Get free health, kidney screening July 7 in Elgin
The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois is teaming up with Advocate Sherman Hospital to provide a free kidney and health screening for all community members.
The screenings take place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, July 7, in the Sherman Community Room at The Centre of Elgin, 100 Symphony Way.
Anyone interested in getting screened for kidney disease, high blood pressure or diabetes is encouraged to attend. There is no cost to be screened, and appointments are not necessary.
The screening will be offered by the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois' KidneyMobile, the nation's only custom mobile unit that travels across the state screening individuals for kidney disease and its main causes: diabetes and high blood pressure.
In addition to a free screening, attendees will also be able to talk privately with a nurse or doctor about their results and take an educational tour of the KidneyMobile. To date, the KidneyMobile has screened more than 42,000 people in Illinois. Alarmingly, more than 80 percent of those screened were found to have at least one significantly abnormal test result.
Each year, kidney disease kills more people than breast and prostate cancer combined, but while the majority of Americans can recite the common tests for breast and prostate cancer, many do not know the risk factors and tests that could keep them off dialysis and the transplant list. Because kidney disease often develops slowly with few symptoms, it can frequently go undetected until it is very advanced.
Simple steps such as controlling blood pressure and blood sugar, keeping weight down, exercising regularly, quitting smoking and avoiding excessive use of pain medicine, can help reduce risk.
"One in three American adults is at risk for kidney disease," said Mara Lidacis, director of community health education with the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. "Our goal is to educate the community about the risks for kidney disease and detect it early so that people can manage the disease and slow its progression."
The National Kidney Foundation of Illinois improves the health and well-being of people at risk for and affected by kidney disease through prevention, education and empowerment. To learn more, visit www.nkfi.org.