Helpful and easy ways to prevent kidney failure

The incidence of kidney diseases has increased significantly worldwide during the last few decades.

Kidney disease is the most dangerous disease when the organ stops working and causes millions of deaths worldwide every year.

Kidney failure or kidney failure occurs when the organ is unable to filter waste from the blood.

Kidney function is affected with aging, but high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and kidney stones play an important role in increasing the risk of kidney failure.

World Kidney Day is observed on the second Thursday of March each year, with the aim of raising awareness of kidney diseases and encouraging lifestyle changes to prevent them.

What is kidney failure?

Even with a 90% reduction in kidney function, they can do their job well, but more than that is considered kidney failure.

It has 2 types acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failure.

In the first type, there is a sudden decline in kidney function and it is usually possible to reverse it.

In the second type, kidney function declines gradually, worsens over time and cannot be reversed but can be slowed down.

Symptoms

Often there are no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, but when they do appear, they can be something like:

Confusion, decreased urine output, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, itching, muscle pain or spasms, bad taste in the mouth, vomiting and nausea, loss of appetite, seizures, swelling of the body starting in the ankles. And from angina, breathing difficulties (due to fluid accumulation in the lungs) and weakness.

How to reduce this risk?

The good news is that by adopting a few simple things in your daily life, you can significantly reduce the risk of life-threatening kidney failure.

Controlling blood sugar

Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease and kidney failure, which is one reason why it is important to keep blood sugar under control.

Regulating blood pressure

High blood pressure increases the risk of heart disease as well as kidney failure and hence it is important to keep it under control.

Take care of body weight

Obesity increases the risk of medical problems associated with kidney failure, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.

Consuming healthy foods

Consuming a diet low in sugar and fat and rich in fiber such as fruits and vegetables prevents weight gain, which also helps reduce the risk of kidney disease.

The kidneys process everything you eat or drink, including anything that might be harmful, such as too much fat, salt, and sugar. Over time, unhealthy diets such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases can also make kidney function difficult. In contrast, healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains and less processed foods can support kidney health. 

Low salt intake

Excessive consumption of salt leads to increase in blood pressure, while excessive consumption of salt increases the amount of protein in the urine, which is harmful to the kidneys.

Salt affects people differently, and in some people, too much salt can cause protein in the urine, which can be harmful to the kidneys or make kidney disease worse. Too much salt also increases the likelihood of high blood pressure, a common cause of kidney disease, and increases the risk of kidney stones.

Consuming adequate amount of water

Dehydration affects blood circulation to the kidneys, causing damage to them. How much water to drink is not fixed now, but make it a habit to drink as needed.

Water is very important for the kidneys and it pushes waste to the bladder in the form of urine. If you drink less water, the tiny filters inside the kidneys can stop working, increasing the risk of kidney stones and infection. In fact, even a slight lack of water can damage the kidneys if you often make it a habit to drink less water. It is fine to drink 4 to 6 glasses of water daily depending on the weather, however, in case of illness or in hot weather, the body may need more water.

Avoiding smoking

Smoking also reduces blood flow to the kidneys, affecting kidney function in people, whether they have kidney disease or not.

Smoking increases the risk of kidney cancer and damage to blood vessels, which can affect the kidneys by slowing blood circulation. Yes, it can be more serious because failure to control high blood pressure is the main cause of kidney disease.

Limit the use of painkillers

Overuse of common headache medications such as aspirin and others can affect blood flow to the kidneys, which can damage them.

Avoid stress

Reducing stress and anxiety levels also lowers blood pressure, which is good for the kidneys.

Make exercise a routine

Exercise such as brisk walking and jogging also reduces stress, helps control diabetes and high blood pressure, while maintaining a healthy body weight.

Like a healthy diet, exercise also helps prevent problems like diabetes and heart disease, which are factors that damage the kidneys. But suddenly abandoning a slow lifestyle and exercising too much can be harmful, because if the body is not ready for this physical exertion, it can damage the kidneys. The simple solution is to exercise at least 5 days a week for 30 to 60 minutes, if you have not exercised for a long time, start with simple exercises and consult a doctor first in case of any illness.

Do not overuse certain medications

Excessive use of anti-inflammatory medicines can be harmful for the kidneys and long-term use of these medicines also raises the risk of chronic kidney disorder, so it is best to avoid using these drugs without consulting a doctor.

Antibiotics are also harmful

Medicines that fight bacteria can also damage the kidneys if they are used in excess, this can happen even when you are in ideal health, but in more severe cases, kidney function can be affected.

Avoid herbal supplements

These supplements can also damage the kidneys, making them more harmful if you already have kidney disease, as they can make the condition worse or affect the effectiveness of the medication. Consult a health practitioner before using any herbal supplement.

Overcome medical problems

The most common diseases that affect the kidneys are diabetes and high blood pressure, a balanced diet and regular exercise can help keep both of these diseases under control. Monitor closely and administer insulin as needed. Patients with high blood pressure should get their checkups done frequently and take the medicines prescribed by the doctor on time.

Alcohol can be deadly

Alcohol habit leads to dehydration in the body, which affects kidney function, while weight gain, liver diseases, high blood pressure and many other diseases also increase the pressure on the kidneys.

Get an inspection done

Knowing about the risk of kidney disease is important. If you or a close relative has a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, or kidney failure, regular checkups should be done early to detect kidney disease. It can help to catch, the sooner these diseases are diagnosed, the more easily they can be treated and prevention is also possible.

Keep in mind that if there is any doubt that you are suffering from kidney disease, it is important to contact a doctor for an examination.