,.World Kidney Day 11th March 2021
Today marks World Kidney Day.
This year World Kidney Day continues to raise awareness of the increasing burden of kidney diseases worldwide and to strive for kidney health for everyone, everywhere. Specifically, the World Kidney Day Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease”. This has been done in order to both increase education and awareness about effective symptom management and patient empowerment, with the ultimate goal of encouraging life participation.
Source – worldkidneyday.org
Kidneys are an extremely clever and vital part of the body. Every day, your kidneys processes and re-processes blood to filter out waste, toxins and extra water. These then are changed into urine. Urine is stored in the bladder until you go to the bathroom.
In addition to removing these wastes & toxins, your kidneys also are responsible for regulating blood pressure. Other important kidney functions are maintaining bone health and helping keep the body’s hemoglobin body within normal levels. Hemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that carries oxygen to your body’s organs and tissues. Also transports carbon dioxide from your organs and tissues back to your lungs
Top Tips for Good Kidney Health
Hydration
Hydration is key to help your kidneys function properly. It’s important to remember that hydration mean water, not coffee, tea, juice etc.. water is needed for your cells and organs to function optimally. Coffee and tea can actually have a dehydrating effect on the body. Be carful of juice & soda as they are often loaded with sugar and can actually push water out of your cells.
A good target to reach per day is 2 to 3 litres depending on your activity levels and other intakes through out the day.
Limit Salt Intake
Salt is needed in very small amounts in the body for maintaining water balance. Good blood pressure levels and healthy muscles and nerves. Too much salt, or sodium, intake can cause damage to your heart. Salt intake increases the fluid levels in your body which puts pressure on your heart to pump blood around your body. The more fluid you retain the higher your blood pressure will be.
Medication
If you are taking medication, especially medication with a function towards helping pain or swelling. Please talk to your doctor about checking your kidney function. If these kinds of medication are taken on as regular basis especially over a long period of time then it can cause damage to your kidney function.
