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Showing posts with the label Kidney Disease

How the Monofilament Foot Test Works: A Patient's Step-by-Step Guide

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The monofilament foot test is one of the simplest checks in diabetes care, and one of the most useful. It takes a few minutes, involves no needles, and tells your doctor whether your feet can still feel the kind of pressure that warns you about an injury. This guide explains what happens during the test, how to prepare, and what the result means. Quick answer: A thin nylon filament is pressed against a few spots on the sole of each foot until it bends, while you keep your eyes closed and say when you feel it. If you can't feel it at some spots, you may have lost "protective sensation", which raises the risk of unnoticed foot injuries. The American Diabetes Association recommends this test at least once a year for everyone with diabetes. Key takeaways ✅ The test is painless, quick and needs no preparation beyond clean feet. ✅ It checks protective sensation, the feeling that alerts you to stones, blisters and cuts. ✅ Everyone with diabetes should have it at l...

Kidney Disease: Symptoms, Nephrotic vs Nephritic Syndrome, CKD and Stones

Your kidneys filter waste and extra water from the blood, balance salts, help control blood pressure and keep bones and red blood cells healthy. Kidney disease is often silent until a large part of kidney function is lost, which is why simple blood and urine tests matter so much. This guide covers the warning signs, the difference between nephrotic and nephritic syndrome, acute and chronic kidney failure, kidney stones, and the tests that pick problems up early. Quick answer: Early kidney disease usually has no symptoms. Later signs include swelling of the feet, ankles or around the eyes, foamy or bloody urine, passing much less urine, tiredness, poor appetite, itching and high blood pressure. Two tests check kidney health: a blood creatinine test to calculate eGFR, and a urine test for protein (albumin). People with diabetes or high blood pressure, the two most common causes, should have both at least once a year. Key takeaways ✅ Diabetes and high blood pressure cause most c...