Kidneys play a vital role in
maintaining health. The most important job is to filter the waste materials
from the blood and expel them from the body in the form of urine. The kidneys
also help in controlling the water level as well as various essential minerals
present in the body. They also play an important role in the production of
vitamin D, Red Blood Cells and hormones that regulate blood pressure. However,
if you doctor predicts that your kidneys are not functioning properly, you need
to perform a kidney function test at
the earliest. Every diagnostic lab in India offers a plethora of kidney function tests at the most affordable
ranges.
What are the symptoms of kidney problems?
Some of the major symptoms of
kidney problems include-
·
High blood pressure,
·
Occurrence of blood while urinating,
·
Frequent urges to urinate,
·
Difficulty in urination,
·
Swelling of the hands and feet due to the accumulation
of fluids in the body, etc.
If one is experiencing the
symptoms mentioned above simultaneously, it indicates that your kidneys are not
functioning properly. A blood test for kidney function is required to determine the reason.
What are the types of kidney function tests?
To examine the functioning of the
kidneys, the doctor will order a set of tests that will help to estimate your
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). The GFR tells the doctor about how actively
the kidneys can filter waste products from the body. Following are some of the
kidney tests that examines the functioning of the kidneys-
Urinalysis- This type of kidney
function test screens the presence of protein and blood in urine. Several
types of infection increase urine protein that leads to the occurrence of
kidney diseases.
Kidney stone test- A kidney
stone test is performed through a special type of CT scan known as
noncontrast spiral computed tomography that moves in a circle and produces
images of stones present in the kidneys. Along with this scan, the doctor
performs an intravenous pyelogram commonly known as X- ray test to get a closer
picture of the urinary tract, including kidney stones.
Serum Creatinine test- Creatinine is basically a breakdown product
of muscle tissues. This type of kidney
test checks the level of creatinine present in the body. The kidneys help
to filter creatinine from the blood. Therefore, a high-level creatinine may
indicate a kidney problem.
Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN) - A BUN test is a type of kidney test that checks for the
presence of waste products in the body.It also measures the amount of nitrogen
present in the blood. A higher level of BUN value indicates severe kidney
problems.
Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) - A GFR test examines how well the
kidneys are filtering wastes by looking at the factors like- age, test results,
gender, height, weight, etc.
