Kidney Failure: Causes And Prevention

Kidney failure is a disease in which the kidneys stop working as they should. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are responsible for synthesizing urine in order to eliminate waste substances. Therefore, they are one of the most important organs in the body.

When the kidneys lose their ability to filter, harmful levels of waste can build up, and the chemical composition of the blood can become unbalanced.

On the other hand, acute kidney failure, also known as acute kidney injury, develops quickly, while chronic kidney failure develops slowly, prolonging over time.

Also, acute kidney failure can be fatal and requires intensive treatment. However, this disease can be reversible, not like the chronic one. So if you are in good health, you may regain normal or near normal function.

Most common causes

Acute kidney failure can occur when:

• A disease occurs that reduces the normal flow of blood circulation to the kidneys.
• Direct injury to the kidneys is experienced.
• The urine drainage tubes (ureters) of the kidneys become blocked and waste cannot be eliminated from the body through urine.

Prevention of kidney failure

Preventing and correctly treating all those conditions that can cause kidney damage to avoid or delay the development of chronic kidney failure is essential. Some effective way to prevent this disease is to keep blood pressure at a normal value.

For this, it is necessary to take the appropriate medication if you suffer from hyper or hypotension and adopt healthy lifestyle habits such as:

• No smoking.
• Do not drink alcohol in excess.
• Perform physical exercise on a regular basis (at least 30 minutes a day).
• Make an adequate consumption of salt and sugar (reducing the amounts, as the case may be).

• Maintain a balanced diet (as directed by the doctor).

Carrying out these habits will not only allow you to prevent kidney failure, but it will also prevent the progression of damage to these organs when the disease has already established.

On the other hand, for people with diabetes, it is important to monitor their blood sugar levels, as well as blood pressure. Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney failure.

Therefore, those people who are diabetic or who have an abnormality in blood pressure levels, are recommended to attend periodic check-ups in order to control these pathologies and regularly evaluate their kidney function.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that self-medication should always be avoided, since there are many drugs that affect kidney function.

What foods should not be eaten when there is kidney failure?

Among the foods that are recommended to avoid when there is kidney failure we find the following:

• Fruits : melon, bananas or bananas, avocados, orange, plums or raisins.
• Vegetables and vegetables : we find tomato, pumpkin, potato and spinach.
• Other foods : which should be indicated by a doctor.

Finally, it is necessary to remember that it will be essential to maintain good hydration. For this, it will be advisable to drink more than 4 glasses of water a day. Either way, we recommend that you consult with your doctor about the most appropriate diet and habits for you. Remember that what we present here does not replace the indications of a specialist.