Hey peeps,
Trust you are all well.
Today is world kidney day!
I feel like I need to write something about it because the ignorance of people bother me.
People do things that damage their kidneys daily.
I am not sure this is cos of their ignorance or they just can't be bothered or they just don't know how severe it can get.
Meanwhile just little changes here and there will make all the difference to make your kidneys last longer.
So what do the kidneys do?
They get rid of excess water and toxins in the body.
They regulate blood pressure,
They make red blood cells
They keep your bones strong too, that's right......It not just calcium
Kidney disease is very common and can affect anyone I mean adults and kids too.
There is no cure......... the failure of the kidney is very fatal and might require a lifetime of dialysis or worse case scenario, a kidney transplant.
Statistics has shown that black people (Afro Caribbean) are 5 times more likely to experience kidney failure than other ethnicities. So without you doing something wrong as an African person, you are prone to kidney failure anyway ( so why do things that would make it worse)
If you are diabetic and it is not well controlled, it can cause kidney disease.
Uncontrolled High blood pressure is also one of the biggest causes of kidney diseases.
If you happen to be overweight too, you are at a bigger risk of kidney disease.
This probably sounds like a broken record, but if you smoke, it can slow blood flow to the kidneys and stop them from working properly.
If you are experiencing any of the following early warning signs that you might be developing kidney disease:
- fatigue
- difficulty concentrating
- trouble sleeping
- poor appetite
- muscle cramping
- swollen feet/ankles
- puffiness around the eyes in the morning
- dry, scaly skin
- frequent urination, especially late at night
Please go to the hospital and ask for a Kidney Function Test
So unless you are "stinkingly" rich and love pain please change some habits in your life to make your kidneys last longer.
Drink a lot of water. If possible let it be filtered water or boiled water. ( If you are a dialysis patient, you might need to restrict your fluid intake) Drinking lots helps the kidney clear sodium Urea and toxins from the body which will lower the risk of kidney diseases. Don't replace water with juice just cos you are rich. Water is essential.
Drink less alcohol, this includes alomo bitters, opa eyin , yoyo bitter and the likes of it.
Eat healthy and keep excess weight off. Not being over weight will prevent diabetes, heart diseases and other terrible conditions that can lead to kidney diseases.
Eat less red meat and more white meat and lots of fish
Reduce your salt intake and saturated fat intake (fatty beef, chicken skin, butter, cheese, burger or any processed meat)
DO NOT SMOKE
Keep fit and active. Skip, run, jog, do whatever needs doing to that will reduce your blood pressure
Avoid self medicating. Don't just over dose on pills. Even too much of paracetamol can damage your organs.
Don't hold urine in your bladder for too long, its bad for you. When you feel the urge to wee, do it ASAP. (I'm guilty of this too)
So cheers to healthy Kidneys
:)
