Every week we ask a medical professional a health question. Here’s a question for International Kidney Day, March 10 this week: How do you know if there’s something wrong with your kidneys? Monique Tjon-A-Tsien, GP: “Too much salt can damage the kidneys.”
What do the kidneys actually do?
“The kidneys filter waste products from the blood and maintain the water/salt ratio in the body. They also help produce certain hormones and red blood cells for blood pressure.”
What difference would you notice if they started to work less well?
“Usually nothing happens, you only get complaints at a very late stage. Much damage had already been done by then. That’s why it’s important to take good care of your kidneys at every stage of life.”
How are you then?
“Smoking and being overweight are risk factors such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure. So try to live as healthy as possible, stop smoking and lose weight if you are overweight. You should also drink plenty of water: you should drink at least 1.5 tons of water. 2 liters of fluid per day. Water helps the kidneys to remove waste products. And don’t use too much salt.
Why is salt bad for the kidneys?
“Too much salt causes your body to retain more water. This raises your blood pressure. It also damages the filters in your kidneys. The kidneys can no longer properly excrete waste products from your blood. Slowly but surely he is poisoning himself.”
“We get enough salt in our daily diet. Therefore, do not add salt to food.
Monique Tjon-A-Tsien, general practitioner
How can you reduce salt?
“We consume enough salt in our daily diet. So do not add salt to food, but use spices to sweeten your food. Take, for example, thyme, rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, basil, sage or parsley. Change and try. Herbs are packed with vitamins and minerals, so they are super healthy, but above all delicious.”
What else should you think about if you want to eat less salt?
“Cook as much as possible with fresh products. Salt is added to some canned vegetables as a preservative. Also watch out for ready-made sauces, bags and bags, takeaways such as ready meals and pizza. They usually contain a lot of salt. Beware of salty foods and cold cuts such as smoked meats, bacon and sausages.”
Should you have your kidneys checked by a doctor?
“From the age of 50, it can’t hurt to have your cholesterol, sugar, blood pressure and kidney functions checked by your doctor every five years. This is how you prevent kidney diseases.”
How is kidney function monitored?
“You can measure kidney damage in your urine and blood. For example, you have too much protein in your urine. This is because kidney filters ‘leak’. They allow the protein in your blood to pass into the urine. blood then increases the concentration of waste products.”
“This monitoring is highly recommended for people who use medication. If your kidneys start to work less well, the medication will be less effective at excretion, so you may need to adjust the dose.”
Monique Tjon-A-Tsien is a general practitioner in the field of cardiovascular diseases and an integral lifestyle practitioner in Wateringen.
Source: NU
John Cameron is a journalist at The Nation View specializing in world news and current events, particularly in international politics and diplomacy. With expertise in international relations, he covers a range of topics including conflicts, politics and economic trends.
