About 55,000 people suffer from kidney failure in Spain, the most common kidney disease. World Kidney Day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of March. In order to learn more about this organ and how to take care of it, the specialist in Urology and member of Top Doctors, Dr. Madina Albisua, explains all the details.
Symptoms of kidney failure
When the kidneys do not work well, there is an alteration in all their actions. The manifestation of the symptoms will depend on the degree of loss of renal function and whether it is an acute or chronic problem.
The urologist, Dr. Madina Albisua, explains that in acute renal failure (ARF), due to its short duration, there are usually no alterations. However, if the variations are prolonged over time, we are talking about chronic renal failure (CRF). In the latter case, symptoms and analytical alterations such as swelling of legs, ankles, feet, face and hands, changes in urination, generalized itching, metallic taste in the mouth, nausea and vomiting and a feeling of coldness or lack of concentration will gradually appear.
Main pathologies of renal failure
When we speak of renal insufficiency, we refer to an alteration of the function of both kidneys or of one kidney in the case of having only one kidney. In patients with only one kidney there is a greater predisposition to suffer CKD, due to the fact that it works twice.
Among the pathologies that our kidneys can suffer from are: urinary infections, also called pyelonephritis; kidney stones, known as renal stones or renal lithiasis, which represent 5% of kidney diseases in the Spanish population; glomerulonephritis; renal cancer or other kidney diseases resulting from prolonged diabetes mellitus or arterial hypertension.
How to have healthy kidneys
In order to maintain healthy kidneys and prevent any renal damage, Dr. Madina states that it is important to have good lifestyle habits and recommends avoiding:
1. Consumption of soft drinks. Excess consumption of carbonated beverages causes kidney stones that prevent cleansing the body.
2. Protein foods. The foods that make the kidneys work the most when it comes to eliminating waste are proteins. These are found, above all, in meat, fish and eggs, so their consumption should be moderate within a balanced diet.
3. Drinking little water. A low consumption favors the appearance of some renal damage and urinary infections. Drinking about two liters a day contributes to the elimination of waste and avoids the formation of stones. “Normally, specialists recommend between 6 and 8 glasses of water a day or 1 or 1.5 liters of water, although it also depends on your complexion, health and activity. The other half liter will be obtained if we eat fruit and vegetables, since they are already very watery foods,” advises Dr. Madina Albisua. Even so, patients with heart disease that carries a risk of heart failure or patients with renal insufficiency should not force their fluid intake.
4. Foods with a lot of potassium. Potassium can also be harmful, as it contains substances that are poorly eliminated by the kidney and accumulate in the blood, which can be dangerous.
5. High blood pressure. Hypertension damages a number of organs including the kidneys. Therefore, it is advisable to reduce the consumption of salt in the meals because in excess it tends to raise the arterial pressure.
6. Smoking. This is a risk factor for kidney damage. In fact, those who smoke have a risk up to three times higher of developing alterations, even more when they present hypertension and diabetes.
7. Sedentary lifestyle. Because it is associated with a higher risk of hypertension, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Healthy eating habits, constant exercise and the prevention of tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as regular examinations, are the best way to prevent any disease or kidney damage.