Kidney Disease- Tips to prevent

Here are 5 tips from the National Kidney Foundation of USA to help prevent kidney disease and manage the risk factors.

1. Step on the Scale: Maintaining a healthy weight is important for ones kidneys. When someone is obese, the kidneys have to work harder to filter out toxins and to meet the metabolic demands of the increased body mass index (BMI). This is called hyperfiltration and increases the risk of developing kidney disease. Obesity also increases the chance of developing diabetes and high blood pressure, the major risk factors for kidney disease. Losing weight can help reduce this risk. Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly is an important element of kidney disease prevention. 

2. Mind your Meds: Many medications are filtered by the kidneys.When kidneys aren't working properly, this filtration doesnot take place correctly, hence, medications can build up and cause harm. It's important to get kidneys checked up and to work with a Doctor to make any adjustments to ones medication regimen such as dosing change or substitutions. This will help prevent any negative effects from the medication, including further damage. 

3. Control the counts:  Maintaining healthy blood sugar and blood pressure levels is crucial, here. Reduced salt intake and not consuming foods with high salt levels, keeping a watch on sugar consumption is important. People with kidney failure are three times more prone to heart disease. 

4. Commitments: If a person has the habit of smoking, consuming foods with more salt or sugar, its important for that person to quit the habits and commit without fail is extremely important. once they decide to quit these habits, the body slowly gets used to getting better, at this stage if the person shifts to following these habits again, the body falls into a shock and it gets difficult to control the affect as the kidney are already affected and medications may not work well. 

4. Cautions noticed: Medications that help one get relief from pains and aches can harm the kidneys. Every medicine comes with a caution, one has to read those carefully and then proceed to take the medication if that doesnot relate to causing kidney risks. Consulting the Doctors on what medications one should avoid totally is one major step is staying away from these diseases.