Kidney disease can be difficult to manage, especially when you have to make changes to your lifestyle and diet.
But one thing you don’t have to worry about is the blood filtering process of your kidneys, thanks to new technology in artificial organs.
In this article, we’ll discuss how your kidneys filter blood and the steps you can take to keep them healthy if you already have kidney disease or are at risk of developing it later in life.
What are your kidneys?
Every day, your kidneys filter about 120-150 quarts of blood.
That’s nearly ten times more water than is in a standard-size bathtub!
Your kidneys also regulate how much sodium, potassium, chloride, and other minerals are in your blood. If you think about it, there are few things more vital for survival than a steady supply of clean blood and that’s exactly what your kidneys do every day.
So what does blood filtering have to do with kidney disease? Well, everything. And no matter how old you are or what kind of lifestyle you lead, you need to know how to care for your kidneys so they can continue their job: filtering out excess waste from your body and keeping your internal ecosystem balanced.
What happens when they aren’t working properly?
The kidneys are there to clean our blood of toxins, but what happens when they aren’t working properly? When kidney disease is left untreated it can lead to serious health issues.
The good news is that most cases of kidney disease can be treated successfully with changes in diet, exercise, medicine, or surgery.
It’s important that you know how to keep your kidneys healthy by filtering your blood properly and knowing when treatment is necessary.
Why do I need to filter my blood?
When someone says their blood needs filtering, they mean that there are elements in their bloodstream that shouldn’t be there.
It could be several things such as dirt, infections, bacteria, or some type of disease.
Often when someone thinks their blood needs filtering it’s because they have high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
By keeping your blood filtered you can improve your kidney health for long-term health benefits.
3 Tips for doing so naturally
Being physically active is a proven way to prevent kidney disease, but if you already have some of these conditions it can also help slow its progression.
You don’t need to run marathons or compete in triathlons—just be sure that whatever exercise routine you choose is challenging enough for you.
Remember that other lifestyle factors like smoking or overeating can influence your health, try to make healthy choices whenever possible.
Exercise! Be active! Move!
Exercise is one of the most important habits you can adopt for kidney health.
Aerobic exercise like running, cycling, or swimming is fantastic for your overall health but also has special benefits for your kidneys: by increasing blood flow through your body, it helps remove waste products like creatinine and urea from your blood.
It’s especially important to be active if you have diabetes since diabetic nephropathy (chronic kidney disease) is a serious condition that can lead to renal failure (the need for dialysis or a transplant). Remember that you don’t have to spend hours at a time working out—simple things like taking an after-dinner walk are great ways to get some exercise throughout your day.
