KIDNEY HEALTH

Kidneys, urine my thoughts lately...  

Give me a moment while I have a wee laugh about that one.  

So why am I starting this weeks blog post to you with a kidney pun?  Because it’s time that this silent disease got some noise.  Despite the fact that 1 in 3 Australian adults are at risk of chronic Kidney Disease, there are often no warning signs up until the kidneys lose up to 90% of their function and so we rarely put any though into our bean shaped filters.  

What do kidneys even do, why are we meant to take care of them?

These important organs are responsible for filtering your blood to produce the waste into your urine.  They balance your body fluids, produce certain hormones and aid in other important bodily functions.  They sit comfortably against your back muscles just below your rib cage and they’re about the side of a fist.  

And if your kidneys stop working, urine trouble!  (Ok, I’ll stop now)

But in all seriousness, kidney failure is a gradual disease that can sneak up on you without any warning.  High blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney failure.  When your kidneys stop working, wastes and fluid can build up in your blood and make you feel sick, nauseous, weak, tired and have trouble sleeping. 

So, I take this pretty seriously, which is why Hugh and I have both been looking after out kidney beans by using our Amcal Pharmacy at home kidney screening check kit and also getting our parents and loved ones to start getting serious about kidney health. 

If you want to keep your kidneys healthy, you can do the basic things we all should to keep healthy as a whole! Stay fit and active, eat healthfully, drink a good amount of water, avoid cigarettes and drugs and monitor your wellbeing.  It’s really that simple.  

You can head into your local Amcal Pharmacy where a pharmacist will check your blood pressure, assess your lifestyle factors and give you a Kidney Check screening test to take home for just $14.99.  This simple test can detect protein in your urine, which is one of the earliest signs of kidney disease.