The month of March marks National Kidney Month. Not only is kidney disease a common illness among adults, it’s especially common among women. Some research has shown that the risk of chronic kidney disease is slightly greater in women than in men. In this week’s post, let’s learn a little bit more about this condition, why routine tests are important, and four daily habits you must do to reduce your risk of kidney disease.
What is Kidney Disease?
Your kidneys are vital for your body in filtering waste from your blood and controlling the amount of fluid in your body. When they’re not functioning properly, this could cause them to fail. This could lead to a possible diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. Some of the biggest risk factors of chronic kidney disease (CKD) just so happens to be diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney disease. You could also likely develop kidney disease if you become overweight.
Why Routine Tests are Important for Early Detection?
Early CKD has no signs of symptoms. So you must get yourself tested to prevent your chances of being diagnosed. The earlier you take action, the better. You should especially do this if you already have diabetes or heart disease. If you’re at risk of being diagnosed with CKD due to a family history of it, it’s best to get tested regularly. Doctors also recommend that you get tested yearly if you have diabetes.
4 Daily Habits to Reduce Kidney Disease Risk
In addition to getting tested early, there are other important factors you could do to reduce your risk.
All of these are habits you could try doing today. Here are some common daily habits you must follow to lower your risk of kidney disease.
How Exercise Improves Kidney Health
One of the most important habits you must do to reduce your risk is to exercise. Physical activity has plenty of benefits when it comes to slowing down your risk of kidney disease. For one, it controls blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and cholesterol. It also greatly keeps your cardiovascular health strong. Walking, biking, or just simply doing household chores are great ways to stay active. By doing these things, you’ll be reducing your risk of kidney disease.
Eat a Kidney-Friendly Diet
Along with exercising, you have to eat healthier. A healthy diet doesn’t only impact the health of your heart, but it impacts your kidneys as well. Having to change your eating and drinking habits for your kidney health can be a challenge. However, you could meet that challenge by cooking recipes filled with ingredients beneficial for your kidney health. Check out this website which gives you plenty of kidney-friendly recipes. It also has recipes for diagnosed patients based on the stage they’re in.
Avoid Overuse of Painkillers & Medications
Another vital habit to reduce your risk of kidney disease is to avoid overusing medications. Apparently, using too many pain medications such as ibuprofen can cause kidney disease. Using these in high doses can reduce the blood flow to the kidney, causing harm to kidney tissues. It may be best to consult with your doctor about other suitable medications that could help with kidney pain.
Drink Your Water Daily
I know that this has been mentioned quite often, but it’s very important to drink plenty of water. Many adults really take this for granted. Water is vital for our lives. However, as important as staying hydrated is, experts say that you might have to restrict the amount you’re drinking if you’re in the later stages of the disease. Talk to your physician about how you can strike a balance between exercising and staying hydrated.
Continue to Stay Proactive in Your Kidney Health
Your kidneys are a very important part of your body that needs to be taken care of. Eating right, exercising properly, drinking plenty of water, and avoiding overuse of medications can all help in keeping your kidneys healthy. During this National Kidney Month, work on staying proactive in maintaining your kidney health.
What is your health regimen for reducing your risk of kidney disease? What are your daily health habits? Feel free to share them in the comments section below. As always, be sure to like or share this post with the next person you know.
