Kidney Function Tests: Purpose, Types, and Procedure

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The kidney is one of the most vital organs of the human body. It plays a particularly important role in maintaining your health. A person has two kidneys, positioned on either side of the spine and is approximately the size of one's fist. A very crucial role of the kidney is to filter out waste material from the blood and flushing them out of the body through the urine. These vital organs help maintain the water level along with various other important nutrients. They play a particularly important role in the production of vitamin D and various other hormones that regulate blood pressure. Staying up to date about your kidney's health is a must and one of the ways to do so is to consult a healthcare expert. He may ask you to take a kidney function test. There are various tests for kidney function that can detect different types of problems in our kidneys as well as their causes. Thanks to technological development in medical science, a kidney function test at home is at your fingertips.

Symptoms of kidney problems:

There are various symptoms that might suggest a problematic kidney condition. Some of the symptoms can be high blood pressure, frequent urges to urinate, painful urination and the presence of blood in the urine.

Purpose of a Kidney Function Test:

A kidney function test is performed to determine the health of your kidney and diagnose potential problems. If you have developed lifestyle disorders such as high blood pressure or diabetes, your doctor might suggest that you undergo a test for kidney function. Thus, a kidney function test can accurately tell you whether your kidneys have been damaged because of other factors that have deteriorated your health. Furthermore, if you are curious to know more about kidney function test price, you will be glad to know that they are available at affordable rates and depend on your location and the medical facility you are availing services from.

Various types of kidney function tests to suit your needs:

Various specific diagnostic tests and a blood test for kidney function can be performed for detecting any problem with your kidney. In these tests, various parameters related to your kidney are measured by collecting blood and/or urine samples and any fluctuations in the determined parameters can help your doctor understand the health of your kidneys. Your doctor can then treat the problem correctly. Here are some of the key parameters that are determined in every kidney function test.

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels - a critical indicator of kidney function:

Every kidney function blood test measures the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. Urea is formed as the end product of protein breakdown reaction in the body and is flushed out as a waste product through the urine. A lower level of BUN indicates protein deficiency in the body, whereas higher BUN levels signify abnormalities in kidney or liver functions. The BUN level of a healthy person is typically about 7 to 20 mg/dL. Higher BUN levels are typically treated by reducing the amount of proteins consumed by the patient, ensuring proper hydration, and dialysis treatment in severe cases of uremia.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR): A kidney function blood test that is used to measure the glomerular filtration rate is typically performed for patients who are at a risk for developing kidney disease and have already started developing symptoms such as fatigue, urinary discomfort or incontinence issues, swelling of body arms and legs, nausea and loss of appetite. The glomerulus is the filtering unit of the kidneys. Glomeruli is a network of blood vessels that forms urine by blood filtration. Dysfunction of the kidney is signified by the dysfunction of the glomeruli. The GFR test measures if the kidneys can filter the waste products properly. There are various factors that are considered while taking the GFR test, such as age, serum creatinine level and sex.

The GFR test is a kidney function blood test. The lower the level of GFR, the more severe is the damage to the kidney. However, a GFR level greater than 90 mL/min indicates no loss of kidney function and the condition can be reversed without medications in many cases. On the other hand, if the GFR level is between 60 mL/min and 89 mL/min, it indicates little or no loss of kidney function. A GFR level between 30 mL/min to 59 mL/min indicates moderate loss of kidney function. In case the GFR level is between 15 mL/min and 29 mL/min, there is a possibility of severe loss of kidney function and if the GFR is lower than 15 mL/min, there might be chances of kidney failure.A Urinalysis: urinalysis is a common test for kidney function. It checks for the presence of various proteins such as albumin or in other words, determines whether proteinuria has set in. This analysis also looks out for blood in the urine sample, which signifies possible kidney issues. The presence of albumin in the urine can indicate kidney damage and the condition is called albuminuria. It indicates that your body is not able to utilize albumin correctly and this protein is getting thrown into the urine as a waste product. A colour-changing dipstick is used to detect the presence of albumin in the urine. The test may have to be repeated to confirm that the results are accurate.A Serum Creatinine Test This is another type of blood test for kidney function that determines the level of creatinine in your blood. Creatinine is a type of muscle enzyme. Creatinine is usually completely filtered from the blood. A higher level of creatinine suggests that the kidneys are not able to clear out this muscle enzyme completely. A normal serum creatinine level ranges from 0.5 to 1.2 mm/dL. This test is also included in the routine blood check-up.There are various other tests that you should undergo regularly so that any major health problem can be diagnosed well in advance and treated in time before it is too late. You should go for a CBC test, which stands for complete blood count test. This test is performed to understand whether your body is producing the right number of different types of blood cells necessary for your health. You may also undergo a thyroid test and liver function test to be up to date about your health conditions.

Procedure for the Kidney Function Test:

The test for kidney function requires a blood sample and a 24-hour urine sample.

A 24-hour urine sample: It is a simple, minimally invasive test that gives an idea of the amount of creatinine flushed out by your body every day. It is a creatinine clearance test. You will be handed a container for the 24-hour urine collection process. On the very first day, right after waking up, you urinate in the toilet as usual. Later in the day, you must urinate in the container every time. Make sure to cap and refrigerate the container throughout the day. The next morning after you wake up, you need to urinate in the same container. The 24-hour process is then completed and you need to deposit the container either at the doctor's clinic or a laboratory as applicable. The sample will then be used to measure the total amount of protein and creatinine. The kidney function test price for this test is pretty inexpensive as this test is performed quite commonly in all diagnostic centres, clinics and hospitals.

2.Blood Sample:Blood specimens are needed for both serum creatinine tests and blood urea nitrogen tests.In this test, a healthcare professional first ties an elastic band around your upper arm so that your veins can be easily identified for drawing a blood sample. The area around the vein is cleaned by rubbing alcohol. The healthcare professional will then draw a sample of blood by injecting a small needle into your vein. The blood will be collected in a test tube and it will be sent to the laboratory for further procedures and tests. The kidney function test at home follows the same procedure as the one followed in a laboratory or hospital. Several diagnostic centers offer kidney function test price on their website and you can choose a kidney function test online according to your needs. Sometimes it is not possible for patients to go to a diagnostic centre for lab test because of their health condition. In such a case you may consult a nephrologist online or avail the services of a diagnostic centre that can perform a kidney test at home. You may also apply for a kidney function test online and book yourself an appointment.

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