World Kidney Day

World Kidney Day is a global campaign which has the aim of raising awareness over the important role that our kidneys play on our overall health. It wants to reduce the frequency and impact of kidneys disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

This campaign hasn’t stop growing since it was created in 2006.

The theme

One of the characteristics of this campaign is that every year, a particular theme is chosen for the campaign. For instance, in 2019 the theme was Kidney Health for Everyone, Everywhere and in 2018 it was Kidneys & Women’s Health.

This year World Kidney Day continues to raise awareness of kidney diseases and the campaign theme highlights the importance of preventive interventions to avert the onset and progression of kidney disease.

Why is important to take care of kidneys

Kidneys are essential to our health. Their main function is to remove toxins and excess water from our blood and make urine. Moreover, they help controlling our blood pressure and control our body’s chemical balance. They produce red blood cells and help making our bones stronger and healthier.

How?

You may be asking yourselves how can you take care of your kidneys. Well, it is easier than it seems. In the official webpage of World Kidney Day we can find eight golden rules that can guide us through the process.

8 golden rules

First of all, it is very important to exercise and be active. This can allow you to have the ideal body weight and reduce the risk of having many diseases. Following a healthy diet is essential to assure a proper function of the kidneys. It is very important to reduce the processed food intake and start preparing fresh food with abundant fruits and vegetables. Moreover, controlling both blood sugar and blood pressure is necessary. Why? On the one hand, by controlling blood sugar you can prevent kidney damage and diagnose diabetes in an early stage.  On the other hand, controlling blood pressure can reduce the risk of suffering a kidney disease or other health problems. Blood pressure, if diagnosed early can be treated easily with lifestyle changes and medication.

In order to maintain healthy kidneys, we must take the quantity of fluid required for our body. The specific quantity for any individual depends on many factors such as, exercise, climate and health conditions. And please, quit smoking! Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys and increases the risk of suffering cancer. Another important aspect is being careful with pills intake. Common drugs can harm the kidneys if taken regularly. Finally, don’t forget getting your kidney function checked by your doctor if you have any “high risk factor” such as diabetes, hypertension, obesity or a family history of kidney disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney Disease (CKD) is a progressive loss in kidney function over a period of months or years. There are many causes of CKD among which we find high blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes as the most common. Most people have no symptoms until the disease is advanced. Signs of advancing CKD include swollen ankles, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, decreased appetite, blood in the urine and foamy urine.

There is no cure for chronic kidney diseases, but treatment can slow or halt the progression of the disease and can prevent other serious conditions from developing.

Many individuals and organizations around the world celebrate this day by organizing different activities aimed at raising awareness of kidney disease. Here in Barcelona, there are organized activities too, for example in the Vall d’Hebron Hospital.

Don’t doubt contacting us for more information or to get a visit!