World Kidney Day: Here’s How You Can Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

A kidney is an essential organ of the body. It does the work of filtration and removes toxins and excess water from the blood. Kidneys also regulate the blood pressure, Potassium, Sodium, salt, etc. in the body. It even helps in the formation of vitamin D and produces red blood cells. Thus, it is crucial to maintain Kidney health. Dr Atul Ingale, Consultant-Nephrologist, Transplant Physician and Director-Dept. of Nephrology, Fortis Hiranandani Hospital, Vashi suggests a few steps that can be taken to maintain a healthy Kidney function.

Following A Healthy Diet And Exercising Regularly:

Healthy diet consisting of fiber, leafy vegetables, fruits, protein, less – fat, sugar, red meats, etc. should be consumed. Consumption of healthy food can help lower blood pressure, reduce fat in the blood, and help avoid Kidney damage. Along with a nutritious diet, it is essential to workout or at least include movements in day-to-day life. One can opt for heavy workouts or light workouts like walking, running, dancing yoga, etc. Exercising can benefit the overall body by maintaining blood pressure, and cholesterol, building endurance, and strength, and can even prevent one from getting the disease of Heart, Kidneys, avoiding Obesity, Hypertension, etc.

Manage Blood Sugar And Control Blood Pressure:

People who have high blood sugar, that is, those suffering from Diabetes, have a high chance that their Kidneys may get damaged. This happens as the organ is exerted over the years to constantly manage the sugar level in the blood, which fluctuates as the cells of diabetics can’t use the glucose in the blood. This can be prevented by managing blood sugar levels. Other factors that can impact one’s blood sugar are stress, hormonal changes, and other diseases.

High blood pressure can lead to Kidney damage. If high blood pressure occurs with other diseases like Diabetes, heart problems, etc. The impact on the body can be significant. In consultation with a doctor, one should take medications to control blood pressure.

Also read: World Kidney Day: 5 Diet Myths For Kidney Diseases BUSTED – Check Expert’s Suggestions

Avoid Self-Medicating:

It is not advisable to take any kind of medication without consulting with your doctors, as high amounts of any drugs have a bad impact on the body. This is especially seen with the consumption of pain medications. Long-term use of medicines, and consumption in high doses, have an impact on the blood flow to the Kidneys, which reduces, thus causing harm to the tissues of the organ.

Along with the above steps, one should also go for regular checkups of the Kidney function. Preventive care and taking precautions are the best measures to maintain healthy Kidneys.