Drinking alcohol hurts the liver, many people know.
But you may not know that the kidneys can also be injured by alcohol!
(Image source: soogif)
A boy in Guangdong regretted it because of this...
Let's look at his story first.
Recently, 24-year-old Xiao Zhang (pseudonym) was sent by his family to the Department of Nephrology of Zengcheng Branch of Southern Medical University for treatment because of "reducing food intake by 1 month and finding an increase in blood creatinine for 5 days".
In the past six months, Xiao Zhang often stayed up late to drink, and almost every week he would drink until the middle of the night.
A month ago, he began to have a poor appetite, nausea and other situations. But he thought it was just too much alcohol and stomach problems, so he didn't go to the hospital.
Until 5 days ago, the situation was not only not improving, but also getting worse, so he went to a nearby hospital to draw blood for examination. A check startled, Xiao Zhang's blood creatinine (renal function indicators) was as high as 1033 micromoles / liter, more than 10 times higher than the normal value, and had reached the uremia stage of chronic kidney disease.
(Image source: Expert Staging of the American Kidney Foundation)
He also suffered from severe anemia and a blood pressure of up to 170/111 mmHg.
The doctor who received the consultation considered that Xiao Zhang was likely to have a basic disease of the kidney, and usually did not pay too much attention to it, nor did he have a regular physical examination. Staying up late and drinking alcohol may be aggravating factors, and eventually lead to uremia.
More regrettably, Xiao Zhang missed the best time for treatment and faced long-term dialysis or kidney replacement.
Fortunately, he is currently undergoing dialysis treatment and is in a stable condition.
(Source: Tencent Medical Code)
Drinking alcohol can have many adverse effects on the kidneys, and some researchers call it "alcoholic kidney damage" [1].
1. When drinking heavily, the body produces some by-products, such as free radicals.
Oxidative stress occurs when the body is unable to quickly scavenge excess free radicals. This is an important factor in aging and disease, and the kidneys are also damaged by oxidative stress.
2. People who drink too much alcohol have higher levels of endotoxins in the blood circulation, which can lead to "cytokine storms".
This is an important cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome and multi-organ failure. The final stage of many viral infections, such as Ebola, COVID-19, and SARS, triggered a "cytokine storm" that triggered a violent attack on the body by the immune system, which caused the body to be overwhelmed.
The "cytokine storm" can also damage the kidneys, eventually gradually reducing kidney function [2].
3. Excessive alcohol consumption is also associated with some muscle injuries, such as inducing necrotizing myopathy or alcoholic rhabdomyolysis [3]. There is a certain link between such muscle injury and acute kidney injury.
4. Alcohol can also indirectly damage the kidneys by damaging other organs (such as liver, intestine, skeletal muscle, cardiovascular, etc.).
Studies have shown that people who drink heavily for a long time have a higher risk of developing heart disease, and cardiovascular disease is one of the risk factors for chronic kidney disease [4].
In other words, alcohol first hurts the heart and then indirectly hurts the kidneys!
Like the liver, the kidney is also a "silent" organ, and the early symptoms of most kidney diseases are not obvious, and they are easily confused with other diseases, and often do not get timely diagnosis and treatment. Many patients with kidney disease have progressed to uremia when they first see a doctor.
If the clues of kidney disease can be detected early and formal treatment can be started as soon as possible, the occurrence of uremia can be avoided. Although the early symptoms of kidney disease are less obvious, there are some signs that you can usually pay attention to [5].
1. Edema
Mostly eyelid and facial edema at wake-up in the morning, subsiding in the afternoon; it can be worsened when tired and less so at rest.
In severe cases, there will be edema of both thighs, calves, ankles, and waist, and a pit will be pressed.
2. Changes in urine output
Normal people have a daily urine output of about 1000 to 2000 ml, with an average of 1500 ml [6].
If the amount of urine becomes too much or too little, it can be a sign of kidney disease.
3. Abnormal color of urine
Normal urine color is transparent, pale yellow, or yellow. If other colors appear or there is foam in the urine, you can go to the hospital to check the urine routine, kidney ultrasound, kidney function, etc.
4. Frequent urination, urgency, painful urination
Urinary tract infection may be present.
5. Low back pain
Sometimes, if you feel bilateral waist (kidney area) soreness for no reason, or vague pain, or persistent dull pain, you should see a doctor in time.
6. Hypertension
Blood pressure is measured regularly. If you find that your blood pressure rises and you can't find the cause, keep more eyes and go to the nephrology department to see.
7. Nausea, lack of appetite, fatigue
With the continuous aggravation of kidney disease, the accumulation of toxins throughout the body and the deterioration of hematopoietic function may lead to these symptoms.
Clever you might ask, "Are the above manifestations all caused by kidney disease?" You can't always pee a little more one day, you have to go to the hospital for examination, right? ”
Good question!
If you have poor living habits or are at high risk of kidney disease, you should be most vigilant when encountering the above 7 situations [7].
There is a family history of kidney disease.
There is high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
There are metabolic diseases, such as hyperlipidemia, high uric acid, obesity and so on.
There are chronic urinary tract infections, urinary tract obstruction, autoimmune diseases, etc.
Long-term use of nephrotoxic drugs.
High-protein diet, smoking, alcoholism, staying up late for a long time, low birth weight and over 65 years of age.
1. Drink more water and do not hold back urine
7 to 8 cups (1500 to 1700 ml) per day, advocating drinking boiled water and tea [8].
2. Do not take medicine indiscriminately
Many drugs are metabolized by the kidneys and excreted from the urine. Therefore, do not take medicine indiscriminately, let alone believe in folk remedies, but take medicine according to the prescription of a doctor or pharmacist.
3. If you have high blood pressure and diabetes, you must control the condition
4. Don't eat too salty
Salt is mainly excreted by the kidneys, and excess salt can put a burden on the kidneys.
5. Eat meat in moderation
Metabolites of protein are excreted from the kidneys, therefore, excessive intake of protein increases the burden on the kidneys.
The recommended daily intake of protein for adults is 65 g/day for men and 55 g/day for women [9].
How to intuitively understand this number?
In general, eating an appropriate amount of staple foods (more than 6 for men and more than 5 for women), 1 to 2 bags of fresh milk or the same amount of yogurt, 1 egg, 40 to 75 grams of livestock and poultry meat, 40 to 75 grams of aquatic products, 25 to 35 grams of soybeans and nuts are enough to supplement the daily protein needs of healthy people.
Swipe to see the picture
(A piece of raw or lean meat as large as a palm, or a one-handed bunch of shrimp, is about 50 grams in edible parts.) Source: Self-made)
6. If you have a cold, remember to protect your kidneys
Some colds can be caused by bacterial infections. Especially after streptococcal infection, acute glomerulonephritis may be induced.
If you have a cold for three or four days and are not well, it is best to see a doctor.
7. Let yourself live a healthy life
Do not smoke, do not drink alcohol, do not stay up late for a long time, do not drink a lot of drinks for a long time, etc.
8. Regular physical examination
The annual physical examination should be paid attention to, especially the urine routine and kidney ultrasound data, which can detect problems in advance and better protect our kidneys.
10 March is World Kidney Disease Day
There are 132 million people with chronic kidney disease on the mainland
Chronic kidney disease kills 1.23 million people worldwide in one year
The same number of deaths as in traffic accidents
Far more deaths than tuberculosis and AIDS[10]
There is also a trend of rejuvenation in kidney disease
According to the Continental Epidemiological Survey
Prevalence of chronic kidney disease in people over 20 years of age
Has reached about 10%[11]
It can be seen that kidney disease is not far away from us
Hopefully everyone can indulge in the time
The thought of two more kidneys silently working for you
Love it, protect it, don't let it hurt
Review expert: Liu Zhengrong
Director and Professor of the Department of Nephrology, Zengcheng Branch, Southern Hospital, Southern Medical University
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Author: Liu Jindi, Sun Guohui
Editors: Zhang Jie, Wu Wei, Ye Zhengxing
Proofreading: Wu Yihe | Typesetting: Li Yongmin
Operation: Han Ningning | Coordinator: Wu Wei