What Can I Do To Keep My Kidney Healthy
Follow these tips to help keep your kidney healthy:
- Drink plenty of water, especially when playing sports, while out in the sun, and during hot weather.
- Check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any new prescription, over-the-counter, or herbal medicine. Make sure that they know that you have only one kidney.
- Use pain or fever medicine that contains aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or naproxen with caution. These drugs, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs , can cause kidney damage, especially when taken in high doses or when two or more are taken with caffeine or codeine over long periods of time. If you need long-term medicine for pain, talk with your doctor about treatment options that wont harm your kidneys.
Living With One Functioning Kidney
Our kidneys perform many functions that are vital to good health, but it is not unusual to have only one kidney to do the work of two.
- Many people are born with a single kidney.
- Some people have to have one kidney surgically removed because they may have developed an obstruction or a tumour or sustained a severe traumatic injury after an accident.
- Some people may have received a kidney from a living or deceased donor , after their own kidneys have failed.
- Others may have donated one of their kidneys to a loved one or another person with kidney failure .
Drink Plenty Of Water
If you want to;keep the kidney healthy,;then drinking more water is a better treatment. For this, every normal healthy person should consume an average of 4-5 litres of water per day.
Water easily flush out many types of toxic elements present in the body with urine and keeps the digestive system functioning properly.
It does not cause constipation problems. Apart from this, water keeps the blood flow in the body and prevents the blood from becoming thick. By drinking more water, the level of blood pressure also remains balanced.;
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Limit Saturated Fats And Avoid Trans Fat
Diets that are high in saturated and trans fats increase the risk of heart disease and whats bad for your heart is bad for your kidneys. Heart health and kidney health are interconnected, as the heart constantly pumps blood throughout the body and the kidneys continuously filter the blood in order to remove waste products and excess fluid from the body, Maruschak says.
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting saturated fats to less than 10 percent of your total daily calories. Main sources include meats, full-fat dairy products, butter, lard, coconut oil, and palm oil, says Maruschak. And try to avoid trans fats, found in baked goods and fried foods. Instead, fill up on heart-healthy unsaturated fats, found in fatty fish, avocados, olives, walnuts, and many types of vegetable oils.
Can Dialysis Keep You Alive If Your Kidney Are Removed
There are two types of dialysis peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis. In the former, your blood is actually cleaned inside the body, by injecting a fluid into the abdominal cavity that will absorb waste products in the blood. This liquid can then be removed, along with the toxins. The more intensive and common form is hemodialysis, in which the blood is removed from the body, filtered, and then returned to the body. This process can take hours to complete, and must be done 2-3 times per week.
Depending on the intricacies of your hemodialysis treatment, you may be able to perform it at home, but this often requires more frequent filtering.;Essentially, it is possible to live without your kidneys, but the need for dialysis is a life-changing medical condition that you will need for the rest of your life. Dialysis can often be used for years or decades, and is the only option for many people who are waiting for a healthy kidney. While some people do eventually get a kidney through donor programs, the lists are quite long, with thousands;of people waiting for a life-saving;organ.
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Our best advice is to keep your kidneys healthy, and if you think there is a problem with one of your internal organs, get it checked immediately, so you can either have peace of mind, or access to early medical care. Your kidneys may only be the size of your fists, but they are incredibly important to life as we know it!
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Protecting Your Single Kidney From Injury
If you have a single kidney, injuring it can be a big problem because there isnt another one to compensate. If the injury is severe and your kidney stops working completely, you would need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.
To avoid this, its very important to protect your single kidney from injury. Avoid contact sports that could lead to kidney injury. These include:
- boxing
- bungee jumping
- skydiving
Over the long term, unless your kidney gets injured, loss of function in your single kidney is usually very mild and unnoticeable.
Most people with a single kidney dont need to follow a special diet, but like people with two kidneys, you should eat a healthy balanced diet.
Staying normally hydrated and drinking when thirsty is better than overhydration or dehydration.
If you have a single kidney because you had a transplant or if you have kidney disease, you may need to limit the amount of sodium, phosphorous, and protein in your diet. This is because your kidney cant remove them from your blood very well, so they build up.
You may also have to limit the amount of fluids you drink.
Talk to your healthcare provider about your nutritional needs and dietary restrictions.
Check Your Blood Pressure
You should check your blood pressure regularly. However, if high blood pressure doesnt cause any symptoms, it can increase your risk of kidney and heart problems.
You can obtain a simple, timely, painless blood pressure test at your GP and free of cost at many high street pharmacies.
Your GP can suggest lifestyle changes or, if necessary, prescribe medication to lower your blood pressure if your blood pressure is higher than it should be.;
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Maintain The Blood Pressure Levels
The increase in the blood pressure levels affect the functioning of the kidneys. It can cause the serious kidney injury. In order to keep the kidneys healthy one has to always maintain the blood pressure levels. Blood pressure can be maintained by reduced salt intake and reducing the stress levels. Some alternative mind relaxing exercises also help in relieving the blood pressure.
Am I At Risk For Kidney Problems
These treatments for childhood cancer can cause problems in your remaining kidney:
- radiation to the kidney, abdomen, or whole body
- certain chemotherapy medicines, such as cisplatin, carboplatin, methotrexate, and ifosfamide
- certain antibiotics used to treat bacterial and fungal infection, such as tobramycin, gentamicin, and amphotericin
- certain medicines used to treat graft-versus-host disease, such as cyclosporine and FK-506
Other factors that can increase your risk for kidney problems include:
- medical conditions that may affect the kidney, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and a tumor involving the kidney
- history of urinary tract problems, such as frequent urinary tract infections, back-flow of urine into the kidney , or other urinary tract abnormalities
- removal of the bladder
If you are at risk for kidney problems, see the related Health Link: Kidney Health after Childhood Cancer.
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Symptoms Of Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is called a silent disease as there are often no warning signs. People may lose up to 90 per cent of their kidney function before getting any symptoms. The first signs of kidney disease may be general and can include:
- high blood pressure
- changes in the amount and number of times urine is passed
- changes in the appearance of urine
- blood in the urine;
- puffiness of the legs and ankles
- pain in the kidney area
- tiredness
- have a family history of kidney failure
- have a history of acute kidney injury
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin.
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How Your Kidneys Work
Your kidneys play a vital role in your body. They work hard to clean your blood and create urine for you 24 hours a day. Without kidney function, you would struggle to process toxins and eliminate waste, and this would have a devastating impact on your health.
Its important to keep your kidneys healthy so they can perform these important tasks throughout your life. If your kidneys are not healthy, other organs in your body may suffer and this could lead to further health complications.
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Foods That Elevate Kidney Health
Diet has a close relation to kidney health. Deficiency of vital nutrients can be the cause of kidney diseases and kidney failure. People in the advanced stages of kidney disease need to adopt a kidney-friendly diet to prevent kidney failure. Diet requirements vary depending on the stage of kidney disease, however, eating foods low in potassium, sodium, and phosphorus can altogether prevent any abnormality in the kidney function.
A few delicious options for a kidney-friendly diet are
Do Not Smoke Or Drink Too Much Alcohol
Try to;stop smoking completely and limit the amount of alcohol you drink.
Both men and women are advised not to drink more than 14;units of alcohol a week on a regular basis.
Drinking too much alcohol;and smoking;both raise your blood pressure. High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of kidney disease.
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Watch Your Blood Pressure
Have your blood pressure checked regularly. High blood pressure has no symptoms, but it can increase your risk of kidney and heart problems.
You can get a simple, quick and painless blood pressure check free of charge at your GP surgery and many high street pharmacies.
If your blood pressure is higher than it should be, a GP can suggest lifestyle changes or, if necessary, prescribe medicine to reduce your blood pressure.
An ideal blood pressure is considered to be between 90/60mmHg and 120/80mmHg.
Diet For Living With One Kidney
The best diet guidelines for living with one kidney will vary depending on your health status 9. Generally speaking, a kidney-healthy diet involves cutting down on sodium, measuring your protein intake, limiting high-fat foods and limiting alcohol 6.
If you’re a healthy person who made a living donation of your kidney, you can likely resume your normal eating habits after recovery. If you suffer from chronic kidney disease or kidney stones, your doctor may suggest certain dietary guidelines 12.
Tips
If your solitary kidney is healthy, you likely wont have any specific dietary restrictions. You can follow a kidney-healthy diet low in sodium and alcohol to help prevent any future issues.
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Ways To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy
Overview
Your kidneys are fist-sized organs located at the bottom of your rib cage, on both sides of your spine. They perform several functions.
Most importantly, they filter waste products, excess water, and other impurities from your blood. These waste products are stored in your bladder and later expelled through urine.
In addition, your kidneys regulate pH, salt, and potassium levels in your body. They also produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells.
Your kidneys are also responsible for activating a form of vitamin D that helps your body absorb calcium for building bones and regulating muscle function.
Maintaining kidney health is important to your overall health and general well-being. By keeping your kidneys healthy, your body will filter and expel waste properly and produce hormones to help your body function properly.
Here are some tips to help keep your kidneys healthy.
Low Intake Of Phosphorus
Experts and doctors say that increasing the phosphorus level in the body increases the risk of chronic kidney disease. Therefore, completely reduce the intake of phosphorus-rich things in your diet such as soft drinks, chocolate, processed meat, etc.;
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Increase Magnesium And Calcium Intake
Due to toxic excess and high blood pressure, when magnesium in your body is inadequate, your kidney process might be involved. Make sure that your body gets sufficient magnesium to maintain your kidneys functioning properly.;
Kidneys execute an important role in stocking calcium supplements in the body. With less calcium intake, a kind of hormone affected by vitamin D can be released.
This hormone helps encourage the discharge of calcium through bones absorbed from your intestine. However, the kidney is energetically away from osteoporosis in kidney stones. So, you need to build a proper diet that includes calcium.
How Does Eating Diet And Nutrition Affect A Solitary Kidney
If you have a solitary kidney, you do not need to eat a special diet. However, you can keep your kidneys healthy by staying well hydrated, not taking too much salt, and not gaining excessive weight. If you have reduced kidney function, you may need to make changes to your diet to slow your kidney disease progression. Work with your health care professional or a registered dietitian;to develop a meal plan;that includes foods you enjoy eating while maintaining your kidney health.
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Foods To Keep Your Kidney Healthy
The Kidney requires food to be healthy. These foods includes white egg, Cranberries, pineapples, turnips, radishes, macadamia nuts, arugula, onions,;blueberries, cauliflowers, sea bass, red grapes, garlic, buckwheat, cabbage, skinless chicken and more.
The human body relies on several internal organs to survive and reproduce. Each organ has an associated function with the other to maintain life. The brain, the lungs, the liver, the bladder, the kidneys, the heart, the stomach and the intestines perform their respective functions in the body.
Kidneys perform their respective functions on a daily basis to maintain a chemical balance in the body. The human body needs to maintain a chemical balance for the prevention of chronic illness and other abnormalities that may affect other organs.
Can Stage 2 Kidney Disease Be Reversed
Occasionally, kidney disease may be found to be caused by some temporary problem, such as a side effect of a medicine or a blockage. When the cause is identified, its possible that kidney function can improve with treatment.
Theres no cure for kidney disease that has resulted in permanent damage, including mild cases diagnosed as stage 2. However, you can take action now to avoid further progression. Its possible to have stage 2 CKD and prevent it from progressing to stage 3.
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Myth: Dialysis Is The Treatment For Kidney Disease
FACT: Dialysis is a method of purification of blood of waste products which are not removed because of kidney failure. Dialysis in fact does not do anything for kidney disease. Dialysis is only required when kidney function decreases to less than 15 ml/min and patients cannot sustain life meaningfully. In earlier stages of chronic kidney disease, one slows down the rate of progression of kidney disease to delay or avoid the need for dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Function And Value Of The Kidney
Keeping the kidneys healthy is essential to feeling good daily and maintaining energy for a long lifetime. What we put into our bodies directly affects the kidneys. Their primary role in the human body is to remove waste products from the blood, which are then passed out through the urine. The kidneys also regulate the levels of sodium, phosphorus, and potassium in the blood.
Therefore, it is essential to know what foods and drinks keep your kidney healthy. One of the first things we can do is to watch sugar, salt, and saturated fat intake in the diet, as eating these foods produces more work for the kidneys in ridding waste from the body. The cleaner the diet, the less work for your kidneys.
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Know The Signs And Symptoms
Unfortunately, the symptoms of kidney disease arent always noticeable, and 40% of people with severely reduced kidney function are not aware they have CKD. Therefore, its crucial to know whether you might be at risk.
Risk factors of CKD can include the following:
- Age
- Family history of CKD
Peev recommends keeping up with your annual physical exams with your primary care provider, who may order bloodwork or urinalysis tests that can detect kidney disease in its early stages and help slow down its progression.
When Kidneys Require An Er Visit
Most chronic kidney ailments or congenital disabilities are detected in children by a Pediatrician. For adults, the protocol isnt as clear cut. Most symptoms of kidney distress signal our bodies as a symptom of another problem.
The most common reason we see patients in the ER for kidney distress is for kidney stones. Kidney stones are hard collections of salt and minerals often made up of calcium or uric acid. They form inside the kidney and can travel to other parts of the urinary tract.
Kidney stones cause severe pain of the abdomen, groin, or genitals, or side. You may also experience:
About 1 out of every 11 people in the United States will get a kidney stone. Stones are more common in men, people who are obese, and those who have diabetes .
Works Cited
Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2019. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 11 Mar. 2019, www.cdc.gov/kidneydisease/publications-resources/2019-national-facts.html.
37 Million American Adults Now Estimated to Have Chronic Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation, 27 Sept. 2019, www.kidney.org/news/37-million-american-adults-now-estimated-to-have-chronic-kidney-disease
Choi, Justin. 8 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy. Healthline, 1 Feb. 2019, www.healthline.com/health/kidney-health.
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