Listen to your kidney!

Excuse Me, What Have I Done To Deserve These? 

I have been loyal to you since you were in the womb and served you dutifully until now. I never asked you for holiday. 

I have worked every day. Even if I have offended you, I do not deserve the treatment you are meting out to me.

 For many months now, you have been loading me with salt. I keep absorbing water to help me cope with the high salt bombardment.

 Now, I have absorbed so much water that your blood pressure is much higher than it should be. 

This has created enmity between me and your heart who is forced to overwork. It keeps blaming me for its misfortune and, in return, strokes me. 

As if that is not enough, you refuse to exercise thereby starving me of oxygen supply. This has compromised my fitness. 

Instead of providing me with enough oxygen, you decided to pump me with lots of herbal concoctions and supplements which make me sicker. Some of them clog together and form stones in me, pinching me and making me uncomfortable. 

How I wish you could see my tears!!! You have so damaged me that I can no longer do my duty as security guard. Imagine ordinary proteins run through me to your urine. I can barely stop them. They mock me as they pass through. Why? 

What have I done? Is it a sin for me to occupy a vital position in your body? To make matters worse, when you felt a little of my pain, instead of getting help from your doctor and pharmacist, you bombarded me with deadly pain killers and strong antibiotics. 

Now, I am just too weak to go on. 

Why? Why? Why? What have I done to deserve all these? 

Signed 

The Kidney, 

Your frustrated servant. 

The kidneys are amazing organs that perform fantastic roles in the body. They help us to:

⦁ Make urine

⦁ Remove wastes and extra fluid from the blood

⦁ Control our body’s chemical balance

⦁ Control our blood pressure

⦁ Keep our bones healthy

⦁ Make red blood cells

What Can You Do To Help Your Kidney?

1. Keep fit, Be active (Exercise) 

This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure and the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.

2. Eat a healthy diet

Intentionally add to your daily diets, food rich in fruits and fibres. 

This can help to maintain an ideal body weight, reduce your blood pressure, prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease.

3. Reduce your salt intake: 

The recommended salt intake (sodium) is 5-6 grams (about a level tea spoonful) of salt per day. Excess or additional intake of salt is detrimental to your heart and kidney. Sweetness of any food ends at the tip of the tongue. Limit the amount of processed and outdoor food and do not add salt to a prepared food. 

4. Check and control your blood sugar

Knowing and monitoring your blood sugar is very important to kidney health. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. About half of people who have diabetes develop kidney damage; but this can be prevented/ limited if the diabetes is well controlled. 

5. Check and control your blood pressure

About half of people who have high blood pressure do not know they have it, while many of the people who are aware, do not go for treatment or follow their health advice. Checking and maintaining good blood pressure is essential to your heart and kidney. This is especially important for those who are approaching middle age or older. High blood pressure can damage your kidneys. Check up with your pharmacist or physician today.

6. Take sufficient water everyday 

The right level of fluid (water) intake for any individual depends on many factors including exercise, climate, health conditions, pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Normally this means 8 cups, approximately 2 liters (quarts) per day for a healthy person in a comfortable climate condition. Dehydration can adversely affect the functions of your kidney.  

7. Don’t smoke

Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. When less blood reaches the kidneys, it can decrease their ability to function normally. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer by about 50 per cent.

8. Avoid self-medication; always seek the consent of your pharmacist or physician

Common pain killers such as ibuprofen and the likes can harm the kidneys if taken regularly without health advice. Discourage the custom of “drug mixing” when next you have pain. Go for consultation, speak to your pharmacist. 

Get your kidney function checked if you have one or more of the ‘high risk’ factors

World Kidney Day 2022 – Kidney health for all

Reference: 

Victory Drugs Pharmacy

World Kidney Day Campaign 

Powered by Drug Information Centre, Association of Community Pharmacists of Nigeria (ACPN DIC)

13, Ladipo Kuku Street, Ikeja, Lagos.