How To Avoid Kidney Problems: What You Can Do To Avoid Kidney Problems Before Kidney Disease
This video is about how to avoid kidney problems. This video is assuming you have no kidney disease, no kidney issues, you may be at risk for kidney disease from diabetes, or you just want to stay healthy. We’re going to go over the recommendations on how to avoid kidney problems for the long term.
How to avoid kidney problems: first thing is regular checkups with your doctor at least yearly. I cannot tell you the amount of people in the world that are diagnosed with kidney failure and late-stage chronic kidney disease because they just haven’t seen a doctor and and had their kidney and their general health and their blood work done and evaluated. You really should get that checkup every year.
Check your blood pressure and get your standard blood work; it’s going to include kidney values. Also, get a urine test because in the urine test you’re going to want to see if there’s any protein in the urine. Both of these are really important because they can always detect something, and the earlier you can address it the better.
Stick with that yearly physical and then maybe you change a doctor to get a different physical. If you have the same primary and you’re going to that primary for the last 10 years, maybe see a different primary just to get a different perspective or different viewpoint. A lot of people with their initial doctors didn’t recognize the kidney disease going on early when it was there. It was clear but they just didn’t see it, recognize it, and refer them to the proper places. It’s always good to have two minds.
Two minds are better than one, so make sure you get that physical. In addition, you really want to do your best you can to stay in a normal weight, because a normal weight helps prevent kidney issues. It also helps prevent cardiovascular issues and diabetes. Diabetes and diabetes type 2 are responsible for almost half of kidney failures out there. When you’re losing weight, you’re exercising and you’re eating better, so all your numbers will improve. You’ll feel better, so normal weight is essential.
Make sure to keep a good blood pressure. It’s really important with kidney disease because after diabetes, high blood pressure is the second biggest cause of kidney failure so make sure to have your blood pressure checked by your doctor. Or, check it when you go in stores sometimes they have those free machines where you can put your arm in and check it.
You can buy a machine if you like and they always have different screenings at hospitals or community centers where you can get your blood pressure checked and get some other values done there at usually a great price. Some are free of charge, so get your blood pressure checked and if your blood pressure is high you can do lifestyle things to control it.
If you have to use medication, don’t not use the medication because you don’t want to or are against meds. Then your levels stay high because that’ll cause kidney damage so make sure you stay on top of it. Don’t ignore it, don’t say “I‘m not taking meds, I‘m not going to do anything,” because that’s a surefire recipe for really hurting your kidneys.
Lastly, drink lots of good clean water. We need lots of water for our kidneys. Make sure to get good clean water, it’s really important. If you want to use juices, use diluted juices so a juice with lots of water in it. Get juices without all the added sugar, all the junk added and artificial sweeteners. Just lots of good water because we have lots of cases of kidney disease especially in the elderly where they didn’t drink enough water and over time the kidney shrinks.
A good diet always will prevent type 2 diabetes. It can prevent the blood sugar. It can help reverse diseases illnesses. When I talk about good diet, these are for people who don’t have kidney disease.
Generally, just an overview I recommend looking at good clean sources of protein ie. low fat animal products. If you’re doing a vegetarian diet beans, lentils, and even use some soy products depending what it is. Have whole grains like nuts and seeds.
Cold water fatty fish like salmon, anchovies and sardines are good, but watch the salt. Make sure to have a middle amount of salt in your diet. Watch pre-packaged foods as they have salt. Whole foods won’t have as much salt, so the whole of the plant or vegetables and eggs are generally okay in your diet. Like I mentioned whole grains and lots of clean water makes up a good diet. Healthy fats such as avocados, nuts and seeds, and extra virgin olive oil are good too.
When you have the healthier diet it prevents a lot of kidney issues. Remember to keep the sodium lower. Another great thing is exercise to prevent and avoid kidney problems. Lots and lots of exercise, but whatever you can do, even 15 minutes a day shows benefit. Take all of these recommendations into consideration on how to avoid kidney problems.
