Our kidneys are one of the most important body organs. The kidneys perform several crucial functions such as filtering waste products from the blood, regulating blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and red blood cell production in the body. In other words, your overall health depends on proper kidney function.
Kidney failure is usually the result of accumulation of waste products in the body, which is caused by some common habits. The warning symptoms of kidney disease typically include weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy, and confusion.
Moreover, if potassium is not removed from the bloodstream as a result of compromised kidney function, it may lead to abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. Initial kidney failure may give no symptoms, though
This is a list of some habits you need to avoid for healthy kidneys:
1. Pain–killer abuse
In order to treat pain, reduce inflammation and cure various issues many people use various painkillers, analgesics, and medication. But, this can lead to damage of kidneys. A recent study has shown that taking pain – killers pills for a longer period of time reduces blood flow and deteriorates kidney’s function.
2. Too much protein
Over-consumption of protein-rich foods, especially red meat, increases the metabolic load on your kidneys. So more protein in your diet means your kidneys have to work harder and this can lead to kidney damage or dysfunction over time
3. Smoking
Smoking is harmful for every organ in our body. Many studies have shown the relation between kidney disease and smoking.
Smoking on one hand increases the blood pressure and heart rate, and on the other one it narrows the blood vessels in kidneys and decreases the blood flow. This habit can damage the function of kidney. So, in order to prevent this, we recommend you to stop smoking/
4. Consuming too much sodium
Our body needs sodium or salt to work properly. Most people however consume too much salt which may raise blood pressure and put a lot of stress on the kidneys. As a good rule of thumb, no more than 5 grams of salt should be eaten on a daily basis.
5. Ignoring flu and colds
Another reason for kidney damage can be the ignoring of common infections such as flu, colds, coughs, pharyngitis. The bacteria or viruses can cause kidney damage if you don’t treat them. So, it is recommended when you get a infection, to treat it properly.
6. Consumption of too much caffeine
It is common that whenever we are thirsty we choose to drink other beverages like sodas and soft drinks rather than water. Many of these beverages contain caffeine. High blood pressure puts strain on the kidneys which can damage them, andc affeine can elevate blood pressure.
7. Too much alcohol consumption
When we drink alcohol we often ignore the proper quantity suitable for good health. Too much alcoholic intake is a habit that can severely damage your kidneys. Alcohol is full of toxins that stress our kidneys thus damaging them.
8. Sleeplessness
During the night when you sleep, the organs tissues are repairing themselves. Therefore, every time you don’t get good quality sleep, the renewal process is interrupted, resulting in damage to the kidneys and other organs.
9. Drinking inadequate water
Not dinking enough water can severely harm the kidneys. When the body lacks of water, the blood is more concentrated and there’s less blood flow to the kidneys, which results in impaired kidney function and accumulation of toxins n the body. The recommended daily amount of water is 10-12 glasses. Drinking this amount will keep your body hydrated and your kidneys healthy.
10. Delaying the Urge to Urinate
Not emptying the bladder on time can cause serious kidney damage due to the fact that the urine will stay in the bladder for a longer period of time, which will raise the bacteria in the urine, resulting in kidney or urinary tract infection.
Source: healthyfoodteam
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