Kidney Functions
■ Remove toxic wastes from the blood
■ Maintain body’s water content
■ Keep blood minerals in balance (sodium,
potassium, phosphorus)
■ Produce hormones:
– Regulate BP
– Produce red blood cells
– Vitamin D – ensure strong & healthy bones
Risk Factor For Kidney
Disease
■ Diabetes
■ High blood pressure
■ Family history of kidney disease, diabetes or
high blood pressure
■ Obesity
■ Kidney stone
■ Above 50 years old
■ Prolonged use of NSAIDSs, a type of painkillers
When the Kidneys Don’t Work
■ Waste products in blood are not filtered out
– Too much phosphorus in blood – weaken bones
– Too much potassium – heart attacks
– Too much sodium – worsen high BP
– Too much water – swelling & difficulty breathing
If Kidney Damage…
■ Early stage – only small part of the kidney is involved
– Caused scarring – interferes blood flow to a portion of
the kidney
– Diet: protect from further damage
■ Kidney unable to remove wastes, maintain body’s salt & fluid
balance
– Need to receive dialysis treatment
Signs & Symptoms
■ Fatigue, weakness
■ Difficult, painful urination
■ Foamy urine
■ Pink, dark urine (blood in urine)
■ Puffy eyes
■ Swollen face, hands, abdomen, ankles, feet
■ Increased thirst
■ Loss of appetite
Keeping Your Kidney Healthy
1. Eat healthy and keep your weight in check
2. Monitor your blood pressure
3. Keep regular control on blood sugar level
4. Stay physically active
5. Maintain a healthy fluid intake
6. Quit smoking
7. Avoid unnecessary medications
1.Overcome Obesity
■ Limit high calorie drinks
– Soda, fruit punch, fruit juices
– Alcohol – minimal nutrients, a lot of empty calories
– Advisable: water, unsweetened tea, fat free milk
■ Limit high calorie, high fat desserts & decrease
portion size
■ Eat regular meals & avoid overeating
– Don’t snack too much in between
– Do not skip meals
■ Determine how many calories you need daily
■ Be physically active
2.Monitor Your Blood Pressure
■ High BP is especially likely to cause kidney damage when
associated with other factors:
– Diabetes
– High cholesterol
– Cardiovascular disease
■ High BP is the 2nd leading cause of kidney failure
3. Keep regular control on blood sugar level
■ Limit:
– Sugary food (cake, ice cream, canned drinks, etc)
■ Moderate intake:
– Complex carbohydrate (e.g. rice, bread, pasta, thosei, chapatti,
etc)
– Tubers
– Legumes
– Fruits
– Milk products
■ Edible food:
– Plain water
– Non starchy vegetables
– Unsweetened drinks
4. Stay Physically Active
■ Benefit of exercise:
– Helps reduce BP reduce risk of kidney disease
– Control body weight
– Control blood lipid
■ Get 30 minutes of physical activity at least 5 times a week
■ Take staircase instead of riding the elevator or escalator
■ Stay well-hydrated before exercise will protect against:
– Kidney stones
– Dehydration
– Bladder infections
5. Maintain A Healthy Fluid Intake
■ Consuming plenty of fluid helps the kidneys clear:
– Sodium
– Urea
– Toxins from the body
■ Reduce risk of developing chronic kidney disease
6. Quit Smoking
■ Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys
■ Damage blood vessel walls
– Atherosclerosis (hardening of blood vessels)
■ Ischemia of the kidney
7. Avoid Unnecessary Medications
■ Certain medications
– Toxic to kidneys – if taken in large amounts over long
periods
– Get specific advice from doctor
No comments