One of the issues that has been on the rise recently in health issues is kidney disease. Precautions to be taken regarding diabetes and obesity, which is in the middle of the most valuable causes of kidney disease, from Memorial Şişli Hospital, Department of Nephrology, Assoc. Dr. Abdullah Özkök gave information about the things to be considered in order to protect kidney health before the “14 March World Kidney Day”.
Keep weight and blood sugar stable
The most common cause of chronic kidney disease is diabetes, popularly known as diabetes mellitus. It is known that high blood sugar levels lead to kidney disease and accelerate existing kidney diseases. Therefore, blood sugar control is very valuable for kidney health. Obesity is the most increasing and most valuable health problem in recent years. It is known that obesity alone negatively affects the kidneys. However, since obesity can also cause diabetes, it poses a double risk for the kidneys. Along with weight control, dieting away from carbohydrates and ready-made foods is very valuable for kidney health.
Attention to hypertension!
Salt consumption in Turkey is well above the recommended maximum level of 5 grams per day. In particular, excessive salt consumption paves the way for hypertension. Hypertension causes not only cardiovascular diseases but also chronic kidney diseases. Reducing salt consumption to normal levels significantly reduces blood pressure, heart and kidney diseases. Studies show that reducing salt consumption by 15% in the world can save the lives of 8.5 million people in 10 years.
Enter routine checkers!
In addition to preventable factors such as hypertension, diabetes and obesity in chronic kidney diseases, diseases such as nephritis and polycystic kidney disease, which are not caused by the person’s life form, have a valuable place. The early diagnosis of this kind of ailments significantly increases the chances of treatment without entering the dialysis process. Kidney diseases may not show any symptoms until they reach the final stage. When symptoms appear, the disease has often entered the irreversible stage. Therefore, easy blood and urine analyzes and routine health checks are required. It is especially valuable for the early diagnosis and treatment of possible diseases that individuals with a family history of kidney disease can undergo from regular intervals.
The benign enlargement of the prostate, prostate cancer or bladder problems negatively affect the kidneys. In this type of ailments, the inability to empty the urine completely prepares the ground for back leakage to the kidney and deterioration of kidney functions. Patients who have had prostate problems for a long time should also have their kidney functions checked. Urinary catheter insertion, medication or, when necessary, surgical interventions are among the systems used in the treatment. Kidney stones are one of the most common symptoms in the middle of kidney diseases. Although many kidney stones cause severe pain, there are also kidney stones that can develop without any symptoms. Kidney stones blocking the ducts adversely affect kidney functions. Even if there is no active kidney stone complaint, this patient group should be followed at reasonable intervals from the Nephrology and Urology departments, and kidney functions should be monitored.
Do not turn to drugs in every disease
For healthy kidneys, it is necessary to avoid unnecessary drug consumption, especially painkillers. Painkillers used unconsciously can damage the kidneys in a long period with a cumulative effect. In addition, we often see cases where kidney functions completely disappear after the use of a single painkiller. In our country, it is a positive process to stop taking antibiotics and leave them under the supervision of a physician. In addition to drugs, natural products or products sold in the market under herbal treatment should be approached cautiously
Pay attention to the quality of life
The value of water consumption for kidney functions is now known by everyone. While arranging the way of life, exercise should be emphasized as well as water consumption. It should not be forgotten that daily training and water consumption have a valuable place in weight control. Since carbonated drinks contain high levels of phosphorus and sugar, they are in the middle of foods that should be avoided not only for kidney but also for general health. Although consumption of foods containing high potassium such as potatoes, bananas, whole grains, milk and tomatoes is recommended for individuals with healthy kidneys, kidney patients should consume these foods carefully.
