Make kidney health a priority
An essential part of your body’s function, the kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located beneath the rib cage on either side of the spine. Their primary function is the removal of excess fluid and electrolytes from the body. Our North Austin kidney surgeons emphasize the importance of maintaining kidney health, and encourage people to follow a healthy lifestyle to support healthy kidneys.
Preventative care is important because people are often not symptomatic until they’ve already reached a stage of kidney disorder that requires intervention. Common disorders of the kidney include kidney stones, kidney infections and kidney cancer.
What healthy kidneys do
Kidney health is important to overall health, as the kidneys provide critical functions.
- Remove excess nitrogen, electrolytes and water from your body through urine
- Manage fluid levels and electrolyte balance
- Generate hormones that manage blood pressure
- Make hormones that produce red blood cells
- Support bone health through calcium regulation
Signs of a problem
Many people do not show symptoms of a kidney problem until it reaches an advanced stage, but there are often indications that you may have a kidney disorder.
- Blood in the urine
- Other changes to urine
- Persistent pain in the side or lower back
- Burning during urination
- Fever
- Vomiting
Care for your kidney health
Our North Austin kidney surgeons offer lifestyle recommendations to maintain kidney health.
- Stay at a healthy weight. Many diseases that cause kidney problems, such as hypertension, diabetes and high cholesterol, are related to excess weight.
- Drink water. Staying hydrated with water will help prevent kidney stones and help you maintain healthy kidneys.
- Eat healthy. A low-sodium, low-carbohydrate diet high in vegetables and fruit is ideal.
- Manage your diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These factors are common causes of kidney disease. Keeping them in check can prevent additional health problems.
- Limit alcohol. Heavy drinking will harm kidney function. Alcohol can also increase your blood pressure. If you drink, limit it to two drinks, two to three nights a week.
- Quit smoking. Smoking can limit the blood flow to the kidneys and increase the risk of kidney disease and kidney cancer, as well as bladder cancer.
- Get quality sleep. Sleep is essential to overall health and stress management, which helps with hypertension, weight management and diabetes.
- Reduce the use of NSAIDs (pain medicines). Long-term use of NSAIDs, especially in high doses, has been shown to cause kidney damage.
- Have your kidney function tested. If you are at risk for kidney disease, it is important to be evaluated by a urologist.
Testing for kidney disorders
If you have risk factors for kidney disease, including family history, diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, make regular checks with your physician a priority. Simple tests, such as blood pressure, blood and urine tests, can provide useful information about your kidney health.
If you have risk factors for kidney disease or are concerned about the health of your kidneys, contact North Austin Urology for an appointment with one of our North Austin kidney surgeons.