Kidney Health

• Removal of waste: The kidney is in charge of removing blood-containing waste. The nephrons, which make up the functional unit of the kidneys, assist in this filtering. These wastes and toxins are expelled from our bodies using urine.
• Balancing Electrolytes: Maintaining the amounts of essential electrolytes in our systems is another function of the kidneys. An electrolyte imbalance can be brought on by kidney dysfunction.
• Managing blood pressure: Renin, an enzyme that is produced by the kidneys, is crucial for managing our blood pressure.
• Erythropoietin production: In addition to renin, human kidneys also create erythropoietin, an enzyme that aids in the creation of red blood cells (RBCs). RBCs are essential for carrying oxygen from the lungs to all of the body's tissues and organs.
• Activation of Vitamin D: The active form of Vitamin D is converted by kidneys to calcitriol, which is an important component for healthy bone growth.
• Water Balance: The water balance of our body is maintained by our kidney and this is achieved by regulating the amount of urine. If the water intake is more, the volume of urine produced is more and vice versa.

As listed above, it is clear to state that our kidneys perform many vital functions, which makes it even more essential to lead a healthy life. The kidney diseases often go unnoticed until it has progressed to advanced stage. The risk of kidney diseases is increased if the family has a history of kidney diseases or because of high blood pressure or diabetes. It is not only because of these factors, that one should take care of the kidneys, kidney health in general is very crucial. It is no rocket science to maintain kidney health and it can be achieved by certain modifications in one’s lifestyle such as:

• Physical Activity: The chances of developing renal diseases can be avoided by being physically fit and active, in addition to improving our overall physical health. Physical activities such as walking, cycling or swimming are known to keep our heart and kidney health at ease. It also helps in lowering the blood pressure, ultimately resulting in good health of the kidneys.
• Chronic Diseases Management: In certain chronic health conditions such as blood pressure and diabetes, there is an extra burden on kidneys. For eg: Higher glucose levels put pressure on kidneys to filter blood. This can result into life threatening damage to kidneys, if the exertion persists for a longer period of time.
• Healthy Diet: Maintaining a healthy diet with less consumption of processed and sodium containing foods, lowers the risk of kidney damage. Fresh fruits and vegetables are essential for good and improved kidney healthy.
• Obesity: Obesity is a known cause for various health conditions including kidney diseases.
• Limiting the use of Over-the-Counter drugs: The kidneys can be affected by irrational and unnecessary use of NSAIDs and analgesics.
• Water Intake: Increasing your water intake can help our kidneys to flush out waste and toxins from the body.
• Reduced sugar intake: The foods that are have high sugar content can increase the chance of developing diabetes, ultimately affecting kidneys.
• Avoid smoking and alcohol consumption: It is known to put more pressure on our kidneys and increase blood pressure.

The best thing we can do to keep our kidneys healthy for a very long time is to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Vijay Patel is a well-renowned kidney specialist who works proactively and preventatively to provide the most appropriate treatments.

Kidney specialist in Mumbai
Kidney Specialist Doctor in South Mumbai
Kidney Doctor in Mumbai
Best Nephrologist in Mumbai
Best kidney specialist in Mumbai