Stress, painkillers, contrast dyes used in imaging can make you prone to chronic kidney diseases

Did you know severe stress, excessive use of painkillers and exposure to contrast dyes used in imaging can affect your kidneys and make you a patient of chronic kidney disease? Know all about these surprising contributing factors to kidney ailments here.

Sreemoyee Chatterjee | Updated: August 23, 2018 1:29 pm

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a huge health burden for India with a prevalence of 17% out of the total health burden in the country, shows the Kidney Disease Data Centre Study by the International Society of Nephrology. While several researches suggest that diabetes and hypertension account for 40% to 60% of chronic kidney ailments in India, you will be stunned to know that just not these, but there are several other contributing factors about which you may have not heard of. As prevention is always better than cure, it is important for you to be aware of these rare risk factors ailing your kidneys.

Acute stress can make your kidneys fall sick: Severe stress and uncontrolled reactions to stress can damage your kidneys, according to the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Thereby, managing stress is a vital part of maintaining your kidney health. Also, stress can make you diabetic and increase your blood pressure. Both diabetes and hypertension can adversely impact your kidney health and make you prone to chronic kidney disease.

Prolonged use of painkillers not so good: Painkillers may give you instant relief from pain, but they can ruin your kidneys by affecting the tissues and the kidney structure. Long-term use of high dose painkillers can reduce blood flow to the kidneys. Hence, it is essential to stay away from excessive use of painkillers, especially Non-Steroidal Anti- Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) as these account for 1 to 3% of new cases of chronic kidney disease.

Smoking can damage your kidneys: While heart and lungs are known to be hit the most due to smoking, kidneys too are not an exception. Studies show that smokers are at a greater risk of having protein in urine which is a potent symptom of kidney decay. Not just that, smoking increases the risk of diabetes and hypertension which potentially affect your kidneys.

Your kidneys may bear the brunt of consuming heavy sugar: If you have a sweet tooth you may have to be extra careful about your kidney health as studies have shown that eating and drinking lots of sugar can lead to diabetes and obesity which are potent risk factors for kidney damage. Lessening sugar intake will be a bliss for your waistline and your kidneys.

Contrast dyes used in imaging may hurt your kidneys: Ensure that you go through a kidney check-up before you are taken in for any radiology procedures including X-rays, angiogram and CT scans. This because exposure to contrast dyes often used in imaging can lead to a steep and sudden drop in your kidney functions.

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Published: August 23, 2018 12:47 pm | Updated:August 23, 2018 1:29 pm

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