Beware! 6 Silent Kidney-Killers
Still in the spirit of World Kidney Day, we are sharing the importance of the kidneys.
Kidneys are vital organs in the body that filter the blood, help in passing waste as urine, release hormones that regulate blood pressure and balance the body’s fluid.
However, there are a number of our daily activities that’s harmful to our kidneys.
Some of them are:
- Eating too much salt. Having a high intake of sodium increase your blood pressure and, in turn, harm your kidneys. Avoid eating too much salt or over seasoned food. You could also opt for other natural spices that give flavour to your food.
- Overusing painkillers. Painkillers such as NSAIDs and analgesic may be useful in reliving pain, but prolong indiscriminate use of these painkillers can harm your kidneys. Avoid using painkillers indiscriminately.
- Not drinking enough water. Drinking adequate amount of water helps your kidneys clear sodium and toxins from the body better. It also helps in prevention of kidneys stones. Try to stay well hydrated.
- Eating too much sugar. This increases your risk of developing a high blood pressure and diabetes, which can affect your kidneys functions. Avoid eating foods high in sugar. Remember that because it is not ‘sweet’ does not mean that the food does not contain high amount of sugar.
- Excessive alcohol intake. Heavy alcohol intake has been found to increase the risk of kidney diseases in people. If you must drink at all, do not do so in excess.
- Not getting enough sleep. Sleep helps to keep the body rejuvenated. Not getting enough sleep can affect the kidneys function negatively as the kidney’s workload during the day gets to be regulated in our sleep. Try to get more sleep daily.
