Did you know? About 15% of the people in this country suffer from chronic kidney disease at various levels. Most of them are not aware of the disease because there are no symptoms at an early stage. Unhealthy lifestyle practices are among the causes of kidney damage.
That is why many people have to be aware of some of their daily activities that could give negative consequences on their kidneys.
These are 10 daily activities that could put your kidney at risk:
1) Drink Less Water
Dehydration can cause a build-up of wastes and acids in the body, and it can clog the kidneys with muscle proteins that are called myoglobin. All these things can hurt the kidneys.
2) Excessive Intake Of Salt
A high salt diet will alter this sodium balance, causing the kidneys to have reduced function and remove less water resulting in higher blood pressure. This puts a strain on the kidneys and can lead to kidney disease.
3) Excessive Intake Of Sugar
Once the blood sugar level gets high, the kidneys start to spill sugar into the urine. The higher the blood sugar, the more sugar comes out in the urine. If your kidneys are normal, this usually isn’t a problem, but if you have diabetes, too much sugar can cause kidney damage.
4) Holding Your Urine
Holding your urine for extremely long periods of time can also cause urinary tract infections due to bacteria build-up. In addition, it can increase your risk of kidney disease.
5) Lack Of Vitamin And Mineral In Daily Diet
Lack of vitamins and also minerals in your daily intake of food could lead to kidney failure because it does not get enough nutrition that it was supposed to get every day.
6) Excessive Caffeine Intake
Caffeine causes a short but sudden increase in blood pressure. Research has not shown that drinking 3-4 cups of coffee a day increases the risk of kidney disease or increases the rate of decline of kidney function.
7) Excessive Protein Intake From Animal Sources
High dietary protein intake can cause intraglomerular hypertension, which may result in kidney hyperfiltration.
8) Abusive Usage Of Pain-Killer
Many analgesics should not be used if there is decreased kidney function because they reduce the blood flow to the kidney. Also, long-term use with higher doses may harm normal kidneys.
9) Lack Of Sleep
Kidney function is actually regulated by the sleep-wake cycle. It helps coordinate the kidneys’ workload over 24 hours. Nocturnal patterns can affect chronic kidney disease and that people who sleep less usually have faster kidney function decline.
10) Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol causes changes in the function of the kidneys and makes them less able to filter the blood. When alcohol dehydrates the body, the drying effect can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys.
Sources: Twitter MOH