Kidney disease is a serious condition that can affect your heart , bones , immune system and the brain. It can also lead to kidney failure which requires dialysis or a transplant to survive. But mostly some of our daily habits that we do everyday without thinking, damages our kidney without knowing of it. In this, I will reveal 5 daily habits that can damage your kidneys and how to prevent it from happening.
Table of Contents
1. Taking Too Many Painkillers
A lot of people use over-the-counter pain killers like NSAIDs (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) to ease their pain. But these drugs can damage your kidneys especially when you take them always or in higher doses.
What to do to protect the kidneys from painkillers. Use them as little as possible and don’t go over the recommended dose. If your experience pain , visit the doctor for further assistance.
2. Eating Too Much Salt
Salt is essential for the body because it helps to maintain fluid balance, nerve and muscle function. Too much of it can detriment your kidneys because salt has sodium which can raise blood pressure. The amount of salt to take everyday is one teaspoon.
Preventative measure
Eat more fruit and vegetables. Read nutrition labels carefully when purchasing packages foodstuffs.
3. Ignoring Urination Urges
Do you ever hold your pee when you are busy or don’t have a washroom nearby? If you do you are putting your kidneys at risk. When you ignore your urination urges, you are letting urine stay longer in your bladder, which can make bacteria grow and lead to urinary track infections(UTIs).
UTIs can be painful and annoying and if you don’t treat them they can spread to your kidneys and cause serious damage.
You can prevent it by, listening to your body and visit the washroom when need be. Don’t hold your pee for more than 4 hours and Tey to empty your bladder completely every time you pee.
4. Not Getting Enough Sleep
Sleep is essential for health and well-being. But sleep also affect your kidney health. Kidneys follow a circadian rhythm (or a natural 24-hours cycle) that regulates their function and activity. When you sleep, the kidneys reduce their workload and rest. When you wake up the kidneys resume their normal function and filter more blood. This cycle helps the kidneys maintain their efficiency and balance. But when you don’t get enough sleep, your circadian rhythm is disrupted, and your kidneys can’t perform work properly.
According to a study published in a journal of the American Society of Nephrology ; people who slept less than 5 hours per- night had a 65% higher risk of developing kidney disease than those who slept 7-8 hours per-night. Another study shows people who slept more than 7 hours per-night, also had a higher risk of kidney diseases.
Both too little and too much sleep can be harmful. Follow regular sleep schedule to improve your sleep. Avoid cafein, nicotine and heavy meals before bed. Limit screen time and exposure to bright light at night.
5. Eating lots of meat
Protein is a very good nutrient for the body, but too much animal protein can be bad for the kidneys. Animal protein make a lot of acid in the blood that can hit the kidneys and cause acidosis, which is a condition where kidneys can’t get rid of acid fast enough which can lead to kidney stones or chronic kidney disease. The dietary reference intake (DRI) for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per-day for adults. That means an average person weighs 70 kilograms (154 pound) needs about 56 grams of protein per-day but can change base on your age, health status and personal preferences.
Eat more plant- based sources of protein in your diet example beans, lentils, nuts and quinoa. They are good for the body.
