Dr. Chandrashekar.B.V.

Steps for maintaining a healthy kidney

Kidney performs the central role in a human body. It is as important as heart or lungs. Many organs of the body are dependent on kidney to function healthily. Kidney removes toxic waste and excessive fluid from blood. 

Primary risk for kidney disease includes factors like high diabetes, high blood pressure, family history, heart disease etc. Obesity; autoimmune diseases; urinary tract infections and systemic infections are the secondary risks. 

Kidney damage occurs in stages and in most of the cases, body does not show any kind of symptom till kidney is damaged up to 90%.

Steps for maintaining a healthy kidney
1. Keep a control on the blood pressure and take every preventive measures against its increased level.
2. For people suffering from diabetes, have a control on your glucose level.
3. Keep the cholesterol level in the appropriate range.
4. If on medications, take the prescriptions on time.
5. If you have a high salt intake, cut-off the intake and aim for less than 1, 500 milligram sodium per day.
6. Maintain a healthy fluid intake
7. Eat healthily and keep your weight in check.
8. Have a limit on your alcohol intake
9. Exercise should be a compulsory part of daily routine
10. For those who are overweight; need to work on reducing the weight
11. Smokers need to quit it slowly and gradually as smoking would led to serious kidney damages
12. Do not take over-the-counter pills on a regular basis.
13. Check your kidney function if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors consult your doctor.