Call (916) 872-9000 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Call (916) 872-9000 to speak with a licensed insurance agent.

Keeping Your Kidneys Healthy

Posted by Joe DeMeo, March 4, 2020

March is National Kidney Month, a time to raise awareness about kidney disease. Because your kidneys are responsible for filtering toxins and waste products from your blood, their function is vitally important to your health.

It’s true that we can function normally with one kidney, in the event of a loss, but disease in both kidneys can be disastrous. There are many different types of kidney disease, ranging from minor to life threatening. It is important to learn how to protect your kidneys and spot signs of a developing problem.

First, promote kidney health by…

  • Avoiding excess salt, which can disrupt the balance of minerals in your blood
  • Avoiding processed foods and eat more fresh, whole foods
  • Exercising regularly
  • Taking other steps to control blood pressure, which is a risk factor for kidney disease
  • Drinking plenty of water and stay hydrated
  • Abstaining from medications that aren’t absolutely necessary, especially nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • Living a healthier lifestyle in general (avoiding cigarettes and alcohol, for example)

In addition, have your kidney function tested regularly if you…

  • Have diabetes
  • Have high blood pressure
  • Are overweight
  • Have a family history of kidney disease

Staying on top of your kidney health, if you have any of the above risk factors, is extra important. If a problem does develop your doctor can recommend treatments earlier, which can be much more effective than if a problem goes undetected for a long period of time.

Finally, be on the lookout for signs of a kidney problem:

  • Fatigue
  • Trouble concentrating
  • Inability to sleep
  • Increased or decreased urination
  • Dry, itchy skin
  • Foamy urine
  • Blood in your urine
  • Swelling of feet or ankles
  • Puffiness around eyes
  • Reduced appetite
  • Muscle cramps

Any time you notice the above symptoms, contact your doctor to schedule an appointment. Many forms of kidney disease can be corrected, but earlier detection is always preferable.

Need more information on your insurance options?

Contact us online to learn more

Contact Us

Close Accessibility Tools
Accessibility Controls Reset
Content Adjustments
Font Size

Default

Line Height

Default

Content Scaling

Default

Highlight Titles
Highlight Links
Highlight Forms
Align Left
Align Center
Align Right
Focus Mode
Color Adjustments
Desaturate
Monochrome
Contrast

Default

Saturation

Default

Accessibility Statement

Despite our attempts to make this website accessible for everyone, there may still be some pages or sections that are not completely accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or do not have a suitable technological solution to make them accessible. Nevertheless, we are always striving to enhance our accessibility by adding, updating, improving its options and features, and incorporating new technologies.

We want to provide our users with the best experience possible, so we strive to support as many browsers and assistive technologies as possible.

If you wish to contact this website's owner, please use the contact form on the website.

Our User Interface Adjustment Options

Font adjustments - With this tool, users can modify font size, style, letter spacing, and line height for improved alignment and readability.

Color adjustments - Users can customize their color contrast profiles to light, dark, desaturated, and monochrome.

Content highlighting - Users can prioritize key elements such as links, forms, and titles.

Content focus - Users can enable focus mode to highlight the current page information based on their mouse movement.

Close