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The kidneys, which are two bean-shaped organs located at the bottom of your rib cage, perform many important functions in the body. Aside from filtering out excess water and impurities in the blood, they also regulate the pH, salt, and potassium levels in the body and produce hormones that control the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body.
Kidneys also help in the production of vitamin D that adsorb calcium used for building bones and regulating muscle function. Keeping the kidneys healthy allows the body to properly expel waste.
Due to worsening lifestyle habits, our kidneys get affected, leading to risk factors for acute kidney injury (AKI), which if left unchecked could lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney failure. According to Dr. Mohit Khirbat, Consultant, Nephrology, CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, understanding what causes kidney failure is essential before learning how to keep the kidneys healthy.
Why do our kidneys fail? “The most common cause is diabetes, which forms 50 per cent of the cases. The remaining 20-25% of cases are caused by hypertension. Other conditions like kidney stones, urinary tract infections (UTI), and inflammatory disorders are also common causes. “The most important thing you can do to keep your kidneys healthy is to have regular check-ups,” Dr. Mohit Khirbat advises.
“Make sure you keep it under control,” Dr. Khirbat advised diabetics. “If someone becomes diabetic, there’s a good chance that in 10-15 years, you might suffer from kidney failure,” he added.
Further, he added that a low-salt diet is important for the kidneys. “It doesn’t matter whether you have hypertension or not, a low salt diet will keep your kidneys healthy in the long run, said Dr Khirbat.
Maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle is important as it keeps your weight in check as well. “Obesity is also one of the leading causes of kidney disease. Don’t eat junk food as it can add to excessive weight gain and obesity causes renal dysfunction,” he said.
Avoid smoking because it has a direct impact on the kidneys. If you already have kidney dysfunction, smoking aggravates it. If you’ve had kidney stones in the past, now is the time to take action to ensure that it doesn’t happen again, according to Dr. Khirbat.
UTI is another important bodily issue that should be addressed in order to maintain healthy kidneys. “Avoid using public restrooms as this may result in UTI,” the expert advised.
Keeping yourself active and drinking lots of water every day help the kidneys to function properly and prevent future damage.
Source:IT
