Today is World Kidney Day, a perfect time to learn more about how to keep your kidneys healthy and how to catch problems early.

Your kidneys are two reddish, bean-shaped organs located on either side of your spine in the middle of your back. Their main job is to filter your blood. Each kidney contains about a million tiny filters that can process around 40 gallons of fluid every day – about enough to fill a house’s water heater. When blood passes through the kidney, the filters sift and hold on to the substances your body might need, such as certain nutrients and much of the water. Harmful wastes and extra water and nutrients are routed to the nearby bladder and flushed away as urine.

Your kidneys also produce several hormones. These hormones help to control your blood pressure, make red blood cells and activate vitamin D, which keeps your bones strong.

Kidney Disease

We all lose a little of our kidney function as we get older. People can even survive with just one kidney.

But when kidney function drops because of an underlying kidney disease, it’s something to be concerned about. Toxins and extra water can build up in your blood. Falling hormone production can cause other problems. About 1 in 10 adults nationwide, or about 20 million people, have at least some signs of kidney damage.

There are different types of kidney disease. Most strike both kidneys at the same time, harming the tiny filters – called nephrons – and reducing their filtering ability. When damage to nephrons happens quickly, often because of injury or poisoning, it’s known as acute kidney injury. It’s more common, though, for nephrons to worsen slowly and silently for years or even decades. This is known as chronic kidney disease. Most people have few or no symptoms until chronic kidney disease is advanced.

Risk Factors

Risk factors for kidney disease include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Family history of kidney failure

Chronic kidney disease can strike people of any race, but African Americans are especially at risk.

It’s important to be screened for kidney disease if you have these risk factors. Screening usually involves a urine test to look for kidney damage and a blood test to measure how well the kidneys are working. Without treatment, kidney disease often gets worse.

Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy

You can take many steps to avoid or delay reaching the point of kidney failure. The best step you can take is to control your blood pressure. A healthy lifestyle, including physical activity and a heart-healthy diet, can help to normalize blood pressure and also slow kidney disease.

To follow a healthy diet, eat more fruits, vegetables and whole grains and choose lean meats or low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Limit the amount of sodium in your diet; adults and teens ages 14 years and older should have no more than 2,300 milligrams per day.

If you have kidney disease, your healthcare provider may recommend additional changes to your diet. And if lifestyle changes aren’t enough to slow down kidney damage, your doctor may prescribe medications to reduce blood pressure, control blood glucose and lower your cholesterol.

Don’t wait to take the first step to keep your kidneys healthy. Talk to your healthcare provider about your kidneys, and ask if you should be tested for kidney disease. If you are looking for a new primary care provider, call Aultman's New Patient Hotline at 330-433-1264 or visit AultmanDocs.com.

For more details, visit the National Institutes of Health News in Health web page about kidney disease.

Source: National Institutes of Health, News in Health