Renal insufficiency, kidney stones, pyelonephritis. Renal diseases affect men and women, but have specificities in women.
A shorter urethra in women than in men
If women are less likely than men to suffer from chronic renal failure (40% of women versus 60% of men among patients) and if both sexes have the same symptoms of renal diseases (edema, urine foaming indicating a presence of albumin, arterial hypertension and pallor indicating anemia), women have specific risk factors.
One of the first specificities is anatomical: "The urethra (the canal that leads urine from the bladder to the outside of the body, via the urinary meatus, Ed) is shorter in women than in men. makes women more prone to UTIs that increase their risk of infection and kidney disease themselves, "says Dr. Brigitte Lantz, Nephrologist and General Secretary of the Kidney Foundation.
And this risk exists from an early age.The girls are many to adopt the bad habit of refraining from drinking and urinating during the day and develop urinary tract infections as a result, boys are protected by their anatomy which gives them a longer urethra "says Dr. Isabelle Tostivint, nephrologist.
How to avoid urinary tract infections? "First of all, we must teach little girls to wipe themselves back and forth when they are in the toilet to avoid the colonization of bacteria from the colon to the urethra, a contamination that causes infections," answers Isabelle Tostivint. . "Women also need to drink more water, pay attention to the warning signs of urinary tract infections, and think about urinating within three to five minutes after sexual relation to chase away any bacteria that may be at the entrance of 'urethra' . adds the nephrologist.
Warning: "Many women feel dirty when they have a urinary tract infection.It is false, and instead we must respect the urethral, vaginal and vulvar bacteria that constitute our microbiota and not give in to an excess of hygiene that could aggravate the situation,This is why it is not advisable to use neutral pH soap for personal hygiene, "says Dr. Tostivint.
Pregnancy: a risk multiplied by 6 for the kidneys
"A pregnant woman sees her risk of kidney disease multiplied by a factor of five or six," says Dr. Tostivint. During pregnancy, women are thus at higher risk of developing a pregnancy toxemia (or pre-eclampsia) which affects the kidneys transiently, pyelonephritis but also sepsis (blood infection) from urine. In addition, "chronic kidney disease can worsen during pregnancy, sometimes irreversibly," says Professor Maurice Laville, nephrologist and president of the Kidney Foundation.
Good to know : "During pregnancy, the uterus compresses the right ureter more than the left ureter, so the risk of pyelonephritis of the right kidney is higher than for the left kidney," explains Isabelle Tostivint.
Even childbirth is a risk for the kidney. Indeed, "in case of haemorrhage of the delivery, the woman suffers from a serious bleeding after the work.The vessels of the kidneys then contract, which causes a necrosis of the tissues of the kidney or the renal tubules" describes the nephrologist . This attack corresponds to kidney failure and the woman who is a victim will have to use dialysis.
What kidney monitoring during a pregnancy? "It is important to test the albumin and uric acid levels in the urine from the beginning of pregnancy.In case of abnormal results, a history of kidney disease and / or high blood pressure, the doctor will recommend his patient a particular follow-up with a regular dosage of the creatinine "details Isabelle Tostivint.
Menopause, a risk period for the kidneys
"Many women at menopause gain weight and turn to dietary supplements to find the line.Be careful, this practice involves risks, because repeated intake of food supplements can generate an inflammatory reaction in the kidney, which will lead to a failure of this organ "warns Dr. Tostivint.
Attention especially food supplements sold on the internet, because their composition is not always reliable and verified.