I got explanation from his family that during his teenage up to his death he had unhealthy lifestyle. As a student, he accustomed to drink instant energy drink and to consume instant noodle almost everyday. As we know that both kind of modern-processed food are rich of artificial food additives, such as MSG and artificial colorings and sweeteners. I hope you could learn from this tragic case: never consume too much food containing artificial food additives.

Many people who have chronic kidney disease don’t know it, because the early signs can be very subtle. It can take many years to go from chronic kidney disease (CKD) to kidney failure. Some people with CKD live out their lives without ever reaching kidney failure.

However, for people at any stage of kidney disease, knowledge is power. Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help you get the treatment you need to feel your best. If you or someone you know has one or more of the following symptoms of kidney disease, or you are worried about kidney problems, see a doctor for blood and urine tests. Remember, many of the symptoms can be due to reasons other than kidney disease. The only way to know the cause of your symptoms is to see your doctor.

Symptom 1:

Changes in Urination

Kidneys make urine, so when the kidneys are failing, the urine may change. How?

• You may have to get up at night to urinate.
• Your urine may be foamy or bubbly.
• You may urinate more often, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine.
• You may urinate less often, or in smaller amounts than usual with dark colored urine.
• Your urine may contain blood.
• You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.

What patients said:

“When you go to use the restroom, you couldn’t get it all out. And it would still feel just like tightness down there, there was so much pressure.”

“My urine is what I had started noticing. Then I was frequently going to the bathroom, and when I got there, nothing’s happening.”

“I was passing blood in my urine. It was so dark. And when I went to the hospital they thought I was lying about what color it was.”

Symptom 2:

Swelling

Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, face, and/or hands.

What patients said:

“I remember a lot of swelling in my ankles. My ankles were so big I couldn’t get my shoes on.”

“My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.”

“Going to work one morning, my left ankle was swollen, real swollen, and I was very exhausted just walking to the bus stop. And I knew then that I had to see a doctor.”

Symptom 3:

Fatigue

Healthy kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin (a-rith’-ro-po’-uh-tin) that tells your body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. As the kidneys fail, they make less erythropoietin. With fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, your muscles and brain become tired very quickly. This condition is called anemia, and it can be treated.

What patients said:

“I was constantly exhausted and didn’t have any pep or anything.”

“I would sleep a lot. I’d come home from work and get right in that bed.”

“It’s just like when you’re extremely tired all the time. Fatigued, and you’re just drained, even if you didn’t do anything, just totally drained.”

Symptom 4:

Skin Rash/Itching

Kidneys remove wastes from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, the buildup of wastes in your blood can cause severe itching.

What patients said:

“It’s not really a skin itch or anything, it’s just right down to the bone. I had to get a brush and dig. My back was just bloody from scratching it so much.”

“My skin had broke out, I was itching and scratching a lot.”

Symptom 5:

Metallic Taste in Mouth/Ammonia Breath

A buildup of wastes in the blood (called uremia) can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don’t feel like eating.

What patients said:

“Foul taste in your mouth. Almost like you’re drinking iron.”

“You don’t have the appetite you used to have.”

“Before I started dialysis, I must have lost around about 10 pounds.”

Symptom 6:

Nausea and Vomiting

A severe buildup of wastes in the blood (uremia) can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.

What patients said:

“I had a lot of itching, and I was nauseated, throwing up all the time. I couldn’t keep anything down in my stomach.”

“When I got the nausea, I couldn’t eat and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure pills.”

Symptom 7:

Shortness of Breath

Trouble catching your breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia (a shortage of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.

What patients said:

“At the times when I get the shortness of breath, it’s alarming to me. It just fears me. I think maybe I might fall or something so I usually go sit down for awhile.”

“I couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t catch my breath, like I was drowning or something. And, the bloating, can’t breathe, can’t walk anywhere. It was bad.”

“You go up a set of stairs and you’re out of breath, or you do work and you get tired and you have to stop.”

Symptom 8:

Feeling Cold

Anemia can make you feel cold all the time, even in a warm room.

What patients said:

“I notice sometimes I get really cold, I get chills.”

“Sometimes I get really, really cold. It could be hot, and I’d be cold.”

Symptom 9:

Dizziness and Trouble Concentrating

Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to memory problems, trouble with concentration, and dizziness.

What patients said:

“I know I mentioned to my wife that my memory—I couldn’t remember what I did last week, or maybe what I had 2 days ago. I couldn’t really concentrate, because I like to work crossword puzzles and read a lot.”

“I was always tired and dizzy.”

“It got to the point, like, I used to be at work, and all of the sudden I’d start getting dizzy. So I was thinking maybe it was my blood pressure or else diabetes was going bad. That’s what was on my mind.”

Symptom 10:

Leg/Flank Pain

Some people with kidney problems may have pain in the back or side related to the affected kidney. Polycystic kidney disease, which causes large, fluid-filled cysts on the kidneys and sometimes the liver, can cause pain.

What patients said:

“About 2 years ago, I was constantly going to the bathroom all the time, the lower part of my back was always hurting and I was wondering why…and they diagnosed that kidney problem.”

“And then you’re having to get up all time through the night, and then you have the side ache, a backache, and you can’t move.”

“At night, I would get a pain in my side. It was worse than labor pain. And I’d be crying and my husband would get up, everybody, rubbing my legs.”

This is the big picture happening in the United States. As the food and chemical industries have developed new food additives that contain MSG, and as the FDA has approved such additives, it has become increasingly difficult for MSG-sensitive individuals to stay healthy, particularly those with little tolerance for the substance. This fact is complicated by the fact that in 1998, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a regulation allowing residues of glutamic acid on all agricultural commodities, providing that the glutamic acid is used as a growth enhancer and that good farming practices are employed (40 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 180.1187).

This EPA action allowed the approval of AuxiGro, a pesticide/fertilizer/fungicide that contains 29.2 percent processed free glutamic acid, and legalized the use of at least two fertilizers that contain processed free glutamic acid that occurs as a result of the hydrolysis of proteins. The two fertilizers made with hydrolyzed protein, “Omega Protein Refined/Hydrolyzed Fish Protein” and “Steam Hydrolyzed Feather Meal,” are used on some organic crops.

The food ingredient “citric acid” provides us with a good example of why MSG-sensitive people with little tolerance are having difficulty staying well. Many people believe that “citric acid” comes from citrus fruits, and since most people can tolerate citrus fruits, “citric acid” should not be a problem. However, most of the “citric acid” used today is made from corn rather than from citrus fruits. The Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM) is a major producer of “citric acid.”

“Citric acid” is produced by fermentation of crude sugars. When “citric acid” is produced from corn, manufacturers do not take the time or undertake the expense to remove all corn protein. During processing, the remaining protein is hydrolyzed, resulting in some processed free glutamic acid (MSG). “Citric acid” may also interacts with any protein in the food to which it is added, freeing up more glutamic acid.

A visit to the grocery store to read labels will quickly demonstrate that “citric acid” is being widely used in processed foods. Its use appears to be increasing and, as this occurs, it appears that, based on interactions with MSG-sensitive individuals, more and more MSG-sensitive people are reacting to “citric acid.” Its uses in food include flavoring, balancing of acid-alkalinity levels, as a preservative, as a firming agent and as an antibacterial agent. Consumers will find no reference to the presence of free glutamic acid on the labels of foods that contain “citric acid.”

Making it even more difficult for the MSG-sensitive individual,  in February of 2000,  the FDA approved Sanova, an antimicrobial rinse, for use on red meats. The product, composed of “sodium chloride” and “citric acid,” is claimed by its manufacturer, the Alcide Corporation, to kill 99 percent of pathogens on carcasses. Sanova is also approved for use on poultry carcasses, fruits and vegetables. Efforts are underway by the manufacturer to approve the rinse for use on processed foods. Foods treated with Sanova are not required to disclose the fact that “sodium chloride” and “citric acid” were used on them.

If something is not done soon to redirect the FDA and EPA and begin to control the use of toxic additives in and on our food, health care costs will continue to rise.

For more deep information concerning MSG and obesity, please read the following articles:

• MSG and Obesity Epidemic (of PilihSehat.wordpress.com)
• MSG, Micin, Vetsin = Bom Waktu! (in Indonesian) of HalalSehat.tk

Careful studies have shown that some people are sensitive to large amounts of MSG. Reactions include headache, nausea, weakness, and burning sensation in the back of neck and forearms. Some people complain of wheezing, changes in heart rate, and difficulty breathing. Some people claim to be sensitive to very small amounts of MSG, but no good studies have been done to determine just how little MSG can cause a reaction in the most-sensitive people. To protect the public’s health, manufacturers and restaurateurs should use less or no MSG and the amounts of MSG should be listed on labels of foods that contain significant amounts. People who believe they are sensitive to MSG should be aware that other ingredients, such as natural flavoring and hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), also contain glutamate. Also, foods such as Parmesan cheese and tomatoes contain glutamate that occurs naturally, but no reactions have been reported to those foods.

Migraine Headaches in Children

What should you do if you or your family, particularly  your children, suffers migraine  headache? This kind of headache has been  related to the broad uncontrolled consumption of MSG, especially in the food industry. Nonpharmacologic options are effective in treating children/adolescents and are initiated before pharmacologic therapy is considered (Damen et al 2006, Lewis et al 2005, Unger 2006).

Maintenance of a Headache Calendar

• Maintenance of a headache calendar can assist with trigger identification and allows for management plan adjustment based on an individual’s response to interventions.
• Adjustment of lifestyle habits should include maintenance of routine patterns of sleeping, eating, and exercise.

Sleep: Children with Migraines Tend to Have Sleep Disturbances

• A child should sleep 8 to 10 hours nightly with scheduled bedtime and awakening. Some adjustment can be made on weekends, but the regular bedtime should be resumed on Sunday night (Power & Andrasik, 2005)

• Adolescents can sleep later on weekends as well but should plan to awaken briefly at the regular time, get out of bed, drink juice or eat a snack, and go back to sleep (Unger, 2006).
• A quiet routine before bedtime is recommended. Young children should avoid frightening books, movies and television shows. Night lights or white noise might help.

Nutrition and Dietary Patterns

1. The child should eat three meals and one to two snacks a day at routine times. Breakfast should not be skipped.
2. In general, avoidance diets are not recommended for children or adolescents unless a trigger has been identified.
3. About one third of children report that certain foods trigger headaches. Chocolate, citrus fruits, and cheeses are common triggers; processed meats, yogurt, fried foods, monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame, and alcoholic beverages are known triggers as well (Lewis et al., 2005).
4. Caffeine should be avoided because it is linked to sleep disturbances and mood disruptions, both headache triggers (Lewis et al., 2005).
5. Inadequate hydration should be avoided. Adolescents are encouraged to drink 2 liters (L) of noncaffeinated liquids, ideally water, per day, increasing to 3 L a day during the summer and periods of exertion (Powers & Andrasik, 2005).

Physical Activity

• Children and adolescences are encouraged to participate with family or friends in at least 30 minutes of enjoyable, aerobic activity 3 to 7 days a week.

Prioritization of Activities and Evaluation of Performance and Expectation

• Excessive or unrealistic expectations of performance in school, athletics, and other activities may contribute to migraines. Sport performance and college acceptance are two common stressors. If after-school activities are excessive, consideration should be given to eliminating some of the activities.

For deeper and comprehensive information concerning MSG and other food additives available in the market, read the following article:

• Food Additives (an article belongs to HalalSehat.tk)

Source:

• “Medscape Today Headlines“, of September 2009