Kidney Failure And Alcohol Consumption
The clinic notes that acute kidney failure as the result of alcoholism can develop in a matter of days or even hours. If untreated or if alcohol consumption continues, it can be fatal. Full recovery is possible, but there is the risk that the kidneys will be damaged beyond normal functioning.
As an example of the kind of health complications that can arise from alcohol damage to the kidneys, the Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation journal reported in 2009 that moderate-heavy alcohol consumption may be an important risk factor for albuminuria, a condition that describes the presence of a type of protein that is normally found in the blood becoming present in urine. The name is derived from albumin, a protein that is used in building muscle, fighting infection and repairing tissue.
Healthy kidneys ensure that such proteins stay out of a normal urine flow kidneys suffering from chronic alcohol abuse, on the other hand, cannot stop proteins from leaking into urine. The National Kidney Foundation warns that albuminuria can be an early sign of kidney disease, which will require nephrology treatment.
How The Kidneys Function And Where They Are Located
Our kidneys are part of the system known as the urinary tract, which also includes our bladders and ureters. Kidney health is essential for filtering toxins and waste out of our blood and transferring those substances to our urine for elimination from the body. The kidneys also keep our electrolyte and fluid levels balanced, and they are directly impacted by the excessive intake of alcohol.
Our kidneys are vital to our survival, and luckily they are one of many paired organs and parts our bodies have, like our eyes, ears, testes/ovaries, lungs, limbs, adrenal glands, and more. What’s fortunate about that is it’s quite possible to live with only one kidney, a fact that allows healthy, living people to donate one of their kidney organs to save the life of someone who has lost the use of both.
The kidneys are about the size of our fists and are located below the rib cage on either side of our spines. Kidney pain may be experienced as back pain, but if there is kidney damage resulting from alcohol use, other symptoms may occur. We review the symptoms of kidney damage and kidney failure further along in this article, but first let’s discuss how alcohol interacts with the kidneys.
Can It Be Fatal
It is difficult to consume too much water by accident. However, it can happen, and there have been numerous reports of death due to excess water intake.
People at risk of death from water intoxication tend to be participating in endurance sporting events or military training. A person who is doing neither is unlikely to die from drinking too much water.
Overhydration and water intoxication happen when a person drinks more water than their kidneys can get rid of via urine.
The amount of water is not the only factor time also plays a role.
According to figures quoted in a 2013 study, the kidneys can eliminate about 2028 liters of water a day, but they can remove no more than 0.8 to 1.0 liters every hour.
To avoid hyponatremia, it is important not to outpace the kidneys by drinking more water than they can eliminate.
The authors of the study report that hyponatremia symptoms can develop if a person drinks 34 liters of water in a short period, though they do not give a specific time estimate.
According to
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , there are no official guidelines about how much water a person needs to drink each day.
The right amount differs, depending on factors such as body weight, level of physical activity, the climate, and whether they are breastfeeding.
In 2004, The National Academy of Medicine recommended that women aged 1930 consume around 2.7 liters per day and men of the same age around 3.7 liters per day.
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What Are The First Signs Of Kidney Damage From Alcohol
Over time, alcohol can damage the kidneys, according to the National Kidney Foundation.
At first, you might not have any symptoms of kidney damage from regular alcohol consumption. As the kidneys become overworked from heavy alcohol consumption, they will be less able to filter blood and maintain the correct water balance in the body.
As a result, you may experience the following symptoms:
- kidney pain
How To Find Your Hydration Sweet Spot
The best place to start is to estimate how much water your body needs on average. I recommend starting with a half-ounce of water per pound of body weight, says Koskinen. Because muscle carries more water than fat, leaner people may stick closer to this number and those with more body fat may ratchet down, while people who are overweight or obese may want to use their ideal body weight in this calculation.
Many of us guzzle a set number of glasses per day to reach our H20 goals, which is a good way to get past your perma-parched ways in the beginningbut because hydration levels fluctuate day-to-day based on the weather, how hydrating your diet is, how active you are, and other bevvies you sip along the way, the amount of water you drink to fill in the blanks should be adjusted accordingly so as to not overdo it.
One of the easiest ways to fine-tune your hydration habits is to stop looking at it as a water-centric practice, and instead shift your focus to include fluids as a whole. Fluid doesnt just come from water, but from any beverage you drink, as well as many foods, says Koskinen. If soups, fruits and veggies, and smoothies are a regular part of your diet, then you might not need to replenish as oftenthe same goes for foods that melt at room temperature or are held in a gel matrix , she adds. Meanwhile, on days when youre a sucker for anything salty , an increased water intake may be required so the body can maintain equilibrium.
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Are There Any Disadvantages To Drinking Lemon Water Daily
- One disadvantage is that lemon juice can erode tooth enamel over time, so you might want to drink your water through a straw to avoid contact with your teeth.
- One of my favorite ways to drink my lemon water is in my straw top Lifefactory glass water bottle, youve heard me mention these before, I absolutely love them. The flip up straw is comfortable to use, and allows you to sip the water slowly, avoiding your teeth.
- If youre worried about this, consider using less lemon in your water, such as adding slices of lemon to lightly infuse flavor instead of squeezing the juice.
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Treatment For Alcohol Misuse And Kidney Disease
Treatment for AUD varies depending on your needs. If you struggle with chronic alcohol misuse, treatment begins with a medical detox program. Afterward, treatment may involve a variety of therapies in either inpatient or outpatient settings.
Treatment for AUD may include:
- Detox and withdrawal Medical detox provides a safe place for you to withdrawal from alcohol. Detox typically lasts up to 7 days, but that also depends on the person.
- Psychotherapy Therapies in individual and group settings are a vital part of treatment. Therapy sessions can help you better understand yourself and your issue with alcohol. Because family is crucial in treatment, family therapy is often part of treatment.
- Medication management For some people with AUD, the use of medications in treatment is vital. The changes that alcohol causes to the brain can be lethal when a person stops drinking.
- Treatment for other mental health issues Many people who misuse alcohol also have a mental disorder. As a result, dual diagnosis treatment offers whole-person treatment. It also lowers a persons relapse rate.
- Holistic or alternative therapies Many treatment centers offer holistic therapies. These therapies may include yoga, meditation, mindfulness.
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Why Do I Ache After Drinking
Why are muscle aches and muscle pain a symptom of hangovers? What is going on in your body to make your muscles sore? This can happen due to multiple factors including dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, the bodys breakdown of alcohol into toxic metabolites and overall increased inflammation in the body.
What Does Alcohol Do To Your Kidneys
The function of the kidneys in the body is to filter harmful substances out of the body. Alcohol is considered one of those harmful substances. While alcohol is mainly metabolized by the liver, some of these substances are released through the kidneys.
So, if you drink alcohol, especially often, the kidneys must work harder to return your blood to its usual state.
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Kidney Failure And Damage
Using alcohol, especially binge drinking, can stress the kidneys so much that they temporarily stop working. This result is called acute kidney failure and will typically resolve all by itself within a few days. While acute kidney failure may be temporary, it will cause a small amount of permanent damage to the kidneys. If acute kidney failure is experienced multiple times, the damage can begin to build up and can turn into chronic kidney failure. Chronic kidney failure is permanent and will make it necessary to have life-long dialysis unless you receive a kidney transplant.
How Alcohol Affects Kidneys
Is alcohol bad for your kidneys? The answer is yes, although the damage is not always noticed at once.
Kidneys serve as a body filter, removing the harmful substances from the system. Alcohol is one of such toxic elements and is mainly excreted through kidneys and liver thus, these organs suffer the most. Alcohol negatively affects the body part in the following ways.
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Master Cleanser Lemon Detox Tea
Not all detox programs will allow you to eat other foods in addition to detox teas. An example of this is one of the more common standalone detox teas the master cleanser/lemon detox tea. This diet plan is a 10 day program that consists of replacing all meals with a detox tea containing lemon juice, purified water, cayenne pepper and tree syrup. In this program, you can also drink sea salt water and a mild laxative herbal tea. According to the master cleanser, after 10 days of their detox you will have eliminated toxins from your body, lost weight, and developed glowing skin, shiny hair and strong nails.
What these programs wont tell you is that their regimens are severely lacking in the precious nutrients your body needs. They are also dangerous because they often cause diarrhea which leads to even more nutrient loss and is what contributes to the weight loss seen in those who enroll in these detox tea programs.
So what is the truth? Are detox teas and diets really the toxin elimination problem-solvers they claim to be?
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The Solution: Which Teas Are Best For Kidneys
Not all teas are cause for concern when it comes to kidneys. There are plenty of tea types that havent been linked to kidney disease, and in fact may help improve kidney health! The key you may have learned by now is levels of caffeine and oxalates, and also other constituents like certain antioxidants which can actually be beneficial to kidney health.
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How Much Alcohol Can I Safely Drink
The American Cancer Society suggests that no one should drink alcohol due to its harmful effects on the body and its potential to increase your risk of cancer. If youve already been diagnosed with cancer, drinking alcohol could also affect your risk of developing a new cancer.
If you do choose to drink alcohol, limit your intake to no more than one to two drinks per day. A drink in this instance is equivalent to a 5 oz glass of wine, 12 oz beer, or a single shot of 80-proof hard liquor.
Put Your Health First
References1What’s a Standard Drink? National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Accessed October 28, 2021. 2 Jewell, Tim. Does Alcohol Dehydrate You? Healthline. Healthline Media, May 23, 2019. .3 Alcohol and Your Kidneys. National Kidney Foundation, October 20, 2021. .
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Alcohol & Kidney Function
Alcohol use and kidney function go hand in hand. Since the function of the kidneys is to remove toxins from the blood and alcohol is one of those toxins, alcohol affects how hard the kidneys need to work.
Excessive alcohol use can also cause liver disease and put even more strain on the kidneys. It impacts their ability to filter blood and regulate blood flow in the body.
Which Type Of Tea Causes Kidney Stones
Now, after knowing that green tea prevents the formation of kidney stones, you might be thinking that the effect is the same with other tea varieties as well. Arent you?
However, this is not true!
There are teas that cause kidney stones. Those who already suffer from kidney stones are not supposed to drink tea. This is because tea contains a high amount of oxalate that leads to the formation of kidney stones.
If you consume too much tea you can end up with kidney stones.
Now, as already discussed, green tea has a preventive effect with regard to kidney stones and this shows that not every tea causes them. It all depends on the oxalate level of tea.
When compared to green tea, black tea has a higher amount of oxalate present in it and therefore should be avoided.
P.S. It is still not very clear whether by bringing down your consumption of oxalate-rich foods you can prevent kidney stones or not. So, those with a history of kidney stones need to limit their consumption of food and drink that has more amount of oxalate.
You can always drink green tea as the amount of oxalate in it is quite less when compared to that of black tea.
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Medications That Can Harm The Kidneys
No matter what kind of medicine you take, whether OTC or prescription, it is destined to take a trip through your kidneys. Taking a drug the wrong way or in excessive amounts can damage these vital, bean-shaped organs and lead to serious complications. In the worst-case scenario, it could necessitate a kidney transplant.
Compared with 30 years ago, patients todayhave a higher incidence of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, take multiple medications, and are exposed to more diagnostic and therapeutic procedures with the potential to harm kidney function, according to Cynthia A. Naughton, PharmD, senior associate dean and associate professor in the department of pharmacy practice at North Dakota State University. All of these factors are associated with an elevated risk of kidney damage.
An estimated 20% of cases of acute kidney failure are due to medications. The technical term for this scenario is nephrotoxicity, which is growing more common as the aging population grows, along with rates of various diseases.
The kidneys get rid of waste and extra fluid in the body by filtering the blood to produce urine. They also keep electrolyte levels balanced and make hormones that influence blood pressure, bone strength and the production of red blood cells. When something interferes with the kidneys, they cant do their job, so these functions can slow down or stop altogether.
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Liver Or Kidney Disease
Liver disease and kidney disease are conditions that can be caused by long-term alcohol abuse, sometimes as part of end-stage alcoholism and death. While it’s not a concern after one night of binge drinking, if you habitually over-imbibe, the damages can accumulate in the liver and cause fatty liver disease or scarring that leads to cirrhosis. Once the liver becomes compromised, the blood flow to the kidneys is interrupted, instigating a domino effect of vital organ damage and possible shutdown.
Should kidney disease develop, it could be due to alcohol or other contributing health conditions that alcohol exacerbates, including high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Chronic kidney disease can lead to kidney failure, which, like liver failure, can sometimes only be reversed by organ transplantation.
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Energy Drinks’ Effect On Kidneys And Health
The world of energy drinks is a mystifying one. The connoisseurs swear by them. Detractors try their best to warn people of their possible side effects. The average person on the street tends to not have too much of a clue either way.
Let’s take a look at the evidence behind the safety of energy drinks and whether they have any specific damaging effect on the kidneys.
How Does Beer Hurt Your Kidneys
As well we know that the kidneys are important part of the urinary system. They filter blood and remove wastes, which then turn them into urine.
They also have function to filter alcohol from the bloodstream. Heavy drinking can make them work harder. Overtime, this may impair the function of the kidneys, making them less able to keep the blood clean from harmful substances.
Heavy drinking can hurt the kidneys in several different ways. More excess alcohol you drink will make them work harder!
Your kidneys also have a role to help maintain the balance of fluid in the body . And excess alcohol in the bloodstream can affect this kidneys function. For instance, alcohol can lead to dehydration. And this drying effect can hurt the kidneys.
Heavy drinking is also bad for your blood pressure. Heavy drinkers are more likely to have hypertension than moderate drinkers and abstainers.
To keep the kidneys run well in filtering blood, the rate of blood flow to the kidneys is kept at certain level.
High blood pressure can affect the blood flow in the kidneys, making it run hardly. And as a result, the kidneys work harder. In fact, hypertension is one of common causes of kidney diseases.
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