The entire month of March is observed as World Kidney Awareness Month, and on March 14, Kidney Awareness Day will be recognized with the theme “Kidney Health for All – Advancing equitable access to care and optimal medication practice”.
The purpose of our kidneys is to remove waste from the blood. Multiple research suggests that drinking water helps the kidneys to clear sodium, urea, and waste products from the body, potentially lowering the risk of developing chronic kidney disease.
“It is something that we want to get the public involved [in], to make sure to drink water. Not carbonated drinks, soft drinks, juices, and all those that have high sugars, [that] are bad for your kidneys,” said Dr. komalpreet kaur
The kidneys have multiple functions,” Doctor komalpreet kaur. “One of them is to take out urine and waste products from the body. Drinking water will help your kidneys to maintain healthy, hydrated levels in your body [and] help control blood pressure. So, if patients have comorbidities that increase their risk of suffering chronic kidney disease, water … what it does it helps it remain as healthy as possible for longer.”
Kidney disease presently ranks as the 8th leading cause of death, and left untreated, it’s projected to climb up to 5th by 2040 as over an estimated 850 million persons worldwide are affected with kidney disease, which resulted in 3.1 million deaths in 2019.
The statistics worldwide show numbers at an alarming rate. While there is no concrete number as to the population who currently suffer from severe kidney disease in Belize, a 2017 survey indicated that 12 out of 15 Belizeans suffer from some sort of kidney morbidity.
Your Amazing Kidneys
The kidneys are complicated and amazing organs that do many essential tasks to keep us healthy.
The main job of your kidneys is to remove toxins and excess water from your blood.
Kidneys also help to control your blood pressure, to produce red blood cells and to keep your bones healthy.
Each roughly the size of your fist, kidneys are located deep in the abdomen, beneath the rib cage.
Your kidneys control blood stream levels of many minerals and molecules including sodium and potassium, and help to control blood acidity. Every day your kidneys carefully control the salt and water in your body so that your blood pressure remains the same.
Did you know?
Your Kidneys:
Make urine
Remove wastes and extra fluid from your blood
Control your body’s chemical balance
Help control your blood pressure
Help keep your bones healthy
Help you make red blood cells
1 Keep fit, Be active
This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure and the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.
The concept On the move for kidney health” is a worldwide collective march involving the public, celebrities and professionals moving across a public area by walking, running and cycling. Why not join them – by whatever means you prefer! Check out the events section of the WKD website for more information.
2 Eat a healthy diet
This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure, prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.
Reduce your salt intake. The recommended sodium intake is 5-6 grams of salt per day. This includes the salt already in your foods. (around a teaspoon). To reduce your salt intake, try and limit the amount of processed and restaurant food and do not add salt to food. It will be easier to control your salt intake if you prepare the food yourself with fresh ingredients. .
3 Check and control
your blood sugar
About half of people who have diabetes do not know they have diabetes. Therefore, you need to check your blood sugar level as part of your general body checkup. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. About half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage; but this can be prevented/ limited if the diabetes is well controlled. Check your kidney function regularly with blood and urine tests.
What is Diabetic Kidney Disease?
Chronic Kidney Disease caused by diabetes is called Diabetic Nephropathy, (diabetic kidney disease). If you have diabetes, you have too much glucose (sugar), in your blood. Too much glucose in your blood for a long time can damage many parts of your body, including your heart and kidneys. Many people with diabetes also develop high blood pressure. High blood pressure and diabetes are considered the leading causes of kidney disease.
High blood sugar, when diabetes is uncontrolled, damages the tiny blood vessels in the kidneys and alters filtration by the kidneys. In most cases, diabetic kidneys disease does not manifest itself with any symptoms. The only way to diagnose it is to do tests (blood and urine).The first sign of this damage is finding albumin in the urine. This can be detected by a urine strip test, often called a dipstick. If there is albumin in the urine, a blood test to check kidney function (eGFR) is also needed.
Who is at higher risk of diabetic kidney disease?
You are at higher risk if you:
have had diabetes for a long time
have diabetes and your blood sugar is too high
have diabetes and your blood pressure is too high
have diabetes and smoke
don’t follow your diabetes eating plan & eat foods high in salt
are not active
are overweight
have heart disease
have a family history of kidney failure
African Americans, American Indians, and Hispanics/Latinos develop diabetes, kidney disease, and kidney failure at a higher rate than Caucasians.
You should get tested every year for kidney disease if you
1) Have type 2 diabetes
2) Have had type 1 diabetes for more than 5 years
How can you keep your kidneys healthy if you have diabetes?
The best way to slow or prevent diabetes-related kidney disease is to try to reach your blood glucose and blood pressure goals. Healthy lifestyle habits and taking your medicines as prescribed can help you achieve these goals and improve your health overall.
Reach your blood glucose goals
Do an A1C blood test to see your average blood glucose level over the past 3 months. The higher your A1C number, the higher your blood glucose levels have been during the past 3 months. The A1C goal for many people with diabetes is below 7 percent. Ask your health care team what your goal should be. Reaching your goal numbers will help you protect your kidneys.
Control your blood pressure
High blood pressure can cause heart attack, stroke, and kidney disease.
The blood pressure goal for most people with diabetes is below 140/90 mm Hg. Ask your health care team what your goal should be. Medicines that lower blood pressure can also help slow kidney damage.
Develop or maintain healthy lifestyle habits
Healthy lifestyle habits can help you reach your blood glucose and blood pressure goals. Following the steps below will also help you keep your kidneys healthy:
Work with a dietitian to develop a diabetes meal plan and limit salt and sodium
Stop smoking
Make physical activity part of your routine.
Stay at or get to a healthy weight.
Get enough sleep. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.
Take medicines as prescribed
Talk to your healthcare professional or pharmacist about all of the medicines you take, including over-the-counter medicines. Many over-the-counter medicines for headaches, colds, or fever are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID’s) and can be harmful to your
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