Featured, Health
By Ejenike Austin;
The human kidneys perform a lot of functions, but basically what the kidney does is to maintain the composition of the blood at a constant level by filtering the blood, removing waste products and water and then produce urine, which is “waste product and water”.
One of the most important functions of the kidneys is to clean the blood, as blood moves through the body it picks up extra fluid, chemicals and waste. The kidneys separate the materials from the blood and carried out of the body through urine. But if the kidneys are unable to perform this function and the condition is not treated, it will result in serious health problems which may lead to loss of life.
Dr Bod Albright, a Nephrologist said in an interview that chronic kidney disease is incredibly common and unfortunately becoming more in the society. This is primarily because many people are developing complications that are associated with weight, high blood pressure and consequences of diabetes.
Albright is of the view that all these issues can occasionally and often lead to blood vessel damage and because the kidney is just a big old ball, couple balls of blood vessels, the kidneys end up becoming damaged by high blood pressure and diabetes.
He also said that chronic kidney disease stage three, which is moderate kidney failure, means that your kidney has gotten down to roughly fifty percent (50%) full of the expected capacity or function.
Symptoms of chronic kidney disease: Frustrating enough, there are not a lot of symptoms occasionally associated with chronic kidney disease are basically “good detective work and good general care that inform patients that they may be at risk or even have chronic kidney failure. People with diabetes or high blood pressure are already at very high risk of potentially having chronic kidney disease.
Your physician would arrange for you to have a certain blood test or urine studies, which will help document whether you have kidney problems to the point where you have to be seeing a kidney specialist “Nephrologist”.
There are certain medicines that are not so healthy for one’s kidney. One of the classes of drugs being used are called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, smoking is also tough on the kidney.
The treatment for kidney disease usually focuses on controlling the underlying cause of the disease. This means your doctor will help you better manage your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
Making changes to your diet is just as important as taking medication. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help prevent many of the underlying causes of kidney disease. Your doctor may recommend that you:
Control diabetes through insulin injections
Cut back on foods high in cholesterol
Cut back on salt
Start a heart-healthy diet that includes fresh fruits, veggies, whole grains and low-fat dairy products
Limit alcohol consumption
Quit smoking
Increase physical activity
Lose weight
Some risk factors for kidney disease — such as age, race, or family history — are most times impossible to control. However, there are measures you can take to help prevent kidney disease:
Drink plenty of water
Control blood sugar if you have diabetes
Reduce salt intake
Quit smoking
You should always follow the dosage instructions for over-the-counter medications. Taking too much aspirin or ibuprofen can cause kidney damage. Call your doctor if the normal doses of these medications aren’t controlling your pain effectively. – Medical researchers (Healthline).
Limit certain foods; Different chemicals in your food can contribute to certain types of kidney stones. These include:
Excessive sodium
Animal protein, such as beef and chicken
Citric acid, found in citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, and grapefruits, oxalate, a chemical found in beets, spinach, sweet potatoes, and chocolate.
-Oct 11, 2019 @20:55 GMT |
Tags: Why You Should Take Good Care Of Your Kidneys
