Kidney Health: Functions of Healthy Kidney And Proven Ways To Improve Kidney Health

Your kidneys are fist-sized organs located at the bottom of your rib cage, on both sides of your spine. They perform several functions.

5 Functions Healthy Kidneys Do:

Regulate the body’s fluid levels

Filter wastes and toxins from the blood

Release a hormone that regulates blood pressure

Release the hormone that directs production of red blood cells

Keep blood minerals in balance (sodium, phosphorus, potassium).

In addition, your kidneys regulate pH, salt, and potassium levels in your body. 

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 8 proven ways to improve your kidneys health:

1. Drink plenty water

There’s no magic behind the cliché advice to drink eight glasses of water a day, but it’s a good goal precisely because it encourages you to stay hydrated. Regular, consistent water intake is healthy for your kidneys.

Water helps clear sodium and toxins from your kidneys. It also lowers your risk of chronic kidney disease.

Aim for at least 1.5 to 2 liters in a day. Exactly how much water you need depends largely on your health and lifestyle. Factors like climate, exercise, gender, overall health, and whether or not you’re pregnant or breastfeeding are important to consider when planning your daily water intake.

People who have previously had kidney stones should drink a bit more water to help prevent stone deposits in the future.

2. Avoid Smoking.

Smoking damages your body’s blood vessels. This leads to slower blood flow throughout your body and to your kidneys.

Smoking also puts your kidneys at an increased risk for cancer. If you stop smoking, your risk will drop. However, it’ll take many years to return to the risk level of a person who’s never smoked.

3. Do fitness, Be active

This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure and the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.

4. Take Adequate And Healthy Diet.

This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure, prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Reduce your salt intake. The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day. This includes the salt already in your foods. (around a teaspoon). To reduce your salt intake, try and limit the amount of processed and restaurant food and do not add salt to food. It will be easier to control your salt intake if you prepare the food yourself with fresh ingredients.

5. Regular Blood Sugar Check up And Control.

About half of people who have diabetes do not know they have it (diabetes). Therefore, you need to check your blood sugar level as part of your general body checkup. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. About half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage; but this can be prevented/ limited if the diabetes is well controlled. Check your kidney function regularly with blood and urine tests.

6. Blood Pressure Check up And Control.

About half of people who have high blood pressure do not know they have high blood pressure. Therefore, you need to check your blood pressure as part of your general body checkup. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys. This is especially likely when associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and Cardio-Vascular Diseases. The risk can be reduced with good control of blood pressure.

Normal adult blood pressure level is 120/80mmHg. Hypertension is diagnosed if, when measured on more than two different occasions, the systolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥140 mmHg and/or the diastolic blood pressure readings on both days is ≥90 mmHg (WHO).

If your blood pressure is persistently elevated above the normal range (especially if you are a young person), you should consult your doctor to discuss the risks, the need for lifestyle modification and medication treatment.

The American Heart Association and the American College of Cardiology revised the guidelines for high blood pressure (2017) and suggested that high blood pressure should be treated earlier with lifestyle changes and medication at 130/80 mmHg rather than 140/90mmHg. However, not all health organizations around the world have adopted this recommendation. Best to consult your doctor.

7. Be aware of the amount of OTC pills you take.

If you regularly take over-the-counter (OTC) pain medication, you may be causing kidney damage. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including ibuprofen and naproxen, can damage your kidneys if you take them regularly for chronic pain, headaches, or arthritis.

People with no kidney issues who take the medicine occasionally are likely in the clear. However, if you use these medicines daily, you could be risking your kidneys’ health. Talk with your doctor about kidney-safe treatments if you’re coping with pain.

8. Have your kidney function tested if you are at high risk.

If you’re at high risk of kidney damage or kidney disease, it’s a good idea to have regular kidney function tests. The following people may benefit from regular screening:

people who are over 60 years old

people who were born at a low birth weight

people who have cardiovascular disease or have family with it

people who have or have a family history of high blood pressure

people who are obese

people who believe they may have kidney damage.

A regular kidney function test is a great way to know your kidney’s health and to check for possible changes. Getting ahead of any damage can help slow or prevent future damage.

When things go wrong!

A little more than 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 20 show evidence of kidney disease. Some forms of kidney disease are progressive, meaning the disease gets worse over time. When your kidneys can no longer remove waste from blood, they fail.

8 Problems Kidney Disease Can Cause:

Heart disease

Heart attack and stroke

High blood pressure

Put your life at risk

Weak bones

Nerve damage (neuropathy)

Kidney failure (end-stage kidney disease, or ESRD)

Anemia or low red blood cell count.

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.

Waste build up in your body can cause serious problems and lead to death. To remedy this, your blood would have to be filtered artificially through dialysis, or you would need a kidney transplant.

Sources:

www.worldkidneyday.org

www.healthline.com

www.kidney.org