Kidney Function Tests – Everything You Should Know

Usually, you see a respective doctor whenever you have any health issue. For urine or kidney related issues, you see a urologist. And after interacting with you, the expert recommends a KFT test in Delhi or your local town/city. Before you move to have this test, you should have an idea about it. Here, have a look at everything that you should know about a kidney function test: 

What are the functions of your kidneys?

Your kidneys are a part of the urinary system in your body. They lie in your back abdomen, just below the ribcage. After filtering, the kidneys expel the waste material out from your body through urine. The kidneys are crucial for your body as they produce:

• Red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout the body 
• Hormones that are responsible for blood pressure maintenance  
• Vitamin D that maintains muscle and bone health  

Why to have a kidney function test (KFT)?

Some health conditions like hypertension (high blood pressure) and diabetes affect the functionality of your kidneys. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, your doctor will recommend KFT to you for monitoring these health conditions. You may also need to have a kidney function test if your symptoms indicate you might have kidney problems. The symptoms could be:

• Dysuria (painful urination
• Frequent urge for urination 
• Blood in your urine 
• Problems to urinate  

Types of kidney function tests 

As you see a urologist, you may have recommendations for different types of KFT. Your KFT types could be:

• Estimated GFR (eGFR) – It calculates the filtration rates on the basis of your age, race, protein levels, gender, and size. 
• BUN (Blood Urea Nitrogen) – It measures nitrogen (that is made from protein breakdown in the body) in your blood.  
• Serum creatinine – It looks for the buildup of creatinine, which is a waste product made from the breakdown of muscle tissue.  

Your doctor may also recommend the following tests to you:

• Microalbuminuria – It looks for a particular protein, which is albumin. 
• Urinalysis – It evaluates your urine for proteins, blood, and function.

What to expect during a kidney urine test?     

For a KFT, you need to complete 24-hour urine tests at home. For this test, you will receive a container from your pathology lab technician to collect your urine. On the test day:

• Urinate in your washroom as you do daily after waking up in the morning
• Urinate in the container for the rest time
• Urinate in the container after waking up on the 2nd day
• Produce the sample to your pathology expert

What can you expect during a kidney blood test? 

You need to visit a pathology lab or request for home sample collection for a kidney blood test. For the test, a technician will insert a small needle attached with a syringe to collect a blood sample. 

What can you experience after a KFT?

In general, kidney function tests are simple and cause you to have no side effects. Some of you may experience:

• Fatigue 
• Bruising 
• Dizziness

Blood tests and urine tests leave no long-term complications and pain. You should call your health care taker if you notice unbearable fatigue, pain, or any abnormal thing in your body after the KFT. 

When can you get your KFT results?

Having your kidney function test reports can vary. Sometimes, the lab technician or doctor will discuss the results of your KFT reports with you on the same day or within a few days.

Meaning of the KFT results

Your kidney function test results can mention whether your kidneys are functioning well or not. Most KFT examine two measurements: 

• GFR – Lower than 60 GFR means you have kidney problems
• UACR (Urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio) – More than 30 mg may be a warning sign for kidney problems.

What if the test results show early kidney issues?

Your doctor will follow you up for the best suitable treatment options if your KFT shows irregular results. You may have prescribed medicines to take or a recommendation for consultation with a nephrologist, a kidney specialist. Your doctor will ask you to have regular kidney function tests if your reports are typical. 

Conclusion 

Having a KFT is crucial to know whether your kidney function is good or not. It helps you detect and treat kidney diseases earlier and protect you from having kidney failure. Knowing a comprehensive idea about kidney function tests will be beneficial for you and it will help you what steps you should take at what time.   

UniQ Pathlab is a renowned pathology lab for specific and full body health checkup in Delhi NCR. At all our pathology labs in Delhi NCR, we are backed by all the requisite facilities and experienced & pathologists and allied staff. Apart from Full Body Checkups, we offer highly reliable and affordable tests for diabetes, thyroid, kidney, liver, heart, vitamins, pregnancy, cancer, fever, stress, anaemia, STD, and immunity. As per your request, we offer on-site and offsite sample collection and report delivery facilities. It means you can visit our labs or request for home service for sample collection and report. Our test reports are 100% accurate and match with the ICMR guidelines. Through regular health checkups from us, you can be sure about your health and live a healthy life