A lack of physical activity, bad habits like smoking or drinking, and not getting enough sleep can have real repercussions on your kidneys and overall health.
Your kidneys are actually a very important part of your body. They are in charge of cleaning toxins in your blood and regulating the balance of salt and water in your body.
They also produce red blood cells, balance your blood pressure, and prevent infection.
Below, we’ll tell you which bad habits you may have that are harming your kidneys and keeping them from doing their job like they should.
1. Insufficient Water Intake
Not drinking an ample amount of water can also cause huge damage to your kidneys. The main function of the kidneys is to flush out metabolic waste from the body and regulate erythrocyte production.
When the body lacks sufficient water, there is less blood flow to the kidneys because the blood becomes concentrated. This hampers the kidneys’ ability to eliminate toxins from the body, and more toxins in the body means more health problems.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, a healthy adult must drink at least 10 to 12 glasses of fluid daily to keep the kidneys healthy and the body well hydrated. However, keep in mind that drinking too much water can also be hard on your kidneys. So, do not overdo it.
2. Not Emptying Your Bladder Timely
Maintaining a full bladder for a long time or delaying the urge to urinate is one of the main reasons behind kidney damage.
When urine remains in the bladder for a long time, it can cause the bacteria breeding in urine to multiply. In turn, these harmful bacteria can cause a urinary tract infection or kidney infection. Moreover, retaining urine increases pressure on the kidneys and can lead to renal failure and incontinence.
If you habitually delay responding to the call of nature, it’s time to rectify it for the benefit of your kidneys. No matter how busy you are, listen to the nature call signals and follow them.
3. Consuming a Lot of Sodium
Sodium is contained in salt. We all eat salt, and we should lower the consuming because the kidneys are suffering when they attempt to process it. Due to this, your kidneys can undergo a durable stress. According to statistics, 90% of the citizens of U.S. eat salt more than enough.
4. Exaggerated Caffeine Intake
Many of us, when we are thirsty we usually reach out for drinks like sodas and soft drinks. These drinks contain a lot of caffeine. Caffeine can lead to kidney damage because they elevate the blood pressure.
5. Misusing Painkillers
Pain killers for low-grade pain are a bad habit. They can cause serious side effects. Experts warn that taking pain pills long term reduces blood and it deteriorates the function of this organs.
6. High Protein Diet
Protein is good for your health, but excessive consumption of red meat and other protein-based foods can increase the risk of developing kidney disease.
One of the roles of the kidneys is to metabolize and excrete nitrogen by products from protein digestion. High protein intake increases the metabolic load of the kidneys by chronically increasing glomerular pressure and hyperfiltration. This in turn increases the risk of kidney problems.
So, limit your intake of red meat for the overall health of your kidneys. Moreover, those who have kidney problems must avoid eating red meat as it can worsen the condition.
7. Not Paying Attention to Colds and Flu
Do not ignore flu and colds. People who deal with kidney disease also avoid resting while sick. They are sensitive to changes of the weather.
In this case, the process is similar to what happens with smoking. However, alcohol affects your liver and kidneys in equal proportions.
Renal function worsens when your body continually receives high amounts of toxic or harmful substances.