Articles on Kidneys

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https://www.lifelinescreening.com/health-education/diet-and-nutrition/cleaning-up-your-kidneys?sourcecd=WNAT003

Odour perception in chronic renal disease

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9351071/

A healthy kidney (left) eliminates waste from the blood and maintains the body’s normal chemical balance. Fluid-filled sacs (right), called cysts, characterize polycystic kidney disease.

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder that causes many fluid-filled cysts to grow in your kidneys. Unlike the usually harmless simple kidney cysts that can form in the kidneys later in life, PKD cysts can change the shape of your kidneys, including making them much larger.

Here are 8 common habits that are silently harming your kidneys: Also Read – What Is Cervical Cancer? How Dangerous Is It For Women In India? All You Need To Know; Expert Speaks

• Going overboard with painkillers: Painkillers i.e. nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) helps you relieve the pain but it can also damage your kidneys. You should over-consume painkillers as they can directly impact your kidneys.
• Taking extra salt: Foods that are high in salt or sodium not only increase the blood pressure levels but impacts your kidneys too. You can instead add other herbs and spices which will enhance the flavour of your dish.
• Processed foods: Did you know that processed foods are high in sodium and phosphorous. You must avoid processed foods if you have kidney issues.
• Not drinking enough water: Staying hydrated helps you clear out toxins from your body, in fact, it also helps in avoiding kidney stones. Make sure you consume 3-4 litres of water to stay away from kidney diseases.
• Lack of Sleep: Sleep helps rejuvenate your body. Sleep is important for your overall health. According to Times of India report, kidney function is regulated by the sleep-wake cycle which helps coordinate the kidney’s workload over 24 hours.
• Extra spoon of sugar: Sugar is a silent killer and too much sugar in food can lead to diabetes, high blood pressures which can impact your kidney function.
• Smoking is injurious for your overall health: People who are regular smokers can have protein in the urine which is a sign of kidney damage, according to the TOI report.
• Alcohol: Stay away from alcohol as overdrinking can also lead to chronic kidney diseases.

Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is a leading cause of kidney disease. Smoking slows the blood flow to important organs like the kidneys and can make kidney disease worse.

Alcohol causes changes in the function of the kidneys and makes them less able to filter the blood. Alcohol also affects the ability to regulate fluid and electrolytes in the body. When alcohol dehydrates (dries out) the body, the drying effect can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.

Signs of Kidney Disease

1. You’re more tired, have less energy or are having trouble concentrating. A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to a buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired, weak and can make it hard to concentrate. Another complication of kidney disease is anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
2. You’re having trouble sleeping. When the kidneys aren’t filtering properly, toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine. This can make it difficult to sleep. There is also a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with chronic kidney disease, compared with the general population.
3. You have dry and itchy skin. Healthy kidneys do many important jobs. They remove wastes and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, help keep bones strong and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
4. You feel the need to urinate more often. If you feel the need to urinate more often, especially at night, this can be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidneys filters are damaged, it can cause an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
5. You see blood in your urine. Healthy kidneys typically keep the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine, but when the kidney’s filters have been damaged, these blood cells can start to “leak” out into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine can be indicative of tumors, kidney stones or an infection.
6. Your urine is foamy. Excessive bubbles in the urine – especially those that require you to flush several times before they go away—indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein that is found in eggs.
7. You’re experiencing persistent puffiness around your eyes. Protein in the urine is an early sign that the kidneys’ filters have been damaged, allowing protein to leak into the urine. This puffiness around your eyes can be due to the fact that your kidneys are leaking a large amount of protein in the urine, rather than keeping it in the body.
8. Your ankles and feet are swollen. Decreased kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles. Swelling in the lower extremities can also be a sign of heart disease, liver disease and chronic leg vein problems.
9. You have a poor appetite. This is a very general symptom, but a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
10. Your muscles are cramping. Electrolyte imbalances can result from impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus may contribute to muscle cramping.

Some ingredients that are claimed to cleanse the kidneys include:

1. Dandelion tea.
2. Marshmallow root.
3. Juniper.
4. Nettles.
5. Parsley.
6. Red clover.
7. Ginger.
8. Goldenrod.

How can I keep my kidneys healthy if I have diabetes?

The best way to slow or prevent diabetes-related kidney disease is to try to reach your blood glucose and blood pressure goals. Healthy lifestyle habits and taking your medicines as prescribed can help you achieve these goals and improve your health overall.

Aloe	Capsicum	Cascara
Comfrey	Dandelion	Ephedra
Horsetail	Licorice	Java Tea Leaf
Noni juice	Nettle, Stinging Nettle	Rhubarb
Parsley Root	Pennyroyal	Sassafras
Segrada	Senna	Yohimbe

https://kidneyhi.org/dietitian-blog/herbal-supplements-and-chronic-kidney-disease

HIGHLIGHTS

1. Avoid smoking, alcohol and caffeine for kidney health
2. Drink lots of water for healthy kidneys
3. Include probiotics in your diet

People with chronic kidney disease should take utmost care of what they eat and drink. Chronic kidney disease is referred to a condition which is caused by lasting damage to kidneys – that gets worse with time. Kidneys may stop working if the damage caused by chronic kidney disease is severe. This condition is known as kidney failure of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). On this World Kidney Day, we talk about some natural ways to heal kidneys and prevent kidney problems.

World Kidney Day: Following are some natural remedies to keep your kidneys healthy and prevent onset of chronic kidney disease:

1. Water: You must make the attempt of drinking lots of water every day as it helps in flushing bacteria from the body. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water every day can promote healthy kidneys.

RELATED STORIES

Weight Fluctuations May Increase Health Risks In Adults With Kidney Disease

According to the study published in the journal ‘JASN’, weight fluctuations or body mass index variability can lead to higher risks of cardiovascular-related problems and early death in adults with chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Metabolic Syndrome Linked To Cardiovascular Problems In Adults With Kidney Disease: Study

A recent study found high prevalence of metabolic syndrome in adults with moderate chronic kidney disease.

2. Avoid alcohol, coffee: Sedentary lifestyle is the primary culprit behind poor functioning of kidneys. The main function of kidneys is to filter out harmful toxins and alcohol and caffeine require extra from the kidneys.

Avoid alcohol intake to keep your kidneys healthy
Photo Credit: iStock

Also read: 5 Effective Ways To Remove Kidney Stones Without Surgery

3. Vitamin C: Vitamin C works as a powerful antioxidant that protects tissues in the body with oxidative stress. This promoted better kidney health. Foods rich in vitamin c include citrus fruits, bell peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, broccoli and sprouts to name a few.

4. Parsley juice: This nutrient-dense juice can be great for your kidneys. It can increase frequency of urination, thereby helping kidneys to flush out toxins effectively.

Also read: Yet Another Reason To Avoid Sugar-Sweetened Beverages! It Could Lead To Kidney Disease

5. Cranberry juice: Cranberry juice can do wonders to your kidney health. It is also an effective remedy for urinary tract infections.

6. Apples: High-acid content in apples helps kidneys to maintain acidity in urine, thus preventing growth of further bacteria. Anti-inflammatory properties in apples help the kidneys heal effectively after kidney infection.

Also read: 6 Kidney-Friendly You Must Include In Your Diet

7. Probiotics: Probiotics provide the body with healthy bacteria. Studies have shown that probiotics can help kidneys process waste materials from the body more effectively.

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Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney

https://www.bostonkidney.com/2019/04/12/hypertension-induced-kidney-disease/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/polycystic-kidney-disease/multimedia/normal-and-polycystic-kidneys/img-20006896

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/polycystic-kidney-disease/what-is-pkd

https://www.kidney.org/news/ekidney/august14/10_Signs_You_May_Have_Kidney_Disease

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/diabetic-kidney-disease

https://kidneyhi.org/dietitian-blog/herbal-supplements-and-chronic-kidney-disease

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/diabetic-kidney-disease

https://www.india.com/health/8-habits-that-are-silently-damaging-your-kidneys-5053872/

https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/smoking#

https://www.kidney.org/news/kidneyCare/winter10/AlcoholAffects#

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