Better kidney health for kids: Seven golden rules

Kidney disease is one of the most common among adults, and many habits adapted by kids over the years can set the stage for kidney disease. Therefore, you can help your kid(s) protect their kidney from an early age. Here are some of the golden rules to follow to ensure kidney healthy for kids in future.

Activities are important: Regular exercise and engaging your kids in some kind of physical activities can help your kid feel better, and improve and maintain their health. In turn, it keeps your kid’s body healthy, including their bones, muscles, heart and kidneys.

Reduce sugar: Too much intake of sugar can raise the risk of diabetes as kids get older. High blood sugar can also put a strain on the kidneys. Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure in adults. One of the ways to lower sugary intake is cutting back on sugary drinks, such as sodas, juices and sports drinks.

Serve water: Serving water instead of sugary drinks is a good way to cut down on sugar. Water is important for good kidney health and helps the kidneys remove wastes from the blood in the form of urine. Having enough water to prevent dehydration is important, especially for kids. Mild dehydration can make kids feel tired. Further, it can impair normal bodily functions, and very severe dehydration can lead to kidney damage.

Reduce salt: As we are aware, sodium is needed for the body to function, but anything too much can be harmful. Sodium can make the body hold on to more water. This extra stored water can raise the blood pressure and strain different parts of the body, including blood vessels and kidneys. High blood pressure can damage kidneys as they get older. High blood pressure is the second leading cause of kidney failure in adults. So, keep a check of the sodium intake in kids.

Get regular checkups: Make sure you get regular checkups for your kid. By doing a thorough check up your kid can be detected if they are experiencing any unusual symptoms, such as feeling tired, difficulty in sleeping, trouble concentrating, poor appetite, issues with urinating, swollen feet and ankles, etc. Usually, urine and blood tests can be used to check how well their kidneys are working.

At NU Hospitals, known to be one of the finest kidney care hospitals in Bangalore, will diagnose and evaluate your kid just the right way. Backed by some of the best kidney specialists in Bangalore along with state-of-the-art facilities, you need not worry about a thing.