Yesterday was World Kidney Day. To understand the importance of the kidney, we may recall a foreign story. Many thousands of years ago, a man received a miraculous gift from an angel—the gift of two immortal kidneys.
The angel told him that these kidneys would never fail and would never become diseased. As long as the Earth existed, these kidneys would keep him alive. According to the story, the man continued to live in good health even after thousands of years had passed.
The story is clearly symbolic; in reality, such a miraculous gift will never fall to the lot of human beings. Yet the underlying truth is profound: the well-being of human life depends to a great extent on the health of the kidneys.
This small yet extremely important organ of the human body silently performs countless tasks every day. The kidneys filter the blood, remove excess waste from the body, maintain the balance of water and salt, help regulate blood pressure, and play a role in producing several vital hormones.
However, when this organ gradually begins to deteriorate, people often do not realize it. Medical science indicates that symptoms of kidney disease often do not become clear until about 70 percent of kidney function has been lost. As a result, by the time the disease is detected, the situation in many cases has already become complicated.
In today’s world, kidney disease has become a growing public health crisis. In Bangladesh, tens of millions of people suffer from kidney disease, and every year a large number of patients face the need for dialysis.
Recently, however, another dimension has been added to this crisis—climate change. For a long time, climate change was considered primarily an environmental problem, but it is now becoming clear that it also has a profound impact on public health.
As global temperatures rise, heat waves are becoming more frequent. High temperatures cause dehydration in the human body, which places additional strain on the kidneys.
Farmers, construction workers, rickshaw drivers, and people who work outdoors for long hours are especially exposed to this risk. If dehydration persists for a long time, it may in many cases lead to acute kidney failure.
Meanwhile, the spread of salinity in the coastal regions of Bangladesh is creating another dangerous reality for kidney health. Excess salt and contaminated elements in water can have long-term harmful effects on the kidneys.
Flooding, pollution, and the excessive use of pesticides in agriculture are also increasing the risk of kidney disease. In this situation, while treatment of kidney disease is important, prevention is equally crucial.
Medical science shows that many cases of kidney disease can be prevented through awareness and healthy living. Drinking sufficient water, avoiding excessive salt and processed foods, exercising regularly, and keeping diabetes and high blood pressure under control—these simple habits play an important role in keeping the kidneys healthy.
At the same time, regular health checkups are necessary. If blood pressure, blood sugar, and urine tests are done at least once a year, many kidney problems can be detected at an early stage. When the disease is identified early, treatment can slow its progression.
Every year, World Kidney Day reminds us of a fundamental truth: no matter how modern humans become, a healthy life ultimately depends on this silent organ of the body. Unlike the man in that foreign story, we do not possess immortal kidneys.
Therefore, we have only one responsibility—to care for and protect the invaluable kidneys we carry. Because without healthy kidneys, a healthy life is nothing more than a myth.