Give your kidneys a bit of a break by using the tips below:
- Drink lots of water to flush out wastes. Drinking water also helps lower the chances of kidney stones and infections.
- Keep your blood pressure in the target range. Weight control, exercise, and drugs can control blood pressure—and prevent or slow the risk of kidney failure. Also, blood pressure drugs in the ACE-inhibitor and ARB class help slow down a loss of protein in the urine and protect the kidneys. Blood pressure puts a lot of stress on your kidneys. If you have high blood pressure and any other kidney problem, treating your blood pressure will help protect your kidneys.
- If you have diabetes, keep your blood sugar in the target range. Weight control, exercise, medication, and tight control of blood sugar can prevent or slow the risk of kidney failure.
- Have blockages (e.g., narrowed arteries) treated. Sometimes blockages can be opened to help save function in a blocked kidney. If you think you have a blockage, ask your doctor what can be done about it.
- Take steps to prevent kidney stones if you are prone to them.
- Take steps to prevent infections if you are prone to them.
- Check with your doctor to see if there is a special diet you should be on, such as low protein, low salt (sodium), and low phosphorus.
Avoid Known Kidney Toxins
- Limit use of over-the-counter or prescription painkillers that contain ibuprofen (Advil®, Motrin®), naproxen (Aleve®), or acetaminophen (Tylenol®). These non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) cause blood vessels in the kidneys to shrink, so less blood flow comes through. If you take any of these drugs often, be sure to tell your doctor. Taking these drugs with caffeine can also further harm the kidneys. Drinking a large glass of water when you take an NSAID can help your kidneys flush the drug out.
- Know your own drug allergies. Sometimes taking a drug that you are allergic to can damage the kidneys.
- Ask about a drug’s effects on the kidneys any time you take a new medication. Some antibiotics and chemotherapy drugs are known to be hard on the kidneys. If you know that your kidney function is less than normal, avoid these drugs if you can and see if your doctor can prescribe something else.
- Avoid X-ray dye tests or have your doctor take steps to protect your kidneys. Less toxic dye can be used (this costs more), the dye can be diluted, and it can be flushed out of your body with extra fluid. Some doctors prescribe a drug called Mucomyst ® to help protect the kidneys from the dye.
- Get a throat culture if you have a sore throat—and treatment if it is caused by Strep bacteria.
- Avoid use of street drugs. If you use them, know that they can harm your health and seek help to stop. Be honest with your doctor about what you are using so he or she can help treat you.
- Quit smoking. In people with CKD, research has linked smoking to an increase in the amount of protein in the urine. In smokers with diabetes, kidney disease may progress twice as fast . Get help to quit smoking and prolong your kidney function.
Other steps you take do to keep your kidneys working well for as long as possible include:
- Visit your doctor for check ups.
- Take all drugs as prescribed—in the right amount, at the right time.
- Tell your doctor about any herbs, supplements, or over-the-counter drugs you take. Just because some products are sold without a doctor’s prescription does not mean they are safe for people with less than normal kidney function.
- Follow any dietary limits as prescribed.
- Know your blood or urine test names and what the results mean.
Do Your Part
If you are at risk for kidney disease, there are many things you can do to help keep your kidneys working. With knowledge of the signs and symptoms of CKD and early treatment you can protect your kidneys and live long and well with CKD.
About CKD
What You Can Do
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