A General Practitioner with a private hospital in Gwagalada, FCT, Dr Victor Fayomi, has advised Nigerians to avoid the use of soaps and body cream which contain mercury.
He gave the advice in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, in Abuja on Thursday to commemorate the World Kidney Day.
He said that “the human body absorbs and deposits such mercury in the kidneys, causing damage to the organ over time.”
Celebrated annually on March 14, this year’s World Kidney Day has “Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere” as its theme.
The day was created to raise awareness about the importance of kidney health.
This year, the World Kidney Day campaign aims to achieve kidney health for everyone, everywhere, with point-of-care testing by primary healthcare providers.
Fayomi said that “kidney disease is one of the most serious complications of diabetes. When your kidneys are damaged by diabetes and/or high blood pressure, the organ becomes less able to work effectively.”
He added that many people were still ignorant of the danger of mercury to kidneys, saying that Nigerians should ensure they used mercury-free creams and soaps.
He warned that “kidney disease has no tell-tale warning signs. In fact, a person can lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney functions before experiencing any warning signs.
“The good news is, identifying renal disease early and monitoring it consistently can make all the difference.”
He, however, said that the kidneys are designed to filter water and eliminate toxins extracted by the liver.
Fayomi said the kidney helped maintain water and electrolyte balance, control blood pressure, assist in the production of red blood cells, keep bones healthy and ensure acid-base balance in the body.
He, therefore, stressed the need for healthy lifestyles, adding that access to clean water, exercise, healthy diet, tobacco control, avoiding self medication were key.
Fayomi said the many types of kidney diseases could be prevented, delayed or kept under control when appropriate prevention measures were put in place.
