What Are Your Kidneys?
You have two kidneys inside your body that are designed for filtering your blood before manufacturing urine. By releasing this urine, you are removing the toxins and excess water from your body. These bean-shaped organs are located on the right and left side of your upper abdominal area.
Conditions That Affect Your Kidneys
Kidney disease is common, but you can protect these organs in several ways. Some of the conditions that can affect your kidneys include:
• Urinary tract infections
• Kidney stones
• Chronic disease
• Renal cysts
• Cancerous tumors
If you have a problem with your kidneys, then it can be a temporary condition that is treatable, or it can become a chronic problem that is irreparable. In some cases, your kidneys will malfunction, requiring you to undergo dialysis to remove the toxins from your blood.
Six Ways To Care For Your Kidneys
There are several ways to care for your kidneys to avoid developing a health problem that requires dialysis, medication or an organ transplant. Here are the ways to care for your kidneys.
1: Reduce Your Sodium Consumption
If you consume a lot of sodium, then your kidneys must work harder to remove the substance from your blood. Sodium also increases your blood pressure leading to water retention, and both of these problems can also damage the functions of your kidneys.
2: Maintain Your Body’s Cholesterol Levels
When you have a high cholesterol level, this sticky substance collects on the interior surfaces of your blood vessels, making it more difficult for your kidneys to remove toxins from your blood.
3: Control Your Blood Glucose Levels
Researchers believe that high blood sugar is the most common cause of chronic kidney disease. If you have diabetes mellitus, then you must control your blood glucose levels by consuming the right foods along with injecting insulin appropriately.
4: Take Your High Blood Pressure Medication
When your physician prescribes high blood pressure medication, make sure you take it to protect your kidneys. If you have high blood pressure, then it damages your body’s blood vessels. As your blood vessels harden, your body struggles to transport blood through your kidneys.
5: Don’t Gain Weight
When you are overweight, you will have excess fat, making it more difficult for your kidneys to function properly. If you are obese, then you are more likely to have other health problems that lead to kidney disease, including diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
6: Protect Your Heart
To prevent kidney disease, you must protect your heart because your heart pumps the blood that travels through the blood vessels to reach your kidneys. If your heart is not working correctly, then your body’s blood may not reach the kidneys so that the excess water and toxins are removed.