Thank you, Mr. Speaker. March is National Kidney Month. I want to highlight this because we seldom think about our kidneys, but they are very crucial to our health.
Our two kidneys filter about 200 quarts of blood each day, removing waste from the breakdown of body tissue and food. The waste is safely purged in our urine. The kidneys also produce hormones our body needs. The kidneys work so well that one healthy kidney can do the job by itself but, of course, kidney disease generally affects both of them.
There are various types of kidney disease, and I can’t list them all, but diabetes is one cause of kidney damage. Diabetes prevents the body from using glucose, a form of sugar. Too much glucose in the blood can act as a poison to the kidneys. High blood pressure can also cause problems with kidney function by damaging the small blood vessels. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney disease. Some people with kidney disease can tolerate small amounts of alcohol, but heavier chronic alcohol use can really harm kidney function, especially if liver disease is also involved.
There are some signs of kidney problems that people should pay attention to and see their doctor or nurse about it. These symptoms include the need to urinate more often or less often, drowsiness or tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, swollen hands or feet, itchiness or numbness, darkened skin or muscle cramps.
These are the things people can do to reduce or control their risk of kidney disease. First, they should cut back on salt and be sure to eat fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains and low-fat dairy foods. Exercise and physical activity also help a lot. I’ve already mentioned the dangers of smoking and too much drinking.
Medical help is available to people to diagnose and manage kidney disease. That can be monitoring the patient in their home community, consultation with internal medicine and referral to a kidney specialist. There’s a nurse practitioner dedicated to the renal program. Taking care of our kidneys is one of the basics of good health. For many of us it can be as simple as eating well and exercising a bit.
Thank you, Mr. Nadli. The Member for Mackenzie Delta, Mr. Blake.
MEMBER’S STATEMENT ON
INUVIK TO TUKTOYAKTUK
HIGHWAY PROJECT
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’d like to do my statement today on the Inuvik-Tuk highway. I’d like to thank the leaders of the Mackenzie Delta for their lobby efforts to build the road from Inuvik to Tuk. I’d also like to thank the Conservative government for their commitment to build the Inuvik to Tuk highway. I would also like to thank the 17th Legislative Assembly and my colleagues here today for making the Inuvik to Tuk highway our number one priority for this government
Mr. Speaker, let’s get ‘er done.
Thank you, Mr. Blake. The Member for Monfwi, Mr. Lafferty.
