BALTIMORE, Feb. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — March is National Kidney Month, and the Urology Care Foundation, the official foundation of the American Urological Association (AUA), doesn’t want you to just ‘go with the flow’ when it comes to your kidney health. The UCF wants you to be proactive, so they are filtering the facts and focusing on spreading awareness and information about your kidneys, kidney stones and kidney cancer.
Your kidneys are small but mighty! While they are only the size of a fist, they filter all the body’s blood up to 25 times a day, clean the blood, balance fluids, maintain electrolyte levels and remove waste. The kidneys also make hormones that help to keep blood pressure stable, make red blood cells and help keep bones strong.
“As a patient, your physician cannot care more about your health than you do. Taking ownership to be up-to-date and informed is so important; it really allows you to ask the right questions,” said kidney cancer survivor Jeff Kallis. “It can be a heavy lift at times. But educating yourself, rather than depending only on your physician to take care of you, is the best step you can take to manage your health.”
The Urology Care Foundation wants to make sure you know the basics about kidney stones and kidney cancer:
Kidney Stones:
- Around 11% of men and 6% of women in the United States have had kidney stones at least once during their lifetime.
- Symptoms to look out for are a sharp cramping pain in the back and side, pain at the tip of the penis, an intense need to urinate, urinating more often, a burning feeling during urination, urine that is dark or red due to blood as well as nausea and vomiting.
- Kidney stones may be prevented by drinking at least three liters of water a day, reducing salt in your diet, eating the recommended amount of calcium, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, eating foods with low oxalate levels and eating less meat.
- Download our kidney stones fact sheet to learn more.
Kidney Cancer:
- It is estimated that there will be over 80,980 new kidney cancer cases and over 14,510 cancer deaths in the United States in 2025.
- Symptoms to look out for include blood in urine, pain between the ribs and hips, low back pain on one side that does not go away, loss of appetite and weight loss for no reason, a fever not caused by an infection and anemia.
- Risk factors include smoking, obesity/poor diet, family history of high blood pressure, being on kidney dialysis, workplace exposure to chlorinated chemicals or family history of kidney cancer.
- Download our kidney cancer patient guide to learn more.
“Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to kidney health. If you suspect you might have a kidney stone with symptoms like severe side or back pain, blood in your urine or frequent, painful urination, don’t hesitate to consult your physician,” said Dr. Timothy Averch, a urologist at Prisma Health in Columbia, SC. “Early diagnosis and intervention can significantly reduce discomfort and prevent potential complications. Be proactive about your health and get the answers you need.”
Kidney health touches so many people, so staying in the know about symptoms to look out for, lifestyle changes you can make to keep your kidneys healthy and treatments for kidney issues is more important than ever. For more information on kidney health, view the Urology Care Foundation’s National Kidney Month Info Center.
About the Urology Care Foundation: The Urology Care Foundation is the world’s leading nonprofit urological health foundation, and the official foundation of the American Urological Association. Collaborating with physicians, researchers, patients and the public, the Foundation supports and improves urologic clinical care by funding research, developing patient education and pursuing philanthropic support. To learn more about the Urology Care Foundation and its programs visit: http://www.urologyhealth.org.
About the American Urological Association: Founded in 1902 and headquartered near Baltimore, Maryland, the American Urological Association is a leading advocate for the specialty of urology, and has more than 26,000 members throughout the world. The AUA is a premier urologic association, providing invaluable support to the urologic community as it pursues its mission of fostering the highest standards of urologic care through education, research and the formulation of health care policy.
- Don’t Kidney Yourself: The Urology Care Foundation is Encouraging You to Be Proactive for National Kidney Month
