Habits that destroy your kidneys and foods to avoid eating in excess
The kidneys are typically recognized as one of the most important organs in the human body. The kidneys and liver, which look like two beans, filter blood and eliminate waste products. They wrap around the back and sides of the spine. When the kidneys have finished filtering out the toxic compounds, they are sent to the bladder.
On the other side, renal failure or injury occurs when the kidneys are damaged or impaired to the point where they cannot filter the blood effectively enough to clear waste from the body, leading to an unhealthy accumulation of waste in the body. Healthline’s Kimberly Holland and the other writers say that the kidneys’ ability to filter the blood and eliminate toxins can be affected by a number of external factors. Glomerular filtration rate is a measure of this capacity (GFR).
There are many causes of this illness, including acute and chronic diseases, toxic exposure to environmental pollutants or certain medicines, severe dehydration, renal injury, and insufficient blood supply to the kidneys. When the kidneys aren’t doing their job, the body fills up on toxic waste, which is thought to lead to renal failure. Getting treatment for this problem as soon as possible is crucial since it can be fatal if left untreated for too long.
When kidney function begins to decline, it is not uncommon for there to be no or very few warning signals. However, if they do appear, some of the warning signs to look out for are a decrease in the amount of urine passed, swelling in the limbs as a result of fluid retention, and shortness of breath. In addition to these, you may also experience: confusion, extreme drowsiness or fatigue, persistent nausea, chest pain or pressure, coma, seizures, and unusual drowsiness or fatigue.
According to the Healthline Editorial Team, two probable causes of kidney failure include inadequate blood flow to the kidneys and rapid loss of blood supply to the kidneys. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including a heart attack, heart disease, high blood pressure medication, liver scarring or failure, severe burns, dehydration, and allergic reactions. Severe burns are another condition that can cause this symptom. However, there are additional lifestyle variables that can contribute to renal failure.
Sadly, many people persist in engaging in activities and routines that, in the long run, can lead to renal failure. The following are examples of lifestyle factors that should be considered by anyone:
1. The consistent use of drugs that are known to be harmful to the kidneys
It’s recommended that people only use medicines that have been approved by their own doctors. However, a sizable percentage of customers buy certain prescriptions without first consulting their personal doctors. Over the course of a lifetime, it is not uncommon for people to experience negative effects on their kidneys from using OTC pain medications and other pharmaceuticals.
2. A lack of engagement in physically active pursuits
A sedentary lifestyle, often known as a stagnated lifestyle, is harmful to one’s health in many ways. Your kidneys would take a major hit if you gained weight as a result. One of the ways it might affect your health is this. Renal function can be negatively affected in the long run by being overweight, which is one of the biggest risk factors for kidney failure, and not being physically active regularly. According to Healthline, being overweight is a major contributor to the development of renal disease.
3. Smoking
Due to the various negative health outcomes associated with smoking, it is often stated that smokers have a shorter life expectancy. One possible justification for this stress is that. The risks to your health from smoking are numerous, and include cancers of the lungs and liver as well as damage to other organs. A further consequence is an elevated threat of acquiring lung cancer. To protect your kidneys from the harmful effects of smoking, it’s recommended to cut down or quit altogether if you’re a smoker.
4. Drinking an excessive amount of alcohol
It’s possible that you’ll feel better overall if you cut back on your alcohol consumption to below the recommended daily maximums of one drink for women and two for men. However, excessive alcohol use might damage your kidneys. Heavy drinkers’ kidneys have to work harder to filter blood because alcohol impairs kidney function, reports the Kidney Foundation. Heavy drinkers put more stress on their kidneys as a result.
5. Diet
A person’s diet has direct and indirect effects on the health and proper functioning of the body’s organs. Due to the fact that an excessive intake of particular foods has been linked to an increased risk of developing renal disease, it is recommended that those foods be closely monitored and, if at all possible, avoided.
The Kidney Foundation suggests limiting your intake of the following foods:
Primarily, sugary and fatty foods
Due to the correlation between consuming a lot of sugary foods and gaining excess weight, it’s crucial to monitor your sugar intake carefully. Many popular breakfast cereals, baked goods, candies, and sugary drinks fall under this category.
2. food that has been processed
Consuming processed meals on a regular basis might be detrimental to your kidney health because of the excess salt and phosphorus they contain. Pizza, lunch meat, instant noodles, and other processed foods should be eaten in moderation.
3. Foods high in salt
High salt intake is harmful to the kidneys because it raises blood pressure, which in turn increases the workload of the organs responsible for filtering blood. It’s recommended to cut back on salt and avoid processed meats like hot dogs, sausage, and canned meat.
