Protect Your Kidneys with these Simple Steps
- Kidney health is not often discussed at your regular check ups. when you get routine labs, the check you need is probably buried in those numbers. But other than a quick glance often they aren’t discussed at any length. One issue is not what your numbers are now, but what were they. That can help you know if you should be thinking more about how to keep your kidneys normal. Think about these next few simple steps, and discuss them at the next visit to your primary.
- Watch salt intake.
- Keep cholesterol normal.
- Keep blood pressure normal.
- Consider protein restriction.
- Stop smoking if you smoke.
- Keep blood sugar normal.
- Get more blood flow to the kidney. There are the obvious causes of not enough blood flow to the kidney that can be reversed and these include as severe fluid restriction or severe dehydration due to vomiting or diarrhea. And there are the less obvious causes such as too much bleeding, or the use of diuretics also called water pills.
- Decrease the use of medications that have the side effect of decreasing the function or filtration rate of the kidney, this would include the common headache and joint NSAIDs such as ibuprofen. Some antihypertensive medications and antibiotics affect the kidney too.
- Making sure the kidneys are clear enough to filter urine and that they are not obstructed by conditions such as kidney stones.
