Kidney disease is considered a “silent killer” and it can have a big effect on the quality of your life. However, there are easy ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.
1.Stay fit and active
When you are active, you reduce the risk of high blood pressure and developing kidney disease.
2. Check your level of sugar regularly
Almost half of the people that have diabetes have problems with their kidneys. That is why, if you are diabetic, it is very important to check your kidney function regularly (1 time per day). You can prevent problems in your kidneys if they’re detected early. Also, it is important to check and control your blood sugar levels (3 – 4 times per year).
3. Check your blood pressure
Many people know that due to high blood pressure you can get a stroke or a heart attack. Not a lot of people know that high blood pressure is the number one cause of kidney problems. Normal blood pressure is between 120/80. Between that level and 139/89, you are considered hypertense and you would need to adapt your way of living and eating. A blood pressure of 140/90 and higher should be controlled and checked regularly by you and your doctor. High blood pressure causes kidney problems faster when more factors play a role, such as diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and veins.
4. Eat healthy and maintain a healthy weight
This would help to prevent diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses associated with kidney disease. Reduce salt consumption; it is recommended to only consume 5-6 grams of salt per day, a teaspoon. Also, reducing salt consumption, eating less processed foods, cans, bottles, or packages, and less food at restaurants. Do not add salt to your food. It is easier to control your salt consumption if you are the one preparing your food at home with fresh ingredients.
5. Drink enough water (6-8 glasses)
According to research done in Canada and Australia, the following can help reduce the risk of getting kidney disease: drink nine glasses of water or liquid without any calories to help your kidneys get rid of the salt, urea, or other toxic substances out of your body. In addition, drinking aggressively 6-8 glasses (2 liters) of water at one moment is not recommended, this has negative consequences. It is good to increase the amount of water that you drink until you reach 6-8 glasses (2 liters) per day. Naturally, you have to consider that the amount of water someone drinks could vary depending on the person. Take your gender into account, type of exercise, weather, health conditions, breastfeeding, etc. If in the past a doctor diagnosed you with kidney stones, it is recommended to drink between 8 to 12 glasses (2-3 liter) of water per day to avoid kidney stones.
6. Do not smoke
Smoking decreases the blood flow to your kidneys. Kidneys are not able to function properly when there is a decrease in blood. Smoking increases the risk of getting cancer by 50%.
7. Do not use medications regularly that you buy at the pharmacy without a prescription
No-steroid anti-inflammatory medications are known to cause problems for kidneys if you use them regularly (for example, Advil, ibuprofen). These medications might not result in danger for your kidneys if they are used in a healthy way and if you used them only in the case of emergency. When chronic pains appear, the best option is to treat them with advice from your doctor.
8. Do check-ups on the function of your kidney if you have one or more of these high-risk factors
- Diabetes
- High blood pressure
- Obesity
- One of your family members has kidney disease
