Why are your kidneys so important? We can live quite well with only one kidney and indeed, some people live healthily even though born with one missing. Our kidneys are amazing, they play a major role in maintaining your general health and wellbeing but are not usually thought of as essential to a healthy life. But while bones can break, muscles can waste away and the brain can sleep without risk to life, if both kidneys fail, as happens in end stage kidney failure, bone, muscle or brain can not carry on. Without any kidney function our body dies. Read our publication Kidney Disease: Are you one in three?
What is the role of your kidneys in keeping you healthy?
- act as filters for your body
- control blood pressure
- make red blood cells, and
- maintain strong and healthy bones
Think of your kidneys as an extremely sophisticated, environmentally friendly, waste disposal system, which sorts non-recyclable waste from recyclable waste, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, while also cleaning your blood. Every hour your blood supply circulates through the kidneys about 12 times. Each day your kidneys process around 200 litres of blood, with around 1 to 2 litres of waste leaving the body as urine. Much of this waste is produced by the body as it processes the food you eat. Kidney function is essential for life!
What happens when things go wrong? You can lose up to 90 per cent of kidney function without realising it, by which time it is almost impossible to prevent further serious problems. As kidney function decreases, waste begins to build-up in the blood. If symptoms are present, you may start feeling sick, vomit or experience a loss of appetite. Another symptom may be a change in the number of time you need to pass uring and the amount that is passed. You may also suffer extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, swelling of the hands, face and feet, headaches, high blood pressure and blood in the urine. These symptoms may worsen gradually as kidney function declines. However, these symptoms are very general and may be caused by other illnesses, so it’s a good idea to get your kidneys checked. Kidney disease is a life-threatening condition and should not be ignored.
Find out more about Chronic Kidney Disease here and see how our kidneys work. View animated models which show how healthy kidneys function. Be kind to your kidneys - we can’t live without them!
Important facts about CKD
- One in three Australians is at increased risk of developing kidney disease
- There are no warning signs for kidney disease
- You can lose a considerable amount of kidney function before you feel sick
- There is no cure - dialysis or transplantation are the only options once your kidneys fail
Be aware that you are at high risk if you:
- have diabetes
- have high blood pressure
- smoke
- are over 50 years
- are obese, or
- are of Aboriginal or Torres Straight Islander descent
- If you are at risk, ask your doctor for a kidney health check. Early detection and treatment can help prevent kidney failure and the need for dialysis or transplant treatment.
You can reduce your risk of kidney disease by:
- being a non-smoker
- controlling your blood pressure
- staying fit
- maintaining a healthy weight
- eating a healthy diet
- drinking water instead of sugary drinks
- drinking alcohol moderately (no more than 2 standard glasses a day for men, and 1 standard glasses for women)
- ensure your blood glucose is well controlled if you have diabetes
Maintain healthy weight - Being overweight or obese can lead to other health problems such as lifestyle diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure, which are also factors that could lead to chronic kidney disease. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease in the world. High blood pressure is the third leading cause of kidney disease in Australia.
When you are overweight, more demand may be placed on your kidneys, resulting in your kidneys working too hard. Losing weight can reduce how hard your kidneys have to work. Weight loss can also lead to a decrease in the amount of protein lost via urine. High levels of protein in the urine can make your kidney function worse.
Obesity may also cause some people with existing forms of some kidney disease to loose their kidney function more rapidly. There is also some evidence that suggests that excess weight is associated with an increased risk of kidney cancer.
Stay fit - Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity most days of the week. The key is to start slowly, and gradually increase time and intensity of activities. Physical activity leads to increased strength, stamina and energy. You can also break down the activity into 3 x 10 minute bursts which can be increased as fitness improves.
If you experience any of the following symptoms, it is important to stop exercising and tell your health care team or go to the hospital:
- chest pain or pressure
- feel dizzy or light headed
- irregular or fast heart beat that persists when the activity is completed, or
- excessive shortness of breath
Tips to get started
- Increase incidental exercise - walk the dog, get off the bus a stop earlier, mow the lawns
- Set mini goals that are achievable, e.g. walk around the block twice a day for a week, then two blocks twice a day, etc.
- If you feel sore after exercising that lasts for more than 2 hours, next time do less or don’t do the activities that seem to cause problems, but don’t stop your physical activity.
- Talk to your health care team for advice before starting a new exercise program, particularly if you are not very fit.
Eat a healthy diet - What you eat is important to your total health and wellbeing. It can prevent some disease and help manage others. As well as providing your body with a variety of nutrients, what you can eat can also help you stay at a health weight. Healthy eating does not mean excluding treats - it’s about balance and moderation.
- Eat healthy food
- Avoid fad diets - they are hard to maintain over a long period and can creat or worsen ill health
- Don’t overeat - always leave a meal feeling like you could eat a little bit more.
- Eat breakfast - a good breakfast activates your metabolism first thing in the morning
- Drink plenty of fluids - choose water instead. Sugar drinks have lots of calories, while caffeine and alcohol are both diuretics and can leave the body dehydrated, and
- check nutrition panels and choose foods with a low percentage of sugar and salt and which are low in saturated fats
Be or remain a non-smoker - It is well known that smoking harms your health. Smoking causes narrowing of the arteries including small vessels that are in the filterin sections of your kidney. This reduces the ability of the kidneys to work properly. Smoking has been linked to cancer of the kidneys, the bladder and ureter (the small tubes that run from your kidneys to the bladder). The message is clear: Don’t smoke. If you do smoke, giving up is one of the best things you can d to keep your kidneys healthy.
Choose to drink water when thirsty - Your body is over 70 per cent water. Fluid is needed for all the complex chemical reactions that your body need to perform on a daily basis. Your body needs fluid for energy production, muscle building and fat burning and helps to lubricate joints. It helps move nutrients around the body and helps get rid of wastes from your body. It also controls your body temperature when it is hot outside. Listen to your thirst! You lose fluid every day by breathing, perspiring and going to the toilet.
Drink water instead - Water has no calories, costs little and is readily available. Research in the United States states that one drink containing sugar each day has been shown in females to be associated with an 80 per cent increase in the risk of acquiring diabetes.
Don’t drink too much alcohol - It’s important to be smart about your alcohol intake. While there are some studies that show alcohol causes no harm to the kidneys, it may be dangerous if you already have kidney problems.
Alcohol makes your kidney produce more urine than normal, and excessive drinking can have a negative impact on other parts of the body that may contribute to kidney damage, such as the liver. There have been studies that have shown that heavy drinking may contribute to high blood pressure and heart disease, which over time may contribute to kidney disease. Alcohol has a high sugar content and therefore may lead to weight gain, another risk factor for kidney disease.
How many drinks can you have without it affecting your kidneys? There is good evidence to suggest that one standard drink for women and the elderly (e.g. 100ml wine; 285ml full strength beer; 30 ml spirit) or two standard drinks for men, three to four times a week may have a positive health effect.
To avoid dehydration caused by more frequent urination, ensure you alternate between alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks and remember to be smart about your drinking habits. Listen to your thirst!
Source: www.kidney.org.au