by Health Editor
From the Italian Society of Nephrology a handbook with useful advice to keep your kidneys healthy throughout the summer
The increase in temperatures associated with excessive alcohol consumption, a diet rich in fats and proteins, excessive sweating and an unbalanced diet can jeopardize the correct functioning of the kidneys. There Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) has created a handbook with good habits to keep the kidneys healthy even in the heat.
The kidneys ensure the balance of the body’s electrodes and fluids by eliminating the main metabolic waste products. The increase in temperatures, expected in the next few days, puts their correct functioning at risk with possible consequences especially for the elderly, hypertensive, patients with renal and/or cardiac insufficiency. For this reason, the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) has drawn up a handbook with good habits to keep the kidneys healthy.
Is it better to drink a lot or a little?
When the body is healthy, the kidneys work better, and with less effort, in a dilution regime, i.e. when a lot of fluids are taken which enable the kidneys to rapidly eliminate harmful substances. Not everyone, however, is good to drink a lot. In the presence of renal and/or cardiac insufficiency it is necessary to avoid taking quantities of water and liquids much higher than normal because, in these cases, the kidneys are not able to eliminate all the excess liquids, with consequent appearance of retention and risk of heart failure. When renal insufficiency is such as to require dialysis – explains Stefano Bianchi, President of the Italian Society of Nephrology (SIN) – one must even drink very little, despite the strong sensation 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 be sucked is valid only if, during the day, two-three cubes are taken, because ice, clearly, is nothing but water and counts the total quantity.
In case of high blood pressure
Hypertensives, especially if elderly, taking antihypertensive and/or diuretic therapy, should have their doctor evaluate if it is necessary to modify the therapy. In the summer – underlines Mariacristina Gregorini, SIN Secretary and Director of the SC Nephrology and Dialysis AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia – it is very important to frequently check the blood pressure of the elderly, because, as is well known, the heat tends to cause its values to decrease significantly. With excessively low 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: the 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).
What to know
Elderly people and patients with chronic kidney disease, especially in summer when they are at risk of dehydration, should seek immediate medical attention in case of diarrhea and/or vomiting because some drugs taken (aceinhibitors, sartans, diuretics, metformin, glyphozine) could accumulate and produce even serious toxic effects. Common sense recommendations apply to all: avoid going out during the hottest hours, avoid excessive physical exertion in places with high temperatures, drink abundantly (but reduce the consumption of alcohol which increases the work of the kidneys), protect yourself from direct sunlight, avoid meals rich in fat and protein to which pasta, vegetables and fruit should be preferred.
July 5, 2023 (change July 5, 2023 | 3:29 pm)
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