waste in your body that your kidneys are supposed to filter out through your urine, starts to build up in your body instead. There are some symptoms you can point out to detect if your kidneys are failing such as hypertension (high blood pressure), which is harder to control. High blood pressure is one of the causes of chronic kidney disease, so it’s crucial to pay attention to the signs. Can kidney disease be prevented? Well, the answer to that is yes, yes it can.
How To Protect Your Kidneys And Prevent Damage
There are a few ways to prevent kidney disease, the first way is of course maintaining a healthy diet and weight. Being active and making sure you keep a healthy diet can help you prevent kidney disease.
Another way to prevent this is to make sure you take over-the-counter medication properly. Painkillers and ibuprofens such as Tylenol and Advil need to be taken as prescribed or they can lead to kidney damage over time if you continue to take them incorrectly. Always follow the instructions given on the packaging.
Ending the habit of smoking and managing other medical conditions with your doctor is also key to preventing kidney disease. Smoking is bad for your lungs and kidneys and it can exploit any damages that your kidneys may already have. Managing your medical conditions with your doctor will help you control any sicknesses you have that can lead to kidney disease.
RELATED: 7 Ways Low Blood Pressure Prevents Kidney Disease
Signs Your Kidneys Are Failing
So how do you notice if your kidneys are no longer functioning like they need to? Look for the clues but in this case, the clues are your symptoms.
Besides uncontrollable hypertension, if you notice you’re urinating way more or way less than you used to (without other types of medications involved), swelling in your feet and ankles, muscles cramps, nausea, vomiting, you’re feeling weak and fatigued quite often or having sleep problems, you may be suffering from failing kidneys.
Chest pains and fluid building up in your lungs or around your heart as well as dry itchy skin are also symptoms of kidney failure.
It’s also important to be mindful of these symptoms if you’re living with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, prone to kidney infections and again, live with high blood pressure since these can cause kidney failure. Your kidneys are a vital part of your physical being and they need you, so make sure you take proper care of them.