How can kidney disease be prevented?

Answer 1

Prevention of kidney disease involves healthy habits as well as a sense of health consciousness. While not smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, and eating fruits and vegetables can all help to prevent kidney disease, keeping an eye on blood pressure and seeing your physician yearly can be just as important.

Answer 2

Maintaining a healthy body weight, getting regular exercise, and not smoking all promote kidney health. Controlling underlying diseases such as Diabetes and high blood pressure are important in preventing chronic kidney diseases.

Answer 3

Keep your blood glucose as close to your goal as you can. For many people, this level is as close to normal as possible. For others, a higher blood glucose goal may be better. Ask your doctor what blood glucose numbers are healthy for you.

Keep your blood pressure below 130/80 to help prevent kidney damage. Blood pressure is written with two numbers separated by a slash. For example, 120/70 is said as "120 over 70."

For some people, a higher blood pressure goal may be better. Ask your doctor what numbers are best for you. If you take blood pressure pills every day, take them as your doctor tells you. Keeping your blood pressure under control will also slow down or prevent damage to your eyes, heart, and blood vessels

Answer 4

Many things contribute to damage to the kidneys and not all are preventable.

Some common conditions that you do have control over to help prevent renal disease, insufficiency or failure are:

Diabetes Mellitus, so if you are diabetic, you should watch your blood sugars and follow all the doctor's directions for diet, exercise and medications. If diabetes runs in your family, then keep an even closer eye on your blood sugar tests, follow a sensible diet and drink plenty of fluids.

It can also be caused by high blood pressure, so if you know you have hypertension, follow the doctor's directions, reduce sodium intake, take your medicines on time and check your blood pressure frequently.

Dehydration can damage kidneys, so if you are ill with a fever, vomiting, and/or diarrhea, keep your fluid intake up and see a doctor if vomiting or diarrhea persist. If you are an athlete or if you participate in strenuous exercise and lose fluids through perspiration, you need to be sure to replace those fluids adequately and timely.

The kidneys filter impurities from your body, so you can damage them by intake of toxic chemicals, overdose of drugs, use of illegal drugs (especially amphetamines) and Alcoholism. Some prescription drugs are especially hard on the kidneys so if you are taking medications and your doctor wants you to get tests periodically to test to be sure they are not damaging your kidneys (or liver), follow those directions and get the check up when it is time.

This is only a short list of some common problems that can decrease kidney function. If you could do only one thing to prevent kidney damage, it would be drinking adequate water. Most recommendations are that adults should drink a minimum of eight 8 oz glasses of water per day.

Answer 5

One can learn how to avoid getting kidney disease from many different health related resources. Some examples of websites with this information include WebMD and Kidney Trust.