In life, although people often cover their waist and joke about their bad kidneys, in fact, less than 10% of people really understand the manifestations of kidney diseases, and even many non-nephrologists know very little about kidney diseases.
So, as one of the five viscera and six important organs, what is the important role of the kidney, why kidney disease is frequently high?
Bad kidney, the five organs and six organs are sick
The heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, although the kidneys are ranked last in the five organs, but its role is the most important. Experts have drawn an analogy: if the kidney is compared to a “boiler”, then the “cinder” (metabolites) produced by the body after burning must be discharged by the boiler. Once the “boiler” problems, waste can not be discharged, not only will damage the “boiler”, the whole system will also collapse.
Experts say that the kidneys have three main functions, one is to generate urine and maintain the water balance. “The human body has about 1.3 million glomeruli in each kidney, which can filter and clean 200 liters of blood every day, equivalent to 10 buckets of drinking water, forming about 1.8 liters of urine. When there is too much or too little water in the body, the amount of urine is regulated by the kidneys to maintain the water balance in the body.” The second is to excrete metabolites and toxic substances from the body. “Human metabolism will produce metabolic wastes, such as urea, uric acid, creatinine, etc. The kidneys maintain normal physiological activities by excreting these wastes from the urine.” The third is the endocrine function. Such as secretion of erythropoietin (EPO) to promote bone marrow hematopoiesis; generation of active vitamin D to regulate calcium and phosphorus metabolism and maintain the normal structure and function of bones; secretion of vasoactive substances to regulate blood pressure, etc.
It is because the kidneys have these three functions, so once the kidneys have problems, other parts of the body will also have problems. Experts say that the early stage of kidney disease is mostly fatigue, weakness, puffy eyelids, pale face, a lot of foam in the urine, painful or difficult to urinate. Next, it will produce loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, back pain, increased nocturnal urination, generalized edema, elevated blood pressure, exhalation with urine smell, bone pain, itchy skin, muscle tremor, numbness in hands and feet, and slow reaction. If severe, the above symptoms will continue to worsen and lead to the failure of multiple organs such as the heart, liver and lungs.
Kidney disease is the “silent killer”
The latest epidemiological survey shows that chronic kidney disease has become one of the major diseases threatening public health worldwide, and its prevalence is even higher than that of some common cancers.
About 6.5%-13.1% of the general population in developed countries suffer from different degrees of kidney disease, of which the number of kidney disease in the United States has exceeded 20 million, and hospitals admit up to more than 1 million kidney patients each year. The number of people who have kidney disease and do not seek medical attention is much higher than the number of patients admitted.
Experts further pointed out that the prevalence of chronic kidney disease in China is about 10 percent, and about 450,000 people die from uremia every year, “an alarming result that has a lot to do with the fact that people do not protect their kidneys.”
”Compared with other major diseases that endanger human health, chronic kidney disease can be described as a silent killer.” According to experts, chronic kidney diseases include nephritis, nephrotic syndrome, renal failure and uremia. These diseases behave very insidiously and have no obvious symptoms when they start, which do not easily attract the attention of patients, so many patients have already developed into end-stage kidney disease or even uremic syndrome when they start to seek medical attention. “The average annual medical cost of uremic patients is more than 100,000 yuan, making many families ‘poor due to disease, return to poverty due to disease’.” And the best way to avoid it is to properly protect your kidneys.
Four lifestyles are most harmful to the kidney
Nowadays, people pay more and more attention to nutrition and health, but why the incidence of kidney disease is still high? Experts believe that this is caused by a combination of factors, and people’s lifestyle is closely related to kidney health. Experts also said that modern people have four major lifestyles that hurt the kidneys.
Eating seafood and drinking beer. Eating a large amount of high-protein diet, such as large fish and meat, will produce too much metabolic waste such as uric acid and urea nitrogen, which will increase the burden of kidney excretion. And drinking a lot of alcohol can easily lead to hyperuricemia, and these habits can also cause metabolic diseases such as hyperlipidemia, which can lead to kidney disease. Summer is here, many people like to eat seafood while drinking beer, this way has been called by nephrologists “the most damaging way to eat kidney”.
Stay up late, eat salty, do not drink water. Long-term stay up late, work stress, love to drink strong tea and coffee, it is easy to have kidney function problems. And eating habits salty, will lead to increased blood pressure, the kidney blood can not maintain the normal flow, thus inducing kidney disease. If you do not drink water for a long time, the volume of urine will decrease, and the concentration of waste and toxins carried in urine will increase, which will easily trigger kidney stones and hydronephrosis.
Indiscriminate use of drugs and excessive use of drugs. Long-term use of nephrotoxic drugs can easily lead to interstitial kidney tubular damage. These drugs include herbs containing aristolochic acid components, such as Guanmu Tong, Guang Fangji, Qing Mu Xiang, etc., as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and antibacterial agents, such as depot tablets and paracetamol, which can easily cause kidney damage.
Often hold urine. Urine in the bladder for a long time will multiply bacteria, and bacteria retrograde through the ureter to the kidney, leading to urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis. Once repeated, it can cause chronic infection, which is not easy to cure.
Take care of your kidneys to live longer
There is a saying in Chinese medicine that “if you want to live long, take care of your kidneys”. Although the meaning of “kidney” in Chinese and Western medicine is different, the phrase applies to both. Experts say that if people can take good care of their kidneys and reduce the occurrence of kidney diseases, the overall life expectancy of human beings will increase.
Experts say, “Kidney disease causes slow and continuous damage to kidney function, and over time, quality of life declines, seriously affecting human life expectancy.” She suggests doing the following six things to protect your kidneys.
First, a balanced diet. Reduce the intake of salt and eat a light diet. Mix meat and vegetables, and avoid overeating. Drink more water and do not hold urine properly.
Second, plan to adhere to daily physical activity and physical exercise, control weight, and avoid colds.
Third, when the throat, tonsils and other infections, need to immediately under the guidance of a doctor to use antibiotics to treat thoroughly, otherwise streptococcal infection is prone to induce kidney disease.
Fourth, quit smoking, drink alcohol in moderation; avoid drug abuse, do not take a lot of long-term painkillers and herbs containing aristolochic acid, etc.
Fifth, women should be checked for kidney disease and renal insufficiency before pregnancy, otherwise, if you have kidney disease and blindly get pregnant, kidney disease may deteriorate quickly.
Sixth, regular annual check-ups of urine routine and kidney function, and also kidney ultrasound can be done at the same time, so that early detection and early treatment.