Today is World Kidney Day. For all you healthy individuals, it is a good time to take a few precautions to avoid kidney disease. Kidney disease is becoming increasingly common these days. It is affecting a large number of young people. Just this morning, I read interviews with nephrologists in the city where they said that they get between two and five people in the age group of 20 to 30 every week with kidney disease.
This quite alarming because when I was diagnosed with kidney disease and went for dialysis when I was 22, I saw only older people around me. But these days, that is changing. This is mainly due to lifestyle changes. I would rate increased reliance on processed foods, increased use of anti-biotics and analgesics and lack of exercise as the three most important causes of the increasing frequency of kidney disease among the young.
What can you do to avoid kidney disease?
- Avoid processed foods. Try to have food that is natural and fresh
- Avoid anti-biotics and analgesics unless your doctor prescribes them
- Get exercise
- Get yourself tested regularly (every year?) for the basic indicators of kidney disease - GFR, Creatinine, Complete blood picture. Talk to your family doctor about other tests he/she would recommend.
Remember, chronic kidney disease is irreversible. There is no escaping it once you get it. The key is to avoid it. Diabetics, people with hypertension and those with a family history of kidney disease are particularly at risk.
Take your health seriously. Not doing so, will make you regret life-long.
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