A consultant nephrologist in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr Enajite Okaka, has cautioned against excessive intake of pain killer drugs.

 

Okaka, during the celebration of World Kidney Day last Thursday, blamed the increase in kidney-related diseases on abuse and misuse of pain killer drugs, as well as unregulated use of herbal drugs.

 

She said, “Pain killer drugs can cause kidney disease when you take them in large amount for a long period of time.

 

“People whose jobs are largely physical tend to end up with body aches and pains; so, they go to the chemist to buy medicine for body pains. More often than not, they give them a cocktail of pain killers and they take them; they feel so good and relieved. So, they go back again and again, and that can damage their kidneys. “Some herbal medicine too can cause kidney problem. A lot of them do not have doses but people keep drinking it.

 

“People come to the hospital with kidney ailments and we discovered that the problems they have are from the herbs they are taking.” The consultant appealed to the federal and state governments to subsidise the cost of treating hypertension and diabetics to enable patients to get affordable treatment.

 

“The government should take care of those things that lead to kidney-related diseases; common things like hypertension and diabetics. If they can make the treatment of hypertension and diabetics free, people who have them can get affordable drugs.

 

“There are some persons who are not taking medicines for hypertension even though their blood pressure is high and when you ask them, they will tell you that they do not have money to buy drugs.

 

“So if the drugs can be subsidised, more people will get treatment,” she said.