My wife, a pharmacist, told me yesterday about a few overlooked daily habits that are capable of disturbing our body organ, most especially kidneys. Infact, I was shocked. After she narrated the serious workload our kidneys go through daily to filter those things you and I eat and I am encouraged to write this because I perfectly know someone out there will be encouraged.
8 Daily Habits That Are Distroying Kidneys Fast
Your Kidneys - Vital Organs and Their Functions
Your kidneys are vital organs that filter your blood and remove waste products from your body. They also help regulate your blood pressure, balance your electrolytes, and produce hormones.
However, many people unknowingly damage their kidneys with some everyday habits that can have serious consequences. So, here are eight everyday habits that will destroy your kidneys if you don't change them
1. Getting Too Little Sleep
It turns out that your kidneys have their own internal clock that synchronizes with your circadian rhythm, which is the natural 24-hour cycle of light and dark that regulates your body's functions. When you sleep, your kidneys slow down their activity and conserve energy. They also produce less urine, which helps prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. When you wake up, your kidneys increase their activity and produce more urine, which helps flush out toxins and waste from your body. This cycle helps maintain a healthy balance of fluids and chemicals in your body. However, when you don't get enough sleep or have poor quality sleep, your circadian rhythm and melatonin production get disrupted. This can affect the ability of your kidneys to adjust their activity and function properly. As a result, your kidneys may become overworked, leading to inflammation, oxidative stress, impaired filtration, and other problems. Over time, this can damage your kidney tissues and cause them to lose their function. According to some recent studies, people who sleep less than seven hours per night are more likely to experience a rapid decline in their kidney function over time
However, when you don't get enough sleep or have poor quality sleep, your circadian rhythm and melatonin production get disrupted. This can affect the ability of your kidneys to adjust their activity and function properly.
2. Eating Too Much Salt
Salt can raise your blood pressure, which can damage your kidneys over time. Salt also makes your kidneys retain more water and work harder to eliminate it. This can lead to swelling, kidney stones, and kidney failure. So, try to limit your salt intake to no more than 2,300 milligrams a day or less if you have high blood pressure or kidney problems. Also, avoid processed foods, fast foods, and canned foods that are high in sodium, and use herbs and spices instead of salt to flavor your meals.
3. Not Drinking Enough Water
Water is essential for your kidneys to function properly. It helps them flush out toxins and prevent kidney stones. If you don't drink enough water, you may become dehydrated and increase your risk of kidney infections and chronic kidney disease. So, aim for at least eight glasses of water a day or more if you exercise or sweat a lot.
4. Smoking Cigarettes
Smoking is bad for your health in many ways, but it is especially bad for your kidneys. Smoking narrows your blood vessels and reduces blood flow to your kidneys
Smoking is bad for your health in many ways, but it is especially bad for your kidneys. Smoking narrows your blood vessels and reduces blood flow to your kidneys. This can impair their ability to filter your blood and increase your risk of kidney cancer. Smoking also increases your blood pressure and damages your lungs, which can affect your kidney function. Quitting smoking is one of the best things you can do for your kidneys and your overall health.
5. Drinking Too Much Alcohol
Alcohol is a diuretic that makes you urinate more and dehydrates you. This can cause your kidneys to lose water and electrolytes, which can lead to kidney damage and kidney stones. Alcohol also interferes with your liver's ability to detoxify your blood, which puts more strain on your kidneys. Drinking too much alcohol can also cause high blood pressure, liver disease, and heart disease, which can all harm your kidneys. So, limit your alcohol intake to no more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men.
6 Taking Too Many Painkillers
Honestly, in Lagos, Nigeria where I reside, I see this every day and everywhere, where people purchase over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen to relieve headaches, muscle aches, and inflammation. But most don't know that these drugs also harm your kidneys if you take them too often or in high doses. These drugs can reduce blood flow to your kidneys and cause inflammation and bleeding in the kidney tissue. They can also interact with other medications and supplements that may affect your kidney function. So, if you need to take painkillers regularly, consult with your doctor about the safest dose and duration for you.
7. Not Getting Enough Exercise
During our conversation, she said, regular exercise can help improve kidney function by increasing blood flow to the kidneys and helping to regulate blood pressure
I knew about exercise and how being consistent in doing it can be so beneficial to our well-being. But the issue is that because of work, office, etc., exercising daily became tedious to some of us. During our conversation, she said, regular exercise can help improve kidney function by increasing blood flow to the kidneys and helping to regulate blood pressure. Exercise can also help improve insulin sensitivity, which can reduce the risk of developing diabetes, a leading cause of kidney disease. She said many studies have found that people with a sedentary lifestyle have a higher risk of developing kidney diseases than those who exercise regularly.
8. Ignoring the Signs of Kidney Problems
Many people don't realize they have kidney problems until they become serious and irreversible. Some of the signs of kidney problems include changes in urine color or frequency, swelling in the legs or feet, fatigue, nausea, itching, back pain, and high blood pressure. Early detection and treatment can prevent further damage to your kidneys. She also said, if you notice any of these symptoms, don't ignore them; see your doctor as soon as possible because kidney kills silently.
Please note: I put all this together with the help of my wife (A pharmacist); I am not a doctor in any way and decided to write do this because i am aware of how ignarant some of us could be in this aspect and really wanna help someone out there