Xiao Zhang is a workaholic, working overtime until late at night every day, and always likes to eat some heavy takeaways. He often felt back pain, but he always thought that he was tired from work and didn't pay much attention to it.
One night, when Xiao Zhang came home after working overtime, he suddenly felt a severe low back pain, which made him almost unable to stand. At that moment, he realized that something might be wrong with his body.
In fact, Xiao Zhang's inconspicuous behaviors, such as sitting for a long time, eating irregularly, loving to eat heavy food, and staying up late to work overtime, all unknowingly "hollowed out" his kidneys. These seemingly ordinary small habits, accumulated over a long period of time, can cause a lot of damage to the body.
Xiao Zhang was lying on the bed, with mixed feelings. He began to reflect on his lifestyle and decided to correct these bad habits one by one from now on. After all, health is the greatest asset!
So, in addition to Xiao Zhang's behavior, what other inconspicuous habits are quietly harming our kidneys?
01
The kidneys are one of the important organs of the human body, and their main functions include excretion of metabolic wastes, regulating the balance of water and salt, maintaining acid-base balance, and promoting the production of red blood cells.
However, the bad habits and environmental factors of modern life make the kidneys increasingly challenging. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) has become a global public health problem, so it is even more important to protect kidney health.
Kidney health essentials that are often overlooked
Bad habits such as high-salt diet, staying up late, holding urine for a long time, high protein intake, and alcoholism will increase the burden on the kidneys and increase the risk of kidney disease.
Drug side effects: Drugs have certain side effects, and long-term abuse of drugs will increase the burden on the kidneys, so blind use of drugs should be avoided.
Lifestyle: Staying up late, sitting for a long time, excessive fatigue and other unhealthy lifestyles can have adverse effects on kidney health.
Nutritional intake: Excessive intake of high-protein foods and strong tea with high oxalic acid content will increase the burden on the kidneys, so it should be consumed in moderation.
Regular check-up: High-risk groups with kidney, including the elderly over 60 years old, diabetes, hypertension, persistent proteinuria, family history of kidney disease, patients with kidney stones, gout, etc., should have regular kidney check-ups to detect problems in time.
Blood sugar and blood pressure control: High blood sugar and high blood pressure can affect kidney health, and blood sugar and blood pressure should be actively controlled.
Drink plenty of water and avoid holding urine: Drinking plenty of water can boost your body's metabolism and prevent problems such as urinary tract infections.
How to prevent kidney disease
Diet control: Reducing the intake of salt, sugar, fat, and high-protein foods, and increasing the intake of vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can help reduce the burden on the kidneys.
Maintain a moderate amount of exercise: Moderate exercise can help improve blood circulation in the kidneys, promote waste excretion, and maintain kidney health.
Quit smoking and limit alcohol: Tobacco and alcohol can have adverse effects on the kidneys, so you should quit smoking and limit alcohol.
Maintain good living habits: Avoid bad lifestyle habits such as holding urine for a long time, staying up late often, and overwork.
Regular check-ups: Regular check-ups of kidney function, blood sugar and blood pressure can help protect kidney health by detecting and treating chronic diseases in a timely manner.
Avoid drug abuse: Do not abuse drugs that are harmful to the kidneys, such as analgesics and antibiotics.
How to cope if you already have kidney disease
Follow the doctor's advice: Strictly follow the doctor's treatment plan to control the progression of the disease.
Pay attention to your diet: Adjust your diet according to your doctor's advice and limit your intake of salt, sugar, fat, and high-protein foods.
Regular check-ups: Check your kidney function, blood sugar, and blood pressure regularly, and adjust your treatment plan in a timely manner.
Avoid exertion: Avoid overexertion and maintain good lifestyle habits.
Maintain peace of mind: Maintaining an optimistic mindset and facing illness positively can help improve the quality of life.
An in-depth understanding of kidney care
Relationship between kidney disease and cardiovascular disease: Kidney disease is closely related to cardiovascular disease, and the incidence of cardiovascular events is significantly increased in patients with chronic kidney disease. Therefore, protecting kidney health can also help prevent the occurrence of cardiovascular disease.
TCM attaches great importance to the kidneys: TCM believes that the kidneys are the foundation of innate nature and hold the key to human growth, development, reproduction and metabolism. TCM health care emphasizes adjusting diet, maintaining emotional stability, and exercising moderately, which can help protect kidney health.
Use of kidney tonic drugs: There are many kidney tonic drugs in traditional Chinese medicine, such as Codonopsis, wolfberry, Cistanche, etc., which can play a role in nourishing kidney qi, regulating kidney yang, and helping to protect kidney health.
Early signs of kidney disease: Early signs of kidney disease include urinary frequency, urgency, painful urination, and yellowish urine, and timely detection and treatment can help prevent the progression of kidney disease.
Seasonal health: It is easy to sweat in summer, so you should properly replenish water to avoid the burden of dehydration on your kidneys, and keep warm in winter to avoid cold, which will help protect your kidney health.