Kidney Health: 9 Simple Tips For Maintaining A Healthy Kidney

In this article, we’ll talk about kidney health – everyday things you can do without putting in much effort.

Overview

Our kidneys play a key role in our body’s excretory system. These organs help our bodies remove toxins, balance bodily fluids, release a variety of hormones, and regulate the development of red blood cells. They also create a type of Vitamin D that is crucial for bone strength.

Due to the constant processing of several bodily fluids, our kidneys can suffer from plenty of diverse range of ailments. The most frequently-occurring kidney diseases are chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, kidney stones, renal infections, kidney failure, etc.

Tips For Maintaining Healthy Kidneys

The multidimensional role played by our kidneys in the body makes it crucial for us to keep them healthy. If you are here to know more about how to keep your kidneys fit, following these simple tips would be in your best interests:

1. Exercise Regularly

Simple forms of exercise done regularly are beneficial for the smooth operation of your kidneys. Regular exercise enhances muscle agility, regulates blood pressure and cholesterol, regulates metabolism, and improves sleep. All these processes are crucial for an adequate kidney operation.

A minimum of half an hour of continuous exercise aimed at moving large muscles at once (jogging, cycling, aerobic dancing, skipping, etc.) are proven to enhance kidney health and functioning.

2. Keep Your Blood Sugar Levels In Check

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) occurs due to impaired running of kidneys wherein they are unable to filter out only the toxins from the bodily fluids. A high blood sugar level is one such bodily condition that triggers this ailment. This is because it causes the kidneys to eliminate essential elements from the blood along with the toxins. This 2-in-1 filtering process is not a bodily demand and can deplete the bloodstream of sufficient blood purifiers.

Your target blood sugar concentration must be 5.2 to 7.2 mmol/L before meals and below 10.0 mmol/L after meals. The glycated hemoglobin rate (A1C test) ideal for the human body is about 7%. Frequently visit your doctor to understand your blood sugar levels and what they mean for your kidney wellbeing.

Also Read: Tips To Deal With Diabetes Fatigue

3. Keep Your Blood Pressure Levels In Check

Healthy kidneys filter about 180 liters of bodily fluids per day to remove all toxins and extra water to form urine. High blood pressure restricts blood vessels puts stress on the entire circulatory system, affecting the kidneys as well.

The narrowed blood vessels in the kidney reduce the effectiveness of the kidneys in toxin-removal and urine production.

This causes the harmful toxins to prevail within the body, causing other health ailments. If you have blood pressure levels over 140/90, visit the doctor immediately. To help your kidneys operate smoothly, try to maintain blood pressure levels of about 120/80.

4. Maintain An Average Body Mass Index

Body mass index is a simple ratio of your height to your weight that tells you if you are underweight or overweight. For most humans, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9 is ideal.

A BMI above 24.9 is categorized as overweight. Being overweight can directly affect your kidneys. The added weight makes it harder for your kidneys to strain out toxins effectively. This entire extra load over time paves way for kidney diseases.

Being underweight (BMI below 18.5) is also found to raise the probability of renal function degradation i.e. the gradual reduction of kidney functionality. A low-fat, kidney-friendly diet loaded with vitamins and minerals can help you maintain an ideal BMI

5. Watch Your Salt Intake

High sodium in the blood results in raising your blood pressure, directly affecting kidney functioning. Sodium is also seen to directly affect kidney tissues leading to hypertrophy and fibrosis in the kidney muscles.

A high sodium diet also interferes with the water balance in your body. This is because the kidney attempts to flush the extra sodium from the body, producing more urine. Even worse, high sodium levels in the body also eradicate beneficial nutritional elements such as proteins in the form of urine.

A low-sodium diet is ideal to sustain water balance, blood pressure, and protein levels in the body.

6. Stay Hydrated

Staying hydrated reduces the probability of kidney stones and urinary tract infections. All fluids, especially water, assists the kidneys to dissolve the excess sodium and other toxins in the body. In fact, the right amounts of water also help to dilate your blood vessels to ensure the free circulation of blood without restrictions.

Dehydration on the other hand can raise the probability of toxin and acid-buildup in the body. The kidneys are unable to strain these out because of the lack of water in the body.

Doctors recommend 3.7 liters of water for men and 2.7 liters of water for women a day.

7. Avoid Smoking

If you have high blood pressure and you smoke regularly, chances are that your medicines for maintaining blood pressure are not helping at all. Smoking also slows down the blood circulation in the body, including the kidneys. As a result, it impairs kidney functioning in the long run.

Sadly, smoking leads to tar build-up and this causes the formation of high amounts of plaque in the arteries. This not only disrupts smooth blood flow but also deprives the kidneys of sufficient oxygen.

Passive smoking is also associated with a high probability of developing kidney diseases. Thus, it will be best for you to avoid smoking and stay away from people who do.

8. Limit The Use Of Pain-relief Medicines

Pain-relief medicines readily available in the market are proven to cause serious kidney damage. Chronic interstitial nephritis is a fatal kidney disease occurring due to the overuse of pain-relief medicines over time.

Common medicines proven to be fatal in the long run are aspirin, naproxen sodium, Ketoprofen, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, etc.

9. Visit A Doctor If You Are At Risk

Some people are more at immediate risk of kidney diseases than others. People above 60 years of age, or obese, or who had a low birth weight, or a family history of cardiovascular diseases and blood pressure should regularly undergo kidney screening tests.

Sleeplessness, tiredness, dry and itchy skin, frequent urination, bloody or foamy urine, puffiness in the eye, low appetite, muscle cramps, and swollen limbs are early indicators of kidney diseases. If you feel you are at risk, visit the doctor immediately.

Tips For Better Kidney Health: Wrap Up

Maintaining our kidney health is simple. All we have to do is exercise regularly, maintain an ideal BMI, control our blood sugar and blood pressure levels, eat healthily, and stop smoking. If you are already at risk of kidney diseases, doctor appointments and treatment plans can bring your kidney health back to normal.