Keeping the Kidneys Happy
March is
National Kidney Month.
28 million
American adults have kidney disease, but most
Don't even know it.
high blood pressure
and high blood sugar (diabetes) are two leading causes of kidney disease.
Most people have two kidneys, but you can live with
one (or less).
Common health problems that impact the kidneys are
kidney stones, kidney cancer and kidney failure.
blood in the urine is
not normal
and needs to be evaluated by your doctor.
Kidneys control the body’s
fluid levels.
They filter wastes and toxins from the blood.
Each kidney is about
4-5 inches long —
about the size of a fist.
1 in 10
Americans will have a kidney stone at some point in their life.
Ways to Keep the Kidneys Healthy
- Drink plenty of fluids (48 to 64 ounces of water daily) to help the kidneys work well. This is also the best way to prevent kidney stones.
- Don’t smoke. Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys, which may reduce their function. Smoking also raises the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 percent.
- Eat healthy low fat foods to cut your risk of high blood sugar and high blood pressure. Exercise can also help keep your blood pressure and sugar levels under control.
- If you take over-the-counter painkillers, like ibuprofen and naproxen, daily for everyday pain or joint swelling, then talk to your doctor about checking your kidney function. These drugs can cause harm to the kidneys if taken too often over a long period.
- If you have high blood pressure or high blood sugar, then have your kidney function monitored on a regular basis.
For more information about Kidney Health, visit the Urology Care Foundation’s website: UrologyHealth.org
UrologyHealth.org | SPRING 2016 | UROLOGYHEALTH extra