y posting this was necessitated as a result of the
death of Nollywood actor Muna Obiekwe. May his
soul rest in peace, Amen.
When I had that the cause of his death was 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.
For more information on d short list causes visit d
site after d causes down

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.