul was experiencing stomach issues, weight changes, etc., so he decided to google his symptoms. On founding a few blogs, he found out that symptoms of kidney disease include weight loss and loss of appetite, swelling of the ankles, feet, or hands as a result of water retention (edema), difficulty breathing, fatigue, blood in the urine, frequent urination, difficulty sleeping (insomnia), itchy skin, etc.

He realized that some of the mentioned symptoms were similar to the ones he was experiencing. He decided to visit a doctor.

His doctor studied his medical reports and prescribed some tests. When tests were out, his doctor said, “Air pollution affects kidney health. PM 2.5, nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide are the primary pollutants affecting the kidneys. In the medium term, these pollutants have increased the number of patients with chronic kidney disease.”

The doctor prescribed him some medicines and told him to care for his health. He took all the medicines and followed all the steps, after which Mehul’s health improved. He promised to take extra care of himself in the future.