Overdrawn kidneys cannot be replenished! Many people are doing these 5 kidney-damaging behaviors!

In our country, one in 10 people suffers from kidney disease.

According to a study published in the international medical journal The Lancet, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease among adults in my country is as high as 10.8%, which means that one in every 10 adults around us suffers from chronic kidney disease to varying degrees.

Today is World Kidney Day. Let us learn about the kidneys and the kidney-damaging behaviors that many people inadvertently engage in in their daily lives. See if you have been harmed.

What role do kidneys play in the human body?

Kidneys, commonly known as "kidneys", are two in normal people, located on the left and right sides of the lower middle back. Generally, the right one is lower and the left one is higher, and its shape is like a broad bean.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

Some people say that there are two kidneys and one less is insignificant. But in fact, they silently undertake important physiological functions in our body. They are not only responsible for transporting and removing metabolic waste and excess water in the body, but also participate in regulating blood pressure, maintaining bone health, generating red blood cells and other physiological processes. They are essential organs and tissues for the human body to maintain internal environmental balance. Let's talk about how the kidneys work in the human body in detail.

1. Eliminate metabolic waste and maintain the balance of the body environment

One of the most important functions of the kidneys is to filter waste and excess water from the blood. When blood flows through the kidneys, the glomeruli filter out metabolic wastes such as uric acid, urea, creatinine, and excess water in the blood to form urine.

The urine is then further processed through the renal tubules, where useful substances are reabsorbed back into the blood and the remaining waste products and excess water are excreted as urine. This process helps maintain the body's internal environment in balance.

2. Regulate blood pressure and keep blood vessels healthy

The kidneys also have the function of regulating blood pressure. Renin secreted by the kidneys is an important hormone that regulates blood pressure. It can convert angiotensinogen in the blood into angiotensin I, and then into angiotensin II. Angiotensin II is a powerful vasoconstrictor that can constrict blood vessels, increase peripheral resistance, and thus increase blood pressure.

In addition, the kidneys can affect blood volume and thus blood pressure by regulating the reabsorption of sodium and water in electrolytes.

3. Maintain bone health and promote calcium absorption

The kidneys are also involved in an important part of bone health. The kidneys can secrete active vitamin D3, promote the absorption of calcium by the small intestine, and thus maintain the normal development and health of bones. In addition, the kidneys can regulate the excretion of phosphates, maintain the balance of blood calcium and phosphorus, and further ensure bone health.

4. Produce red blood cells and maintain hematopoietic function

The kidneys also secrete erythropoietin (EPO), a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce red blood cells. Red blood cells are important cells responsible for transporting oxygen and carbon dioxide, and play an important role in maintaining normal physiological functions of the human body.

The kidney is an important organ of the human body. Once its function is damaged and the body is unable to compensate, it may lead to renal insufficiency or even uremia, which seriously threatens health.

Don’t do these 5 things anymore!

Since the kidneys are so important to the human body, what behaviors in daily life can cause damage to the urinary system and kidneys?

①Holding urine

Holding urine for a long time will cause urine to stay in the bladder for a long time, increasing the risk of bacterial infection and stone formation. Therefore, we need to urinate regularly to avoid excessive holding of urine.

② Staying up late

Staying up late for a long time will disrupt the body's biological clock and affect the rest and repair of the kidneys, so we should maintain good work and rest habits and ensure adequate sleep.

Copyright images in the gallery. Reprinting and using them may lead to copyright disputes.

③Eating too well

In particular, a high-protein, high-salt diet will also increase the burden on the kidneys and easily form stones. Therefore, it is necessary to promote a balanced diet, reduce the intake of salt and protein, and appropriately increase the intake of vegetables and fruits to ensure a balanced nutrition.

④ Overwork

Overwork can put the body in a state of tension and affect the normal function of the kidneys. Therefore, we should arrange work and rest reasonably to avoid long-term overwork.

⑤ Insufficient drinking water

Insufficient water intake can lead to concentrated urine, increasing the risk of stones and infection. Therefore, we should ensure adequate water intake every day, with white or light yellow urine, which can further reduce the occurrence of stones and urogenital tract infections.

How to protect your kidneys?

First of all, you should develop good work and rest habits, ensure adequate sleep, go to bed before 11 o'clock every night at the latest, and maintain 7 to 8 hours of sleep. In addition, you should arrange work and rest reasonably, avoid long-term heavy physical labor, take proper rest, and avoid overwork. When you feel the urge to urinate, you should urinate in time to avoid holding urine for a long time.

Secondly, we should eat healthy, reduce the intake of milk tea and beverages, eat more vegetables and fruits, and maintain a balanced diet. We should keep a good mood, avoid serious mental stress or anxiety, and maintain a good attitude. Only in this way can our kidneys be kept in a good state.

In addition, if the following situations occur, you should go to the hospital for examination in time:

① Blood streaks, fresh blood or turbid urine;

②Persistent back pain or lower abdominal pain;

③ Frequent urination, frequent urination or urgency;

④ Abnormal urine color, such as dark urine or urine with a strange smell;

⑤ Fatigue, weakness or weight loss;

⑥Edema or hypertension.

In short, it is very important to protect kidney health. We should avoid the above behaviors that damage the kidneys, maintain good living habits, and have regular physical examinations so that kidney diseases can be detected and treated in time.

Author: Wu Zhigang, deputy chief physician of the Urology Department of the First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University

Review丨Xiao Yongshuang, deputy chief physician of urology department, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University