How much water should you drink for kidney health

How much water should you drink for kidney health

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Excessive alcohol consumption, diet rich in fats and proteins, excessive sweating, overheated environments, too little water, too much water. With the increase in temperatures there are many risks that put a strain on the correct functioning of the kidneys, organs that are fundamental for the health of our body. This is why the Italian Society of Nephrology (Sin) emphasizes good habits to keep the kidneys healthy and virtuous behaviors for patients with chronic kidney disease (mrc).

The right amount of water: too little or too much?

The kidneys ensure the balance of electrolytes and fluids in the body, eliminating the main metabolic waste products. In healthy conditions, the kidneys work better and with less effort ‘in a dilution regime’, i.e. when you drink lots of liquids, eliminating harmful substances more quickly. The advice to drink a lot, however, applies to people with normal kidney and heart function. In the presence of renal and/or cardiac insufficiency (especially when there is hypokinetic heart disease with episodes of heart failure), it is necessary to avoid taking much higher than normal quantities of water and liquids, because the kidneys become unable to eliminate excess liquids, resulting in the onset of retention up to heart failure.

“When kidney failure is such as to require dialysis – he explains Stefano Bianchi, president of the Italian Society of Nephrology (Sin) – you should even drink very little, despite the strong feeling of thirst. Dialysis patients must always be reminded to reduce salt and salty foods especially in the summer to reduce thirst; the widespread ‘remedy’ of the ice cube to suck is valid only if, during the day, two or three cubes are taken, because ice, clearly, is nothing but water and counts the total quantity”.

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Beware of pressure

Another category of patients at risk is that of hypertensives, especially if elderly, who take antihypertensive therapy, especially when taking diuretics, ACE inhibitors or sartans. “In the summer,” he underlines Mariacristina Gregorini, Sin secretary and director of the sC Nephrology and dialysis Ausl- Irccs of Reggio Emilia – it is very important to check blood pressure often in the elderly, because as is well known, the heat tends to cause the values ​​to reduce even significantly. With excessively low blood pressure values ​​(especially when the maximum is around 100 mmHg or lower), the elderly more easily encounter a phenomenon of ‘hypoperfusion’ of the internal organs, i.e. poor blood circulation in particular of the three vital organs par excellence: brain (with increased risk of falls from lipothymia), heart (with risk of cardiac suffering), kidneys (with reduced renal function up to real cases of acute renal failure)”.

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In the heat of the day, antihypertensive and/or diuretic therapy should not be suspended, but very often it must be remodulated according to the body’s needs: this operation must always be done under the supervision of your family doctor or specialist, because each case must be evaluated in its specificity and the modifications of the therapy must be considered, and implemented, in the context of the pathologies and taking into account the general condition of the patient.

Diarrhea and vomiting signals that should not be underestimated

Another very important recommendation for the elderly, but also for all patients with chronic kidney disease, particularly in the summer when the risk of dehydration is greater, is to seek immediate medical attention in case of diarrhea and/or vomiting , because some drugs taken (aceinhibitors, sartans, diuretics, metformin, glyphozines) could accumulate and produce even serious toxic effects.

Common sense to stay healthy

Lastly, close attention must always be paid to the extreme ages of life, who often do not know how to communicate what they feel: to the very old, moreover, who are particularly fragile, and to children, especially infants, for whom appropriate clothing is required (light and breathable) and adequate fluid intake.

Common sense recommendations are always valid for everyone: avoid if possible going out during the hottest hours, avoid excessive physical exertion outdoors or in non-air-conditioned rooms and drink adequately if you sweat profusely, protect yourself from direct sunlight, avoid meals rich in fats and proteins, preferring above all pasta, vegetables and fruit, reduce or avoid the consumption of alcohol.

Alcohol enemy of health: vasodilatation and diuretic effect

The greater intake of alcohol in the summer, linked to the increase in social occasions, can be harmful to health, as well as always representing a great danger when driving. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate and has a diuretic effect, increasing the work of the kidneys. Therefore, alcohol consumed in large quantities, in combination with the effects of heat and possibly with drugs, can increase the risk of kidney damage.

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