Dr. Jim Surrell, Journal columnist

National Kidney Month is observed every March in the USA. The intent of National Kidney Month is to make us aware of the significant importance of maintaining our kidney health.

This month is also a time to encourage people to support kidney disease research and to take steps to keep their own kidneys safe and healthy. Our kidneys filter our blood, make urine, and produce the red blood cells that carry oxygen through our body. Let us know take a more detailed look at our kidneys and how to take care of them to keep us healthy.

Our kidneys are fist-sized organs located at the bottom of your rib cage, on both sides of your spine. They perform several functions. Most importantly, they filter waste products, excess water, and other impurities from your blood. These waste products are stored in your bladder and later expelled through urine

In addition, our kidneys regulate pH, salt, and potassium levels in your body. They also produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells. Our kidneys are also responsible for activating a form of vitamin D that helps our body absorb calcium for building bones and regulating muscle function.

Maintaining kidney health is very important to our overall health and our general well-being. By keeping our kidneys healthy, our body will filter and expel waste properly and produce hormones to help our body function properly. Let us now take a look at some ways for us to maintain our kidney health.

Regular exercise is good for more than just your waistline. It can lower the risk of chronic kidney disease. It can also reduce your  blood pressure and boost your heart health, which are both important to preventing kidney damage. You don’t have to run marathons to reap the reward of exercise. Walking, running, cycling, and even dancing are great for your health. Find an activity that keeps you busy and have fun. It’ll be easier to stick to it and have great results.

People with diabetes, or a condition that causes high blood sugar, may develop kidney damage. When your body’s cells can’t use the glucose (sugar) in your blood, your kidneys are forced to work extra hard to filter your blood. Over years of exertion, this can lead to life-threatening kidney damage. However, if you control your blood sugar, you reduce the risk of damage. Also, if the damage is caught early, your doctor can take steps to reduce or prevent any additional kidney damage.

High blood pressure can cause kidney damage. If high blood pressure occurs with other health issues like diabetes, heart disease, or high cholesterol, the impact on your body can be significant.

A healthy blood pressure reading is 120/80. If your blood pressure readings are consistently above 140/90, you may have high blood pressure. You should talk with your doctor about monitoring your blood pressure regularly, making changes to your lifestyle, and possibly taking medication.

It is very important for our kidney health to be sure we stay properly hydrated and the best way to do this is to drinks lots of water every day. If you do not have any medical fluid restriction, it is recommended that we drink about 60 ounces of water every day. Know that staying hydrated with regular, consistent water intake is healthy for our kidneys. Water helps us to clear sodium and toxins from our kidneys and will lower our risk of ever developing chronic kidney disease.

Smoking damages all of our body’s blood vessels. This leads to slower blood flow throughout our body and to our kidneys. Smoking also puts our kidneys at an increased risk for cancer. If you don’t smoke, or stop smoking, you will greatly reduce your risk of kidney disease and kidney cancer.

Remember that you will keep your kidneys healthy with regular exercise, by controlling any diabetes or high blood pressure, by staying properly hydrated and by never smoking. Following these healthy guidelines will definitely help to maintain your kidney health and your overall health as well.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Jim Surrell is the author of “The ABC’s For Success In All We Do” and the “SOS (Stop Only Sugar) Diet” books.Contact Dr. Surrell by email at sosdietdoc@gmail.com.