What are the top threats to kidney health? Do you know about that? Learn about the key risk factors for your kidney health and how to protect your kidneys.
Are you aware that your body has a very effective cleaning mechanism that runs continuously? This incredible technology is powered by your heartbeat and is designed to assist in cleansing your blood volume numerous times daily. Your kidneys filter out harmful substances from your blood and provide precise regulation of your body’s chemical balance, including water, salt, and other electrolytes.
In most cases, both kidneys are fully functional at birth. Maintaining a state of optimal kidney health is critical for the duration of your life. Understanding the role of the kidneys and the factors that might damage them is crucial for this reason. Knowledge is power, according to Lompoc Valley Medical Center. If you want to know what the top seven things are that might harm your kidneys, you should read this primer.
The kidneys’ function is how?
Both of your kidneys are around the size of a fist. Under your rib cage, they rest in the recesses of your abdomen. A network of tiny tubes and channels inside the kidneys, each with its own unique gradient and cleaning function, redirects blood from the renal arteries as it passes to the kidneys. Your blood is reintroduced to your circulation via the renal vein after passing through the kidneys. The kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood and removing waste and extra water. The ureters are lengthy tubes that go to the bladder.
Depending on your specific requirements, your kidneys are fine-tuned to retain certain substances and excrete others. The kidneys may retain somewhat more water and secrete slightly more salt than usual, for instance, after consuming a very salty fast food meal. Because blood pressure is directly proportional to the amount of fluid in the body, the kidneys control blood pressure by doing this intricate calculation.
Kidney function extends beyond blood filtering and urine production. Additionally, they are excellent at more than one thing. A person’s bone density and red blood cell production are both affected by hormones produced by the kidneys.
For what reasons do your kidneys rejoice?
Your kidneys are constantly pumping blood to keep the concentration of different substances in your blood at a consistent, healthy level. Maintaining healthy kidney function requires moderation and avoiding excess. This includes not drinking too much or too little water and not eating foods that are too sweet or salty. Additionally, it is of the utmost importance that you observe a healthy level of blood pressure.
Seven Major Threats to Kidney Health
Chronically or for an extended period of time, not maintaining a healthy blood sugar or blood pressure level, or any other health-related recommendation, may harm your kidneys and put your health at risk. Continue reading to find out what the seven biggest risks are to your kidneys.
Threats No. 1: Not Getting Enough Water
Do you know of any cases when someone’s kidneys failed due to severe illness or dehydration? Your kidneys are quite adaptable and may adjust their filtration rate in response to your body’s changing demands. Running a marathon in arid conditions sends a message to the kidneys that they need to save water and reduce urine production.
The kidneys can only increase water retention to a certain extent, however. If your kidneys aren’t getting adequate blood volume, or perfusion, they will eventually cease filtering effectively. The accumulation of waste materials in the blood and kidneys, brought on by this acute dehydration, may lead to harm.
Mild dehydration, if experienced often enough, may cause kidney damage, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Keep an eye on the color of your urine to make sure you’re receiving enough fluid to keep your kidneys healthy. A little yellowish hue should characterize your pee. If it becomes a dark yellow or another hue, it might be a sign that you should increase your water intake (but before you make any drastic changes to your routine, see your doctor).
Threats No. 2: Excessive Salt Use
An increase in the kidneys’ inability to excrete excess water via urine is a direct result of a salt-heavy diet. Holding onto water nevertheless raises blood volume, which could lead to hypertension. The delicate tissues responsible for filtering blood might be damaged when blood pressure is excessive and forcesfully reaches the kidneys. The National Kidney Foundation suggests enhancing taste with spices rather than salt.
Threats No. 3: Cigarette Smoking
You probably already know that smoking is bad for your heart and lungs if you’re a smoker. Having said that, you should also be aware that smoking negatively impacts your kidney health. The kidneys are vulnerable to the harmful effects of smoking because it reduces blood supply to them. Another way smoking harms your kidneys is by raising your blood pressure or interfering with any blood pressure medication you may be taking.
Threats No. 4: Hypertension
The second leading hazard to kidney health after excessive blood sugar is high blood pressure. The constriction of blood vessels is one of the side effects of hypertension. When these alterations take place within the kidneys, blood flow is impaired, and the kidneys are unable to filter out enough fluid and waste because of it.
As a result, your blood pressure may rise even higher when the extra fluid that your kidneys process makes its way back into your circulation, forming a vicious cycle. The kidneys play a role in maintaining a healthy blood pressure level, but they will gradually lose their ability to do so as the cumulative damage from hypertension increases.
Threats No. 5: Hyperglycemia
When it comes to kidney health, excessive blood sugar is number one. The fragile blood artery systems of the kidneys are damaged when the body has to handle extra sugar molecules, as happens in diabetes, a disorder characterized by persistently high blood sugar. When blood sugar levels are too high, it may harm both the kidneys’ blood vessels and the bladder’s nerve cells.
Damage to the bladder’s nerves may make it difficult, if not impossible, to detect when your bladder is full and requires emptying. Kidney injury may occur when urine flows backwards from the bladder to the ureters and then back to the kidneys. There might be a domino effect on your health when your kidneys cease working correctly.
Threats No. 6: Some drugs
Any drug or chemical that is known to be toxic to the kidneys has a particular designation. “Nephrotoxic” describes it. Some of the most popular OTC pain relievers, when used incorrectly, may be nephrotoxic, which is an interesting fact about the kind of pharmaceuticals that are deemed nephrotoxic.
Kidney damage may occur by taking these medications, which are called NSAIDs, without the proper quantity of food or drink or at greater or more frequent doses than prescribed. Common nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) consist of aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen.
The National Kidney Foundation lists many additional pharmaceuticals and substances as “nephrotoxic,” including some antibiotics, laxatives, imaging contrast dyes (like CT scans), illicit narcotics, and excessive alcohol use.
You should not be discouraged from using a drug just because it is nephrotoxic. If you have renal disease or any other medical condition, it is very important that you take all drugs exactly as prescribed and that you see your doctor before adding any new chemicals to your prescription regimen.
Threats No. 7: Trauma
You don’t have much to say about this last danger to your kidneys. Having gained a better understanding of the kidneys and their functions, it is easy to see how trauma might harm your kidneys. Extremely low blood pressure may occur after a traumatic event, such as a vehicle accident, that causes internal bleeding.
Kidney damage or failure may result from this low blood pressure, which is brought on by a lower-than-normal circulation of blood in the body. On the other hand, trauma teams are pros at regulating blood pressure to keep your kidneys and every other organ working properly.
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What you need to know to keep your kidneys healthy
Because they do not experience any symptoms, many individuals with early kidney impairment are oblivious to their illness. There are no outward symptoms of kidney impairment when it is in its early stages.
For this reason, it is essential to maintain regular doctor’s appointments so that you may be screened for kidney disease and other health issues. The need of regular kidney screenings by a healthcare provider is amplified if you have a history of chronic renal disease, diabetes, or high blood pressure, all of which may damage kidney function.
Lompoc Health’s internal medicine and family medicine doctors are tops when it comes to disease prevention. If you want to maintain healthy kidneys, they may help you stay on track. Get in touch with us now to schedule an appointment or get more information on how to safeguard your kidney health.
