Tuesday, February 2, 2016

5 Steps to Healthy Kidneys You Should Know

You don’t need to be exposed to a handful of risk factors before you consider proper care of your kidneys. As prevention is always better than cure, it’s critical to be proactive in making sure these organs remain in their best state possible.

To keep them in top shape, here are some of the things you can do:

1. Avoid over hydration

While drinking water is recommended, drinking too much of it can cause potential harm. When taken in excess, it causes your blood vessels to expand in order to accommodate the increase in fluid volume. When the vessels stretch beyond their normal measurements, they become weak and prone to injury.

Avoid over hydration

Six to eight glasses of water a day are usually enough to meet your body’s requirements. If the weather is extremely hot or if you’ll be doing strenuous physical activities, then you may need to increase your intake.

2. Know your medications

Pain relievers, when taken occasionally, usually don’t cause serious effects. However, if you’re going to rely on over the counter pain relievers, like Ibuprofen, for chronic joint pains, then you’re likely to cause damage to your kidneys. Instead of deciding on your own, try to consult your doctor about the best alternative to the said drugs.

Know your medications
 
3. Watch what you eat


The foods you eat usually don’t have a direct effect on your renal health. It does, however, have a strong relationship to medical conditions such as high blood pressure and diabetes. These conditions are known factors that can trigger renal issues. If you want to protect these organs, then you should consider eating healthier foods. Try to shy away from foods that are high in salt, sugar and oil.

Watch what you eat

To boost your renal health, you can try adding these super foods in your diet:

● Cranberries
● Garlic
● Olive oil
● Probiotics
● Cauliflower
● Watermelon


4. Keep moving

Exercise is one of the best ways you can control your weight, blood pressure and blood sugar. In choosing an exercise type, keep in mind to assess your physical capability first. In certain cases, overexertion can lead to severe breakdown of muscle tissues which can greatly put a strain on one’s kidneys.
 
Keep moving

5. Do a routine check up

If you are particularly predisposed, it’s important that you undergo routine checkups and assessments to detect possible infections, failure and other similar issues in their early stages. Because prompt treatment and interventions are essential to prevent worsening and complications, you can inquire about the following tests to your doctor.

Do a routine check up

● Urine test for albumin or protein
● Blood creatinine test
● Blood pressure measurement


Discipline is an essential part in keeping your kidneys healthy throughout the years. Without it, even the most effective preventive measure.