Busting myths and facts about Kidneys and their diseases

 Kidneys are an important part of the human body and without them, one can’t imagine life. With kidneys. Comes with several notions, some are beliefs and some are misbeliefs, says Partha Banerjee Mumbai.

Then comes kidney diseases and these also have become a part of our lives due to the modern lifestyle and ill habits. One of them is kidney failure where the organs are not able to perform their functions properly. Two types of kidney failures are known. One of them is acute kidney failure which is reversible and with proper diagnosis and treatment. Then comes chronic kidney failure which is more deadly. Here the kidneys lose their functionality over time gradually.

There are many symptoms to catch the problem from its roots and combat them before it becomes a big problem for you.

Here is the list of symptoms that suggest that your kidneys require more care and attention.

* Anaemia or pale skin

* Loss of appetite

* Fatigue

* High blood pressure

* Shortness of breath

* Nausea and vomiting

* Cloudy or frothy urine

Myths and Facts about Kidneys

Time and people develop notions and concepts about everything, and kidneys are no exception. Over time, many beliefs have been made around the same. You might also have heard many of them but didn’t find a reason to believe it or not. So, here are some common myths regarding kidneys along with the facts.

Myth 1- Drinking eight glasses of water is necessary to keep your kidneys healthy

Fact – Our kidneys are silent heroes and keep working without stopping even when you are sleeping. A healthy pair of kidneys can make you get rid of an entire day’s waste by producing as little as 2 cups of urine. As our body is composed of 65 to 70 percent of water, it is easy for healthy kidneys to find the amount of water they require to clean your system. When you go to bed, these small heroes concentrate your urine to a much smaller volume considering that you are not taking any fluids in while sleeping.

In fact, if your kidneys are affected, they will not be able to manage fluids in your body, so, most of the time patients are advised not to take too many fluids.Dr Partha Banerjee UAE always suggests that drinking to quench your thirst is enough to keep your kidneys functional. However, there is no evidence of flushing your kidneys for their better functioning.

Myth 2 – Urinating frequently is a sign that my kidneys are healthy

Fact – If you have gone through the previous point, you might have noticed that healthy kidneys focus on concentrating your urine down to as little as 16 ounces of urine, which is quite the opposite of this statement. Diseased kidneys lose their ability to concentrate the urine and hence frequent trips to the washroom are not a good sign. It is clear that diseased kidneys cannot concentrate urine and thus form large amounts of urine without clearing waste from your body. This type of situation leads to frequent urination and thus stimulates an increased sensation of thirst and suggests that you need to visit a good nephrologist as soon as possible.

Myth 3 – Knowing who is at great risk of chronic kidney disease is easy

Fact – The number of people living their life with the support of dialysis is increasing and threatening too. Diabetes and high blood sugar are considered to be the biggest reason for kidney patients in the world. Some other reasons for kidney failure can be family history and obesity. The numbers are rising dangerously which points out that it is not easily predictable if you have kidney disease or not. Patients with any of these conditions should try an annual screening test to see if their kidneys are normal or need special attention. And if detect something abnormal, visit your dermatologist right away.

Myth 4 – Kidney diseases are rare

Fact – The truth is totally the opposite. Kidney diseases are very common in the world. The modern lifestyle has taken us one step closer to such chronic kidney diseases. One out of 10 heads is at a high risk of getting kidney diseases every now and then. Definitely, you cannot predict and tell who is going to have acute or chronic kidney diseases, but what you can do is, maintain a healthy lifestyle for your kidneys and your body’s health, says Partha Banerjee Dubai.

Myth 5 – The only solution to any kidney disease is Dialysis.

Fact – Not every kidney disease is fatal and not every disease requires Dialysis as a treatment. Kidney diseases are progressive and the problem builds up over time. If detected at early stages, the problem can be solved with medications and even slight changes in your diet and lifestyle as said by Partha Banerjee. With few changes and slight medication, many patients can stop or slow down the progression of their disease. Hence, it is important to detect problems at early stages for efficient diagnosis.

Myth 6 – Side or back pain is one of the early symptoms of chronic kidney diseases.

Fact – In most of the cases of cases, symptoms of kidney diseases show no or lesser symptoms until it reaches advanced stages. And pain is not there on the list of prevalent symptoms. Pain is only accompanied if there is any kind of obstruction in the passing of urine, like a kidney stone or some urinary tract infection where the kidney swells up either due to backflow of urine or inflammation.

The two bean-shaped fist-sized kidneys sitting inside our body right below the rib cage are magical and work wonders for the whole organ system of a human being. They are all day at work, it is important for us to take care of the most significant organs of our body. Maintaining a healthy diet with a good amount of fluid and essential nutrients, and slight changes in your routine and lifestyle can turn the whole tables around and leave you with a fantastic pair of functioning kidneys that will work lifelong.

Also read: WHAT ARE THE VARIOUS HEALTH AND WELLNESS BENEFITS OF EATING SLOWLY.