Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
Consultant Nephrologist at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Enajite Okaka, has blamed the increase in kidney-related diseases on the excessive intake of painkilling drugs.
She made the disclosure, yesterday, to newsmen, while marking the World Kidney Day, in Benin, the state capital.
She said: “Painkillers can cause kidney disease and you know we take them in large amount and for a long period of time.
“People whose jobs are largely physical, tend to end up with body aches and pains; at the end of the day, they go to the chemist to buy medicines for body pains.
“More often than not, they are given a cocktail of pain killers, and when they take them, they feel so good and relieved. So, they go back again and again, and that can damage their kidney.”
Okaka further said some herbs can also be responsible for kidney-related problems.
“Some herbal medicines, too, can cause kidney problem. A lot of them do not have dosage, but, they keep drinking it.
“Sometimes, people come to the hospital, and by the time they come with kidney problem, we discover it is from the herb they have taken,” she said.