Regular exercise, and a healthy diet and lifestyle, can help to keep your kidneys in shape.
When it comes to keeping in optimum health, our kidneys are important organs that filter and remove waste from our body, maintain a balance of water and minerals, help regulate our blood pressure, activate vitamin D for our bone health, and produce erythropoietin – a hormone which instructs our body to produce red blood cells.
There are two types of kidney disease – acute kidney injury (AKI) and chronic kidney disease (CKD).
According to consultant physician and nephrologist Dr Thiruventhiran Thilaganathan, AKI is sudden loss of kidney function. It may be caused by severe vomiting or diarrhoea, severe bleeding (accident), ingestion of certain drugs and toxins, or kidney stones.
CKD is an abnormality in the structure or function of the kidney lasting for three months or more, said consultant physician and nephrologist Dr Ong Chun Seong.
Type 2 diabetes and hypertension are significant risks for CKD.
Both AKI and CKD are interlinked. If AKI is not treated early, there can be irreversible damage leading to CKD. In a person with pre-existing CKD, AKI is also more likely to occur due to their compromised kidney function.
Some of the prominent signs and symptoms are foamy urine (protein in urine), dark coloured urine (blood in urine), swelling in the legs or high blood pressure that is difficult to control.
Adults above 40 years of age are advised by consultant physician and nephrologist Dr Syed Faisal Taha to screen for kidney disease. Screening of urine and blood are simple and affordable tests to pick up kidney disease early.
- Control blood sugar or blood pressure (BP) within recommended limits. Diabetics and hypertensives should conduct frequent self-monitoring of their BP, blood sugar and weight, and share these results with their doctors.
- Avoid certain painkillers (nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or herbal medications which may harm your kidneys.
- Practise a healthy lifestyle by exercising regularly and not smoking. With better health, you have better reserves to recover from an illness.
- Select a healthy diet with lower salt intake and less protein.
In people with CKD, a low protein diet reduces the production of nitrogenous waste from protein breakdown. This decreases the kidney workload. However, they may be at risk of malnutrition.
Keto acid therapy provides the essential amino acids usually obtained from protein-containing food, without generating nitrogenous waste. This prevents malnutrition and delays kidney disease progression.
Consultant physician and nephrologist Dr Kee Swee Ann advises patients to go on a gradual reduction of protein intake and to seek the guidance of dietitians so that it is sustainable over a long period.
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily the opinions of the editor or the sponsor. This publication should not be used as a substitute for professional care. Only a medical professional can diagnose and treat a medical problem. Please refer to your healthcare professional for more information.
