Salt is one of the spices used in every meal. Although salt enhances the taste of food, overdoing it while using it causes many diseases. As it prepares the ground for kidney diseases, it can cause edema, blood pressure and various types of cancer in the body. In order to prevent diseases, it is necessary to avoid adding too much salt to the food and not to consume excessively salty foods. Internal Medicine Specialist Dr. Hasan Levent, giving information about the treatment and prevention methods of kidney diseases, warned, “Avoid too much salt, too salty foods can disrupt the mineral balance in the blood, making it difficult for the kidney to function properly.”
KIDNEY HEALTH IS VITAL FOR THE BODY
Stating that the kidneys are important organs that undertake many vital functions in the body and contribute greatly to a healthy life, Dr. Hasan Levent, “Kidneys remove waste products from the body. It helps to excrete urea, uric acid and other toxic substances, which are produced as a result of the metabolism of the foods we eat and the drugs we use, through urine. It maintains the body’s water and electrolyte balance. By removing excess water, it maintains fluid balance, acid-alkaline balance, salt-mineral balance. It synthesizes the hormone Renin, which controls blood pressure. It converts vitamin D, which keeps our bones strong and healthy, into its active form, Calcitriol. It helps to make blood. It synthesizes the hormone Erythropoietin, which helps in the production of red blood cells.
THESE SYMPTOMS MUST BE CAREFUL
Emphasizing that there are many factors that cause kidney diseases, Levent noted that infection, drinking less water, excessive water loss, drugs used without consulting doctors, toxins, heart failure, high blood sugar, liver failure, kidney stones and some tumors are among these factors. . Transferring the symptoms of kidney disease, Levent said, “Symptoms; pain in the waist, back, abdomen, groin area, fatigue, weakness, swelling around the eyes, swelling in the feet and ankles, nausea, loss of appetite, dry and itchy skin, increased or decreased urination, frequent urination, blood in the urine, dark urine color, foamy urine, muscle cramps, difficulty sleeping, shortness of breath, bad breath, headache, dizziness.
DRINK 8-10 GLASSES OF WATER DAY FOR THE PROPER FUNCTIONING OF THE KIDNEYS
Levent, who also gave information about the treatment and prevention methods of kidney diseases, said, “Use the drugs carefully. Do not use over-the-counter medicines without consulting a doctor. Avoid excess salt, very salty foods can disrupt the mineral balance in the blood, making it difficult for the kidney to function properly. Don’t get dehydrated, drink 8-10 glasses of water a day. Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Exercise. Walk for half an hour at least 3 days a week. Do not use toxic substances such as alcohol and cigarettes. Diabetes, hypertension, heart failure, liver failure, obesity, having kidney disease in the family, advanced age, over 60 years of age are risk factors. If you have any of these risk factors or notice any of the symptoms, consult your doctor. Depending on the symptoms, blood and urine tests and imaging tests will be performed to diagnose. According to the diagnosis, a treatment program will be applied.