The Magic Filter
By Nancy Honig- Adult Development and Aging Agent
Did you know that your body has an amazing, almost magical filtration system? I have given several presentations recently to high school students about what they drink each day. We focus on the dangers of energy drinks and soft drinks and the extra work the kidneys have to do to filtrate some of those ingredients.
When working correctly, our kidneys are able to filter all of our blood in about thirty minutes or about 200 liters of fluid every 24 hours. The kidneys play a critical role in maintaining homeostasis within the body by helping maintain a healthy balance of minerals known as electrolytes, which include calcium, phosphorus, potassium, and sodium. They also remove acid produced by the cells of your body and excess fluid in the form of urine. If this process is not working properly, toxins and excess fluid can build up and interfere with other body functions.
Statistics show that 1 in 3 Americans are at high risk for kidney disease because of diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney failure. On top of that, 30 million Americans already have kidney disease, and many of them are not aware of it because symptoms usually don’t show until the disease has progressed. The leading cause of kidney failure is poorly managed diabetes and blood pressure, which accounts for 3 out of 4 new cases. However, there are many other reasons your kidneys can become damaged, such as smoking, heart disease, obesity, having a family history, aging, frequent use of various medications or substance misuse, and having abnormal kidney structures or prolonged urinary tract obstructions from kidney stones, an enlarged prostate, and some cancers. Additionally, minorities are at an increased risk of developing kidney disease.
What is the Best Way to Keep Your Kidneys Healthy? Schedule a checkup, and learn what symptoms to keep an eye out for to know if your kidneys are starting to fail or become infected. Here’s what else you can do to protect your kidneys:
- Control your blood pressure (and diabetes if you have it.) These are the two leading causes of kidney disease and kidney failure. Keep your blood pressure below 140/90, or ask your doctor what the best blood pressure target is for you.
- Exercise often. Regular exercise keeps your kidneys healthy by keeping things moving and controlling blood pressure.
- Cut out processed foods. They tend to be big sources of sodium, nitrates, and phosphates, and they’ve been linked to kidney disease. Select foods lower in salt. Eat more fruits and vegetables.
- Try to reduce over-the-counter pain medicines. They may help with aches and pains, but they can greatly damage your kidneys.
- Stay in your target cholesterol range.
Chronic kidney disease involves a gradual loss of function over an extended period. It often goes undetected early on until the disease is well advanced because the kidneys are able to some degree compensate for lost function. Unfortunately, the damage that occurs due to chronic kidney disease is irreversible, and there is no cure for this disease. Therefore, prevention and treatment focus on managing the underlying conditions and slowing the progression of damage. I watch my mother and an aunt go through kidney disease and eventually dialysis and renal failure. It is a very difficult disease to deal with. So, do yourself and your kidneys a favor and keep them healthy!
