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Five ways to look after your kidneys

Five ways to look after your kidneys

One million people in the UK have kidney disease and they don’t even know it! Kidneys are essential for a healthy body, they play a vital role in the body. If chronic kidney disease goes undetected, it can lead to total kidney failure. Here we have put together five ways to look after your kidneys.

Stay hydrated

Fluids are absolutely vital for your body, around 60-70% of your body weight is made up of water. Every part of your body needs water for it to function properly, especially the kidneys. Water helps your kidneys remove waste from your blood in the form of urine.

Dehydration causes a build-up of waste and acid in the body which can clog the kidneys, contributing to kidney stones (build-up of crystals forming hard, stone-like lumps) and urinary tract infections.

Keep active

Regular exercise is good for your waistline and your health. Keeping active can help reduce your blood pressure and improves your heart health which are both important factors in preventing kidney disease.

The heart and kidneys are good friends, having kidney disease will increase your chances of developing heart disease too, so look after them both! Aim for around 30 minutes of exercise every day.

Maintain a healthy diet

Being overweight or obese puts you at risk of developing several other health complications including high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes, which are all associated with kidney disease.

Salt and processed meats are kidney-damaging foods, make sure your diet is low in sodium and rich in fruit, vegetables and whole grains.

Don’t smoke

Smoking damages your body’s blood vessels which slow down the blood flow to the kidneys, causing damage over time. Smoking also increases your risk of developing kidney disease.

Monitor your use of over the counter medicine

Regularly taking over the counter pain medication including ibuprofen and naproxen could be damaging your kidneys. If you are free of any kidney problems and you take an occasional anti-inflammatory drug, you should be in the clear.

However, if you are taking ibuprofen frequently for headaches, check with your GP to see what other medication is available and safe to take on a regular basis.

Pre-existing Conditions

Did you know, if you take a health insurance policy out with us, we can cover up to two pre-existing conditions including hypertension and diabetes? Plus we’ll give you access to our complimentary Health and Wellbeing service, available 24/7.

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