My posting this was necessitated as a result of the death of Nollywood actor Muna Obiekwe. May his soul rest in peace, Amen.

When lalasticlala posted news of his death yesterday and stated the cause of death as kidney failure I was shocked and decided to look into the cause of kidney failure, I was indeed enlightened about kidney disease. I found out a lot , but most surprising were habits that most Nigerians engage in which could cause kidney damage.

I know most folks on Nairaland hate lengthy epistles which may be boring to read so I'll briefly list those bad habits here, for a more detailed explanation you can find the URL links at the bottom of my post.

1. Delayed emptying of your bladder -Retaining urine in your bladder for a long time on a daily basis when pressed is a very bad idea. Long-term full bladder is easy to cause the bladder damage. That the urine stays at bladder for a long time can cause the bacteria breeding easily, once the urine refluxes back to ureter and kidneys, the toxic
substance cam result in the kidney infections, then urinary tract infection, and then nephritis, even Uremia. So when nature calls, answer it without delay.

2. Consuming too much salt - No more than 5.8 grams of salt should be eaten daily, so take it easy with that salt shaker.

3. Consuming too much meat - According to Harvard University, too much protein in your diet can harm the kidneys. The by product of protein digestion is
ammonia – a toxin your hard-working kidneys need to neutralize. More protein means more effort for the kidneys, which can, over time, lead to decreased function.

4. Consuming too much caffeine - We often consume more caffeine than we think we do. Caffeine is in many soft drinks and sodas, and before you know it, your blood pressure goes through the roof and your kidneys start complaining. Take it easy on the likes of Fanta, Coke, 7Up, Fayrouz, etc

5. Not drinking enough water – Our kidneys need to get properly hydrated to perform their functions. If we don’t drink enough, the toxins can start accumulating in the blood, as there isn’t enough fluid
to drain them through the kidneys. Drink about 12 glasses of water a day. An easy way to see if you’re drinking enough is to check the colour of your urine. The lighter in colour, the better.

6. Improper and untimely treatment of infections - Treat infections properly and on time and complete medication dosage.

7. Pain-killer abuse - Taking excessive amounts of analgesics to relive pain is a no no!

8. Too much alcohol consumption - The toxins found in alcohol not only damage the liver, but also your kidneys. According to Kidney Health Australia and American Kidney Fund, one way to avoid kidney disease is to drink alcohol in moderation.

9. Smoking -Smoking has been linked to arthrosclerosis. The narrowing and hardening of blood vessels affects the blood supply to all vital organs, including the kidneys. According to the study published in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics,
two cigarettes a day are enough to double the number of endothelial cells present in your blood. This is a signal of arterial damage. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology cites many
different studies conducted since 2003 which all link smoking to decreased kidney function.

10. Lack of exercise - Exercise is another good way to protect your kidneys. A large study published in 2013 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology suggested that postmenopausal women who
exercised had 31% lower risk of developing kidney stones. Generally speaking, maintaining a healthy weight will reduce your chances of kidney stones, so get moving.

References:
www.kidney-support.org/living-with-kidney-disease/14.html

www.healthyandnaturalworld.com/common-habits-that-can-damage-your-kidneys/

www.healthyfoodstar.com/10-common-habits-that-damage-the-kidneys/

Let's stay healthy, if not for anything stay healthy for those you love, because they need you in their lives. Wishing everyone a healthy 2015.