Kidneys are an important part of the urinary system. They remove waste products from blood, maintain fluid balance, and regulate electrolyte concentrations within the body. In addition to filtering bodily fluids, the kidneys play a crucial role in regulating blood pressure by secreting hormones that help keep electrolytes and fluid levels stable. Also, kidneys help maintain the proper balance of essential minerals such as sodium and potassium. Without this balance, nerves, muscles, and other tissues in your body may not work normally. Hence, it is important to keep your kidneys healthy for your overall well-being. Here we discuss some useful tips to promote kidney health:
- Maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated: A balanced and healthy meal is important for not just your kidneys, but also proper functioning of your body. You need to cut down on unnecessary sugar intake. Also, it is important to keep a check on your sodium intake. Salt has varying effects on people, and for some it can raise the level of protein in their urine. This is harmful to kidneys or may worsen existing kidney conditions. Also, staying hydrated is important to the health of your kidneys. When you don't drink enough water, waste doesn't move quickly through your body and it can form into kidney stones or cause infection in the urinary tract.
- Exercise: Regular exercise can help you maintain a healthy weight, which lowers your risk for developing kidney disease. Being overweight or obese can increase your chances of developing kidney disease. Excess weight puts a strain on the kidneys, which has to work harder to filter blood and remove waste products.
- Quit smoking and limit alcohol consumption: Excessive smoking can impact the heart and reduce blood flow to the kidneys. Also, excessive alcohol consumption can cause high blood pressure and increased calorie intake, posing a threat to kidney health.
- Take regular medication for pre-existing conditions: If you already have pre-existing conditions such as hypertension or high blood sugar, it is important to take regular medication for the same.
- Manage blood sugar: High blood sugar level can cause damage to the blood vessels and nephrons of the kidneys, which impairs their proper function. Thus, it is crucial to keep blood sugar under control in order to prevent kidney damage.
- Monitor blood pressure: An optimal blood pressure level is considered to be 140/90 mm Hg (130/80 if proteinuria). However, many factors-including age and health conditions-can cause high blood pressure levels. Elevated blood pressure can cause damage to the kidneys by constricting blood vessels and limiting the supply of oxygenated blood. Therefore, it is important to monitor blood pressure regularly in order to prevent long-term health complications.
- Regular check ups: It is important to undergo regular check-ups in order to assess the risk of developing kidney disease. If you have a family history of heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes-or other conditions that impact kidney health, you are at greater risk for developing similar conditions. In such cases, doctors may recommend that you get tested for kidney disease as part of your routine check-ups. Early diagnosis can increase chances of successful treatment and prevention of further damage.
Looking for a top hospital in Kolkata for kidney diseases?
Visit our nephrology department. We have a proven track record of providing comprehensive and effective care for various kidney-related conditions. Our dialysis centre employs a multidisciplinary team-including nephrologists, nurses and social workers-to evaluate optimal outcomes for patients. We have many patients on dialysis for more than 10-15 years with great quality of life. Our wide range of services include: medical facilities necessary to investigate, diagnose and treat (and prevent) chronic kidney disease in adults and children, management of acute kidney injury, Nephrotic syndrome (both adult & children), peritoneal dialysis, and customized treatment for polycystic kidney disease and kidney stones.
