Things you must know to keep your kidneys healthy
High in Blood Sugar level are bad for your kidneys
High blood sugar itself is a symptom of Diabetes called hyperglycemia. This is the leading cause of Kidney disease. Having diabetes for a longer time can damage the blood vessels of our kidney. When the blood vessel damaged the kidney cannot work well. That is why it is important to control blood sugar levels through diet, exercise and medications if prescribed by your physician.
Exercise helps kidney
Incorporating exercise to our daily living can help kidney disease to improve muscle function, lowering cholesterol and blood pressure, keeping a healthy body weight and improving our sleep pattern. In addition, according to the statement of Goldberg et al. in “Therapeutic Benefits of Exercise Training for Hemodialysis Patients” exercise can increase blood volume and red blood cell mass.
Too much alcohol intake can damage your kidney
Excessive alcohol intake changes the function of kidney and make them less able to filter waste product of our body. Alcohol also has dehydrating effect that make our cells and organs dry out. It may also increases blood pressure, the main cause linked with kidney problem leading to kidney pain. Limit yourself to no more than two drinks a day or less better.
Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet is good for your kidney
DASH is the healthy eating plan diet that designed on preventing and treating hypertension without medication sponsored by the National Institutes of Health. The Dash diet focuses on reducing sodium in your diet and eat in variety of foods rich in nutrients that supports lower blood pressure.
Proton Pump Inhibitors drug can cause kidney complications
PPI is a one class of drugs used for treating acid reflux and it is available over the counter. Several studies have indicated that taking PPI may be associated with amplified risk of developing kidney damage. Be cautious taking drugs without prescription of your physician.
Bubbly or Foamy urine indicates kidney problem
Urine is the waste product of our body filtered by kidneys. Change in texture or consistency of urine like bubbly or foamy urine means there is protein in your urine called proteinuria that typically indicates kidney failure or disease. This may be result of conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure. Healthy kidneys do not allow a significant protein to pass through their filters.
Smoking affects your kidney
Cigarette smoking slows the blood flow going to your organs such as kidneys and worsen heart and blood vessels. Smoking can also affects medicine treating high blood pressure. It is important to know that uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney disease.
Sleep affects kidney function
The kidneys are very important organ that our body relies on daily. According to the research of Dr. McMullan of Brigham and Women’s Hospital with the support of Investigators of National Kidney Foundation that the kidney function is actually regulated by the sleep-wake cycle that helps coordinate the kidneys workload over a 24 hours. That is why it is important to have 7 – 8 hours of sleep at night, since poor sleep also affects heart and insulin that may causes kidney functions improperly.
Symptoms could indicate Chronic Kidney Disease
Sign and symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) develops if kidney problem progresses slowly and often nonspecific because they can be also cause by other illness. Our kidney are highly adaptable and can compensate for loss of function. The signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damaged occurs, but it is important to be aware of what may be possible sign and symptoms occur such as nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, sleeping problem, changes in amount of urine, twitching of muscles, swelling of feet or legs, chest pain if fluids build-up in the lining of heart, difficulty or shortness of breath if fluid build-up in lungs, uncontrolled high blood pressure and decrease in mental sharpness.
Normal kidney changes according to aged
Growing old is a compulsory process in life, certain things weaken. Kidneys get old too and their function reduces too.
Remember to take care of your kidneys to live your life to the fullest.