5 Tips For Healthy Kidneys
Your kidneys work hard to perform a variety of functions that keep your system running. When healthy, your kidneys work to regulate your pH and potassium levels while filtering waste products, excess water, and other impurities from your blood. The waste products your kidneys filter are then stored in the bladder and expelled through urine. When kidney health fails, waste and excess fluid will build-up, your blood pressure and hormone production can be affected, and your electrolyte levels may be unstable.
To ensure your kidney health is always a top priority and you do your part to prevent your chance of kidney disease, consider these five lifestyle choices.
1. Stay Hydrated
Though your recommended daily water intake can vary based on gender, health conditions, weight, etc., it’s essential to drink anywhere from 50 to 70 ounces of water every day. Though you should have a daily goal, the most vital factor is to keep your water intake consistent. Doing so will help flush your kidneys of toxins and lowers your chances of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
2. Reduce Salt Intake
A high sodium diet can put more work on your kidneys, ultimately reducing their health. So you’ll want to aim for a diet low in sodium and consume no more than 2,300 milligrams a day.
3. Stay Active
An active lifestyle can help you maintain a healthy weight and improve your heart health. In addition, when you’re routinely active, you reduce your chances of high blood pressure and issues with blood sugar. All these things keep your kidneys healthy and functioning as they should.
4. Ditch Unhealthy Habits
It’s no secret that smoking and daily alcohol use can shorten a lifespan and increase your chances for cancers and other illnesses, but they also reduce your kidney health. Tobacco smoke alters your blood flow to organs, like your kidneys. More than one drink of alcohol a day can also put a strain on your kidneys and increase your chance of disease. To keep your kidney health a top priority, do all you can to quit smoking and limit your drinking.
5. Consider Routine Screenings
Family history, as well as specific health factors, can also increase your risk for kidney diseases. Your primary care doctor may suggest regular kidney function tests to spot any changes to your kidney health early on. The sooner you spot damage, the better you’ll be able to slow or prevent it from progressing.
Kidney Care in New York
If you are concerned about your bladder or kidney health, look no further than the experts at NY Health. Our physicians and staff are committed to the best quality care available.
Here at NY Health, our wide variety of services are here to help ensure that you get the proper, personalized care you need. From men and women’s health to urological cancer, We continuously strive to deliver the best medical care possible with your well-being in mind.