According to a 2002 study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the more dehydrated you are, especially if it’s a habit, the less healthy your heart is. A minimum of five daily glasses of water will surely do your kidneys some good.
The British Journal of Haematology found that the more water you drink, the lower your blood viscosity is, meaning that it flows a lot better and gives your heart an easier time. High degrees of blood viscosity end up straining your heart, and as a result, your kidneys. If you’re having trouble staying hydrated during the day, consider purchasing a personal water bottle to carry around with you everywhere you go.
Make Sure to Prevent High Blood Pressure
We've already discussed why it's important to treat and avoid high blood pressure. The harder your heart has to work, the more stress gets put on your kidneys to filter it. We've also discussed various ways to decrease your blood pressure such as getting eight hours of sleep daily, eating good fats on a regular basis, controlling your stress levels, working out, drinking moderate amounts of alcohol daily, and avoiding sitting for long stretches of time.
Symptoms of high blood pressure aren't always visible, and by the time they appear, it's usually already too late to cure. In 2015, a study in The New England Journal of Medicine found that the risk of heart disease is significantly lower if your blood pressure is lower than 120 millimeters of mercury.
Avoid Taking Supplements Without Prior Research
These small tablets of concentrated supplements may seem like a healthy habit, with the rationalization that you can basically get any lacking vitamin supplemented while your kidneys filter out all the rest. However, high doses of vitamin C and other vitamins have been linked to the formation of kidney stones. And if you also have a pre-existing condition, such as diabetes or an autoimmune disorder you're even at a higher risk. It’s highly recommended to consult with your doctor.
Based on a 2012 review by the American Society of Nephrology, some supplements you should be cautious of are cranberry, willow bark, wormwood oil, licorice, geranium, and vitamin C. Up Next: Why exercise benefits your kidneys and how it can also destroy them.
Check Your Urine
Abnormal urine color could be your body's way of showing kidney malfunction. If you're a healthy person, you should be tinkling a clear-ish or yellowish color. But if not, it could mean something is wrong. The most common and least alarming is pee that's a darker color, like honey or amber. This suggests you may be dehydrated and must drink water immediately.
Brown urine can be caused by blood in the urine, which could indicate a kidney infection, stones, or injury to the kidney. Red or pink urine can be the body's way of alluding to something more serious, like an infection or kidney disease.
Taking Antihistamines Too Often
Nobody likes to have the sniffles all season long, which is why so many of us resort to antihistamines to keep our hayfever at bay. But be warned — acute kidney damage can be induced by a commonly-used over-the-counter antihistamine.
We do not usually think of this medication as a major source of renal stress, but it can cause problems in certain predisposed people, including elderly folks.