Guide To Kidney Disease Diagnosis And Treatment

Quit Smoking And Limit Alcohol

A chronic kidney disease patient will be advised to quit smoking and limit their consumption of alcohol as part of their treatment regimen. Kidney disease develops when the kidney tissues become damaged by some mechanism and can longer meet the demand of the individual's body. Smoking causes harm to the kidneys by increasing their blood pressure, decreasing the flow of blood in the kidneys, increasing angiotensin II production, narrowing blood vessels in the kidneys, causing damage to arterioles, and promoting atherosclerosis in the kidneys. Consumption of alcohol damages the kidneys by altering the way they work to filter toxins and wastes from the blood. An individual who has been diagnosed with kidney disease may be advised to strictly limit their alcohol intake because the impaired kidneys are not able to stop the alcohol from dehydrating the body to harmful levels. Alcohol consumption is also proven to increase blood pressure, which also causes damage to the kidney tissues.

Lose Excess Weight

An overweight or obese individual who has been diagnosed with kidney disease may need to lose excess weight to carry out a successful treatment regimen. Excess weight on the body makes an individual more prone to kidney damage through several known and some unknown mechanisms. Several mechanisms that bridge the association between excess weight on the body and kidney disease are factors in comorbid conditions and diseases that promote kidney disease and are caused by being overweight or obese. These comorbid conditions and diseases include diabetes, atherosclerosis, hypertension, and several others. Excess adiposity in an individual's body increases the production of protein hormones like adiponectin, resistin, and leptin. Excess adipose tissues in the body have direct effects on the functionality of the kidneys through the development of oxidative stress, excessive activation of the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system, insulin resistance, inflammation, abnormal metabolism of lipids, and increased production of insulin. Losing excess weight in the setting of kidney disease can help slow an affected individual's kidney impairment.