The General Chairperson of the Indonesian Nephrology Association (PB Pernefri), Dr. dr. Pringgodigdo Nugroho, Sp.PD-KGH, suggested the importance of urine tests, especially for young people, to detect kidney inflammation or glomerulonephritis early .
Pringgodigdo stated that kidney inflammation is a common condition among young people. The disease often causes no symptoms in the early stages, but can usually be detected through a urine test.
"Most young people who have kidney failure do so because this disease is kidney inflammation, because they never get a urine test. It can only be detected through an examination, as there are no symptoms," said Pringgodigdo.
Pringgodigdo stated that urine contains red blood cells (erythrocytes) or albumin, which should be negative. One sign that's often overlooked is foamy urine.
If the urine or urine is foamy, this could indicate a leak of albumin in the urine at a fairly high level.
"If it's foamy and colored, that's a sign of high levels of leakage. Usually, the reddish color is due to blood. The blood could be from the kidneys or their ducts. If it's from the kidneys, it's due to inflammation," he said.
The doctor, who graduated as an Internal Medicine Specialist at the University of Indonesia, emphasized the importance of a healthy lifestyle and conducting health checks to prevent kidney disease.
"If there are no symptoms, then at least once a year, you should get checked," he added.
Furthermore, Pringgodigdo added the importance of paying attention to diet, especially for the younger generation, in preventing kidney disease.
He said one of the risk factors for kidney disease is high consumption of foods that can trigger obesity.
"That should be avoided. For example, consuming sweets is high in calories. It can indirectly lead to diabetes," he said.
Consuming instant foods high in salt can trigger hypertension or long-term high blood pressure, which can be a risk factor for kidney disease.
Apart from diet, a sedentary lifestyle or lack of physical activity also increases the risk of kidney disease.
