Kidneys play an evident role in the well-being of your physical health. The primary job roles of kidneys are to filter all the waste materials from your blood. Afterward, it excretes the waste through your urine. Chronic kidney disease can cause heart disease, erectile dysfunction, and the like.
There are various tests that evaluate the functionality of a kidney. These tests help in determining kidney-related issues and keep track of their progression. In case you want to learn more about kidney function tests, then put an end to your search by reading ahead.
Why might you need a kidney function test?
Here are some of the conditions which have a direct role to play in affecting your kidney’s well-being:
- High Blood Pressure
- Diabetes
- Dysuria
- Heart diseases
- Kidney stones
- Glomerulonephritis
- Polycystic kidney disease
A kidney test can also be ordered for the following symptoms:
- Hematuria (Blood in the urine)
- Frequent urinate
- Pain while peeing
- Swollen hands and feet (fluid build-up)
- Trouble while starting to urinate
In case of kidney failure, dialysis is the only option through which patient can be treated. Also, you need to follow dialysis patient diet to keep yourself in good health.
What are the types of kidney function tests?
There are various types of kidney function test which usually costs from Rs 399 to Rs 1000. This price range varies as per the diagnostic centre. Continue reading to discover the various types of kidney function tests:
- Urinalysis
It is a diagnostic test that examines your urine to detect any abnormalities like UTI (Urinary tract infection), kidney diseases, or similar. This test checks for the presence of blood and protein in the urine. The trace of protein indicates several conditions which are not necessarily chronic in nature.
- Checking for microalbuminuria
This test checks your urine to detect any amount of albumin. This important protein remains in the blood as the body utilizes it for cell growth. Although, the presence of excessive amounts of albumin can lead to improper kidney function. Microalbuminuria test can detect even the smallest amount of protein in your urine.
- ACR (Albumin to creatinine ratio)
ACR helps in identifying the kidney disease that occurs due to complications related to diabetes. An SCR result of less than 30 indicates normality. Excessive increases in ACR levels can indicate major damage to the glomeruli.
- Creatinine Clearance
In this test, both blood and urine samples undergo a check to see how efficiently your kidney is eliminating creatinine from your blood through your urine. In this test, the blood samples and the amount of creatinine present in the urine are compared. This will help in identifying the total waste that has been filtered out by your kidneys.
Aside from these four types, there are three other following types of kidney function tests:
- Serum creatinine test
- Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)
- Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
Note: Kidney function tests are performed by examining blood samples or 24-hour urine samples.
Conclusion
Kidney dialysis cost in India depends on clinic to clinic and there are a few free dialysis centres. Also, patients need to follow a certain diet during dialysis and must avoid consuming processed meat like ham, bacon, etc. Remember, you must undergo regular kidney tests as it helps in monitoring the overall health of your kidney and also detects any issue at an early stage.
