Serving the Lowcountry and Coastal Empire of Georgia and South Carolina.
Thursday, March 23, 2017
According to the National Kidney Foundation, chronic kidney disease (CKD) impacts about 26 million American adults with millions of others at increased risk. Since adopting healthy lifestyle choices can prevent most cases of CKD, it’s important to know how to keep track of your kidney health.
Dr. Nizar S. Eskandar, who heads SouthCoast Health’s Nephrology Department, emphasizes the importance of kidney health in regards to someone’s overall total wellness. “Early stages of chronic kidney disease doesn’t have a large impact,” explains Dr. Eskandar. “However, as someone finds themselves in more advanced stages of chronic kidney disease, it has a major impact on their life. The person may suffer from swelling, fatigue, decreased appetite, and more symptoms that impact their everyday life.” Dr. Eskandar continues, “If the disease gets bad enough where dialysis is required, it can be seen as a life-changing event requiring a lot of time and attention to keeping the disease under control.”
Your kidneys do a lot in regards to keeping you healthy. They regulate fluid levels, activate vitamin D for healthy bones, filter wastes from the blood, direct production of red blood cells, regulate blood pressure, and keep blood minerals in balance. Here are a couple of tips to bear in mind to make sure you’re doing your part in keeping your kidneys happy:
Be active and eat healthily. Aiming to be fit reduces your blood pressure, which in turn reduces the risk of CKD. Try to do something active every single day, whether that means taking daily walks, hiking, dancing – anything that increases your heart rate and gets your blood flowing. Diabetes and heart disease are other conditions associated with CKD, so adopting a healthy diet is crucial. Reduce your salt intake to less than four grams of sodium per day. Avoid processed and restaurant food as best you can and also cut back on the sweets. Cook at home and eat fresh ingredients packed with healthy nutrients and vitamins.
Maintain a healthy fluid intake. Drink water. Consuming a healthy amount of water and fluids helps the kidney clear sodium, urea, and toxins from the body. Aim to drink around two liters of water a day (though the ideal amount of water intake is always dependent on an individual’s gender, lifestyle, etc.) and keep in mind that drinking too much water could also cause unwanted side effects.
Don’t smoke. Smoking cigarettes slow down blood flow to the kidneys. If less blood reaches the kidneys, this impairs their ability to function properly. According to World Kidney Day, smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.
Don’t take over-the-counter pills regularly. Common drugs such as ibuprofen may cause kidney damage and disease if taken frequently. If you’re suffering from chronic pain and need to take over-the-counter pills on a regular basis, talk to your doctor about finding a way to control the pain without putting your kidneys at risk.
Get your kidneys tested. If you’re prone to having diabetes, hypertension, are obese, and/or have kidney disease in your family, ask your doctor about how to test for kidney disease. Doctors can check how healthy your kidneys are by either a simple urine test (Albumin Creatinine Ratio) or blood test (Glomerular Filtration Rate).
The SouthCoast Health team is always prepared to help patients face, overcome, and prevent chronic kidney disease. Maintaining kidney health starts with getting yourself educated and by consulting a physician to understand your risk factors further. Contact SouthCoast Health today for a consultation!
Whether you are looking for a primary care doctor or a pediatrician, or another medical specialist, SouthCoast Health has you covered with its wide range of world-class healthcare services, available throughout the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry. SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hilton Head, Hinesville, and Statesboro. SouthCoast Health offers comprehensive medical services including: Family Medicine, Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, Allergy and Asthma, Cardiology, Endocrinology, Eye Care, Imaging, Infectious Diseases, Nephrology, Neurology, Physical Therapy, Podiatry, Surgery, Clinical Trial Research Studies, Diabetic Self-Management Training Sessions, Dietetic Counseling, Laboratory Services, Massage Therapy, Optical Shop, Pharmacy, and Urgent Care.
SouthCoast Health has 120 physicians and medical professionals in 18 locations in Savannah, Richmond Hill, Pooler, Rincon, Baxley, Hinesville, and Statesboro.
