7 Ways to Maintain Kidney Health
The kidneys are one of several vital organs in the body that function as a system of excretion in humans so it is very important for you to know how to maintain kidney health properly.Inside the body there is a pair of kidneys located in the area near the waist. The length of one human kidney is around 10 cm and the weight range is more than 200 grams. The kidneys play an important role in the survival of humans, so do not neglect how to treat the right kidney.
Maintaining Kidney Health
The role of this organ is to regulate acid-base balance, regulate blood pressure, stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells, help maintain calcium for bones. So much the role of the kidneys for the body, you should maintain kidney health. Here are ways to maintain kidney health that you should know, including:
- Adjust diet
How to maintain the health of this kidney is a powerful way you can try. Choose foods like fruits, vegetables grown with no chemical fertilizers (organic) and stay away from processed foods, reduce excess salt consumption, and consume fish or white meat without fat.
Keep in mind, consuming too much salty food can disrupt the balance of minerals in the blood. In the end, this can aggravate the work of the kidneys and interfere with the function of the kidney. Too much salt can make a person feel thirsty faster and also bloated.
The discharge of urine that is less than usual can also be caused by high levels of salt consumed. Therefore, so that healthy kidneys replace processed foods that contain high salt with healthier foods such as lean meat and nuts.
- Actively moving
Maintaining kidney health can be done in the easiest way, namely regular physical activity. You have to be active and don’t be lazy, because your health can be maintained just by getting used to moving your body. How to maintain kidney health can be done with regular exercise at least 20 minutes a day. This habit will keep your kidneys healthy, work optimally, and avoid the risk of kidney disease.
- Maintain weight
The next way to maintain kidney health is to maintain an ideal body weight. In addition to affecting the emotional state, excessive weight (especially obesity) is not very good for health because the organs of the body will work harder, including the kidneys which over time will make it weak performance.
Therefore, maintaining kidney health can be done by maintaining an ideal body weight. Calculating ideal body weight can be done using the following tools.
- Avoid consumption of alcohol and cigarettes
Another way to maintain kidney health is to avoid smoking and consuming alcohol, because both can cause damage to the lungs and kidneys. Therefore, how to treat the kidneys that must be done is to reduce alcohol consumption and not smoking.
- Control blood pressure
Kidney disease can be triggered from high blood pressure. A study revealed that 35% of kidney disease is caused by high blood pressure. When the power of blood flow is high, blood vessels stretch so that blood flows more easily. However, this stretch leaves scars and weakens blood vessels throughout the body, including the kidneys.
To prevent pressure and to keep your kidneys healthy, you can choose foods that are high in potassium which can help maintain stable blood pressure. You can find potassium in avocados, potatoes, bananas, milk, and fish.
- Drink enough water
Drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. This is very good for maintaining and caring for your kidney health. Filling water is one way to maintain kidney health. If adequate fluid intake in the body, the flow to the kidneys will also be good. If there is a decrease in blood flow to the kidneys, over time it can make deterioration in kidney function.
Also, if you are sick, try not to get dehydrated, because dehydration can make your kidneys work harder. With sufficient body fluids, you can also avoid urinary tract infections. Urinary tract infections generally occur due to bacteria. If this infection is not treated, the bacteria that causes the infection can move up and infect the kidneys, causing kidney function to be disrupted.
The easiest way to prevent urinary tract infections is to drink at least 8 glasses of water every day and maintain urinary hygiene. Keep in mind, for healthy people, increasing drinking water is good for health. However, this does not apply to patients with chronic kidney. They have to maintain water intake in their bodies because their kidneys are not functioning normally.
When getting a lot of water, the kidneys are forced to work harder to regulate the water requirements in the body. Water that is not released into urine will then accumulate in the body. Therefore, doctors usually limit water intake according to the condition of the patient’s body so as not to worsen the kidney condition.
- Avoid some drugs and supplements
How to maintain the health of other kidneys that must be considered is to reduce certain medications. Try not to take some antibiotics and pain medications. Both of these drugs have the risk of damaging the kidneys. In addition, general non-prescription pill drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen (NSAIDs) can cause kidney damage if taken too regularly for long periods of time.
Also be aware of the use of supplements and herbal medicines. Excessive consumption of some herbal extracts and certain vitamin supplements can be dangerous for your kidneys. Before taking the drug or supplement, you should consult about using the drug with a specialist first.
It should be a concern, as we get older almost all organs of the body will experience a decrease in function, as well as in the kidneys. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with you applying ways to maintain kidney health as explained above in everyday life.
Summary
Kidneys are vital organs that are very important for the life of a human being. Without a kidney, the work system of the human body will be disrupted. Because the kidneys function to regulate acid-base balance, regulation of blood pressure, stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells, helps maintain calcium for bones.
If our kidneys are disrupted, we will not be able to repair them as before. Even if it’s broken, we have to do a treatment that requires a high cost.
Therefore, we must maintain this kidney’s health well. We can do various ways to maintain kidney health including maintaining diet, maintaining weight, controlling blood pressure, drinking enough water, not consuming alcoholic beverages, avoiding smoking, and consuming less drugs.
The methods above will be very easy to apply if we have strong intentions to maintain the health of our kidneys. Keep in mind, for healthy people, increasing drinking water is good for health. However, this does not apply to patients with chronic kidney. They have to maintain water intake in their bodies because their kidneys are not functioning normally.
When getting a lot of water, the kidneys are forced to work harder to regulate the water requirements in the body. Water that is not released into urine will then accumulate in the body. Therefore, doctors usually limit water intake according to the condition of the patient’s body so as not to worsen the kidney condition.
