Silent killer: Hong Kong warning on rising cases of chronic kidney disease
The condition may present no symptoms in its earlier stages, but left untreated can lead to cardiovascular disease and early death. As many as one in five Hongkongers could be affected
One moment he was a healthy thirty-something, the next he was a chronic kidney disease patient. Having not experienced symptoms and lacking a family history of the condition, the doctor’s diagnosis shocked and surprised Mr Lam.
Two decades later Lam, now 57, is at the fifth and final stage of chronic kidney disease, otherwise known as end-stage renal disease or kidney failure. Since his kidneys can no longer do their job, he relies on peritoneal dialysis to remove toxins and excess water from his blood.
READ MORE: 6 more Hongkongers with chronic kidney disease to get dialysis treatment at home, Hospital Authority says
Through a soft plastic tube surgically placed in his belly, a sterile cleansing fluid enters the abdomen, filters the blood, and is then drained through the tube. The process is repeated every few hours.
“I was diagnosed in 1995. Back then I bought health insurance and was asked by the provider to go for a check-up. At the check-up I was told my urine contained proteinuria. At another check-up with a different doctor, I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease,” says Lam.
“You don’t know when you have kidney disease. You feel like a normal person. Even if you have it, you don’t know. It’s not like a cold, where you feel fine yesterday then today you’re suddenly sneezing. That’s obvious, but kidney disease isn’t obvious.”
Chronic kidney disease is a serious illness in which damaged kidneys cannot filter blood as well as healthy kidneys, and this problem persists for more than three months. Symptoms may include tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, swelling around the eyes and ankles, bubbling urine, persistent itching, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, muscle cramping, and the need to urinate more often especially at night.
