What do we mean by Creatinine?
The human body is made up of innumerable bits and pieces working together in harmony. One of the most active among these is the muscle. It is known to cover approximately 40% to 50% of the total body weight. However, what is not known to many is that the continuous working of the muscles tends to result in the creation of a waste product called Creatinine. Therefore higher the muscle mass, the higher will be the level of Creatinine. This waste product is then filtered by the kidney and removed from the body via urine.
How to check creatinine levels?
It is true that the level of creatinine in the body is directly related to muscle mass. Nevertheless, there are times when the level exceeds the expected parameters causing any number of health conditions. The Creatinine Clearance Test is one way of checking how much of the waste product is being filtered by the kidneys. Not just that, it also helps doctors understand how well a patient’s kidneys are functioning via checking the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR). This test was done in two parts, i.e., collecting blood and urine samples. However, these days the parts have been torn apart and are considered two separate techniques of checking the creatinine level.
Doctors may suggest either one of the two tests and leave the other as backup, depending on the needs of the patient.
- Blood test (Creatinine Serum Test)
One of the most effective and regularly suggested ways of checking creatinine level is the Creatinine Serum Test. This is essentially a blood test where the compounder takes a vile of blood and sends it to the lab for testing. The normal ranges of creatinine blood tests in an adult (male and female) are as follows:
Male
Female
India
0.7 mg/dl – 1.3 mg/dl
0.6 mg/dl – 1.1 mg/dl
US
0.7 mg/dl – 1.2 mf/dl
0.5 mg/dl – 1.0 mg/dl
Europe
60 mcmol/l – 110 mcmol/l
45 mcmol/l – 90 mcmol/l
- Urine test
To find out the creatinine levels using this method, the patient is expected to collect a urine sample over a period of 24 hours and deposit it in the lab for testing. Following are the measurements for the same:
Male
Female
US
955 mg/day – 2936 mg/day
601 mg/day – 1689 mg/day
Europe
8.4 mmol/day – 25.9 mmol/day
5.3 mmol/day – 14.9 mmol/day
Creatinine test cost
There are innumerable people who suffer from kidney issues resulting in an abscess of Creatinine in the body. However, not everyone in the nation is able to pay for expensive tests. Therefore, keeping this in mind, the creatinine test price is kept to a nominal by the various pathology labs; despite factors like city, diagnostic center, collection method and sample type (blood or urine), the creatinine test price ranges somewhere between 150 to 250 rupees.
High creatinine level: meanings and symptoms
In general, elevated levels of Creatinine in the body indicate that the kidneys are not functioning as they should be. This can happen due to any number of simple reasons that can cause the kidney to behave in abnormal ways temporarily. These one-time reasons which can be easily remedied include dehydration, excessive protein intake and creatine supplement intake. On other occasions, the high creatinine levels can be an indication of something far more serious. Let us take a look at the different causes and their related symptoms.
- Kidney infection
The first and foremost reason for high Creatinine is a kidney infection. This is a branch of urinary tract infection (UTI) which is caused by bacteria or viral infections affecting the urinary tract first and later, the kidney. The symptoms of high creatinine level due to kidney infection are:
- Fever and chills
- Nausea
- Foul-smelling urine
- Traces of blood and discoloration of urine
- Continuous aching in the back, sides and groin
- Kidney failure
An elevated creatinine level can also be the result of either acute or progressive kidney failure. During such conditions, undergoing a kidney transplant is the last line of defense. Here are some of the symptoms:
- Abnormal amount of urine
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Headaches and confusion
- Nausea
- Chest pain, breathing issues and irregular heartbeat
- Fatigue
- Diabetes
Innumerable people across the globe are suffering from diabetes. It refers to the condition where the blood sugar level gets too high. This, in turn, causes kidney malfunction, which eventually leads to high levels of Creatinine in the body. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2, and the symptoms are as follows:
- Constant urination
- Feeling unusually thirsty and hungry
- Blurred vision and fatigue
- Numbness in limbs
- Difficulty in healing wounds
- Heart ailments
When a person suffers from heart conditions like atherosclerosis, cognitive heart failure, etc., it also affects kidney functioning. In such cases, a creatinine blood test is suggested by the doctors to check the condition of the kidneys and the creatinine level. In such cases, the symptoms include:
- Chest pain and arrhythmia
- Difficulty in catching a breath
- Nausea
- Tiredness
- Trouble in walking and paralysis (in acute cases)
- Drug toxicity
In some cases, the malfunctioning of kidneys and increased levels of Creatinine is caused by drug toxicity. This is also referred to as drug-induced nephrotoxicity and is caused by drugs-related to cardiovascular and chemotherapy. Others may include antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, etc. The symptoms of creatinine increase due to drug toxicity are:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Uneasiness and chest pain
- Elevated heart rate
- Weakness and confusion
- Reduced urine levels
- Swelling in the lower part of the body, mainly feet and ankles
To sum it all up
There is a vast range of symptoms for high creatinine levels depending on the cause. Nonetheless, one integral factor remains the same: the kidneys. Therefore, despite what the creatinine test costs, it is best to undergo the procedure at the earliest possible. This can not only save time and money at a later stage but also safeguard from further crucial outcomes.
