L’acute renal failure (ARI) is manifested by a sudden decrease, of the order of 25% to 50% or more, of renal function for a usually brief period (a few days to a few weeks). We distinguish acute renal failure of chronic renal failure. The first is in principle reversible with treatment. However, in the case of chronic renal failure, it is more definitive. The loss of kidney function will be gradual. The insufficiency must persist for more than 3 months before being qualified as chronic renal insufficiency.
The High Authority for Health estimates that 3 million the number of French with chronic renal failure.
You should know that the kidneys exert a waste removal function of the organism. Indeed, harmful and toxic substances are filtered thanks to this organ and eliminated through urine. The kidneys, like the liver, help detoxify the body. These vital organs are not only essential for d rid the body of waste, but in addition, they will also allow you to adapt to your environment. It is the kidneys that help you eliminate salt if you consume too much of it.
The two main causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure which represent about half of the cases, underlines Dr. Jean-Louis Poignet, nephrologist in his book Take care of your kidneys (ed. Alpen).
Due to the insidious nature of the symptoms (urinary disorders) and a sometimes unbalanced diet, diabetic patients will be prone to many complications, including chronic kidney disease or diabetic nephropathy. “Indeed, the frequent elevation of the blood sugar poorly controlled can alter the functioning of the small vessels present in the kidneys”, adds the nephrologist.
As for high blood pressure, it is often ignored and will cause heart, vascular and kidney complications over the years. It is often the consequence of a family predisposition associated with a bad nutrition with a excessive salt intake and overweight with a sedentary lifestyle. High blood pressure damages the small blood vessels that drain blood to the filters in the kidneys.
Indeed, taking care of the kidneys largely involves food. It is recommended to limit salt and all salty foodsas well as animal protein and foods rich in potassium. These will require a lot of work from your kidneys.
The ideal will be to favor a balanced diet rich in water. Bet on citrus fruits, red fruits, watermelon, apple and also on spices. If you want to take care of your kidneys, the water is essential. Proper hydration will help eliminate toxins and maintain the proper functioning of the urinary system.
Being overweight and smoking are harmful to the kidneys
The overweight and obesity can cause kidney disease. “When a person is overweight or obese, the way their kidneys work changes because the body must adapt. Over time, and often long before the onset of diabetes or high blood pressure, there is an increase in the size of the glomeruli which filter the blood, as if they had to work more”, describes Dr Jean-Louis Poignet.
We speak of glomerular hyperfiltration, which goes deteriorate gradually the kidneys after a few years, as a result of phenomena ofwear. “Thus, overweight or obesity alters the functioning of the kidneys gradually. The good news, however, is that these phenomena can be reversible, especially in the early phase of the management of weight loss”, explains the nephrologist .
Smoking is toxic to blood circulation in the kidneys
“The role of tobacco is unfortunately well known in many pathologies, including cancers and cardiovascular diseases. For some years, we have known that it also promotes the onset of kidney disease and the progression of kidney failure,” warns the expert.
The molecules contained in tobacco (nicotine, cadmium, lead) will exert a toxic role on blood circulation in the kidneys.
Kidney diseases: be careful if you have stones and urinary tract infections
Urinary stones
“The urinary stones have been known since Antiquity and have evolved over time according to our lifestyles and our working environment. Indeed, we no longer drink enough water and our diet has become increasingly unbalanced. Stones are defined by the presence in the kidneys of crystals or kidney stones, commonly called kidney stones. These kidney stones are initially formed in the kidneys, but can move to locate in the rest of the urinary tract”, describes Dr. Poignet.
Urinary tract infections
The urinary infections can cause kidney infection or acute pyelonephritis during pregnancy, in case of abnormality of the urinary tract, and in case of treatment lowering the immune defenses. “We can also observe them if a trivial urinary tract infection is neglected or badly treated and/or in situations of self-medication which are unfortunately still too frequent”.
Too frequent or neglected urinary tract infections can alter the functioning of the kidneys over time and promote chronic renal failure.
Medications and some dietary supplements can damage the kidneys
Numerous studies have proven that the inappropriate prescription of certain medications may have a toxic role for the kidneys. The nephrologist mentions the very aggressive treatments essential, which are used for serious diseases (cancer and chemotherapy, as well as for complex diseases) and which are prescribed with great care by doctors who know their side effects.
Be careful about the consumption of non-prescription or self-medication drugs such as painkillers, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used quite easily to relieve acute or chronic pain. These can be dangerous for the kidneys if taken for too long, in combination with other medications or in elderly people with diabetes or kidney failure.
“Episodes of acute renal failure have even been observed in young girls after the consumption of anti-inflammatory drugs for painful menstruation”, warns the doctor. Listen to your pharmacist’s advice.
Beware of weight loss supplements
The specialist also calls for beware of plants and food supplements whose manufacturers will boast of the many properties, in particular slimming. “Their composition is often poorly known and they are, alas, frequently manufactured in countries where health regulations are not as draconian as in France. So be wary, because not all sites are controlled by French or European health authorities. “.
Environmental pollution is conducive to kidney failure
Many recent studies show the toxic role of our environment and climatic changes in the development of kidney disease. “For example, a 2015 study by Dr. Channa Jayasumana, a researcher at Rajarata University in Sri Lanka, found that 20% of tea-picking peasants in northern Sri Lanka suffer from kidney disease due to probable exposure to glyphosates, the levels of which were abnormally high in urine samples. Dr Marc De Broe of the University of Antwerp in Belgium similarly suggested that the association of exposure to pesticides and the phenomena of dehydration in extreme heat could contribute to the development of kidney disease in agricultural communities”, recalls the nephrologist.
Fine particles can contribute to kidney disease
Another recent research conducted by the University of Michigan has shown that air pollution, in particular the presence of fine particles, could cause kidney disease. “The particles from polluted air and inspired by our lungs pass into the blood, then are then filtered by our kidneys, where they will settle and accumulate over time”, warns Dr. Poignet.
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