Our kidneys play a vital role in taking care of our bodies. It is one of the most important organs we have when things go wrong in our bodies, and without it, many other parts of our body will fail to do their jobs. This is why we must keep our kidneys functioning at an optimal level today, so they can still healthily work in the future.
What Are Kidneys, and What Do They Do?
Our body consists of multiple organs, but one can argue that one of the most fundamental organs in our body is our kidneys. The main reason for this is that our kidneys filter all sorts of waste material from our blood, then circulate it back into our bodies. All this waste then turns into urine which is then expelled in our body.
Imagine if your kidneys have ceased to function or have struggled to function. What happens to the waste materials in your body? Well, these waste materials stay in your blood, and as they pass by through your organs, they can infect and cause harm to them. This is why it’s essential to keep your kidneys functioning in healthy ways.
Drink Plenty of Fluids
The very first thing you should do is drink plenty of fluids, mainly water. A dehydrated body requires its kidneys to function over time, and an overperforming kidney can lead to eventual organ failure in the future. Water can keep your kidneys functioning at an optimal level. Many medical professionals suggest drinking water until you have clear or yellowish urine, but this can depend mainly on your body and lifestyle.
A general seven to eight glasses per day should be enough to keep you hydrated, but if you have a bigger body structure and sweat a lot, you should increase your intake of fluids.
Beware of Over-the-counter Drugs
Over-the-counter drugs can have serious effects on your kidney, especially if you take them daily. This is because many of the ingredients coming from these drugs are filtered in your kidneys, and some can be harmful. Although your kidneys can sustain these harmful ingredients, it will eventually cause harm to your them. This is why you should limit your intake of over-the-counter drugs or any medicine in general.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
A body that maintains a healthy weight means that its kidneys aren’t performing overtime. You can maintain a healthy weight by exercising and dieting. You must stay off different bodyweight pills as these usually put more stress on your kidneys than anything else. Lose weight in a natural weight, but don’t rush in doing it either. Significant bodyweight reduction has been known to cause kidney failure, so be patient with your weight loss.
Avoid Vices in Your Life
Alcohol and smoking both have been connected to kidney failure. It can also lead to other diseases such as cancer, which has high comorbidity with kidney failure. If you want your kidneys to stay healthy, you’re going to need to take these vices out of your life.
Some people struggle with this and don’t feel shame to get some help. However, some mental health professionals can help you. They can develop a treatment plan for you that will help you stay clean once and for all.
When Do You Need Help?
Kidney failure is a common occurrence in the U.S. It’s estimated that 750,000 Americans have kidney failure every year. There is no shame in getting help if this does happen to you because sometimes it can be inevitable.
If you’re feeling sharp and throbbing pain at the lower parts of your abdomen, then it’s worth getting your kidneys checked. Unfortunately, the reality is that people will only feel their kidneys fail through the muscles near them, and most of the time, people wouldn’t even know about their kidney failure until its symptoms have shown.
If you’ve gotten to a point where you’re going to need treatment to keep your body going, you’re going to need some help. Hemodialysis is a costly venture and one of the reasons why you should avoid it. But if you need this treatment for daily function, you should get into a hospital that hires a reliable dialysis service. You can have access to government medical programs that can reduce your bills even more. Remember that you’re going to need all the help you can get until you can that kidney transplant.
Your kidneys play a vital role in your bodily functions. This is why it’s important to keep your kidneys performing optimally. You can do this by drinking plenty of fluids, avoiding taking too much medicine, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking vices off your life. When all these things fail, don’t feel shame in getting help.
