Even people who don’t smoke are at an alarmingly higher risk of heart disease and lung cancer if they spend several hours a day next to people who do. A recent scientific study on Secondhand Smoke Exposure and Cardiovascular Effects found that breathing secondhand smoke daily increases your risk of heart disease by up to 30%.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that “There is no risk-free level of exposure to secondhand smoke.” Try to stay away from people who smoke in the street, and explain to your family members why smoking next to you is extremely bad for your health. According to the National Kidney Foundation, kidney disease kills more than 90,000 Americans annually.
Keep Your Stress Levels In Check
Stress has been linked to various negative health consequences, both immediate and long-term. Some of the immediate side effects of stress include higher blood pressure and heart rate, a decrease in digestion functioning, and a weakened immune system. Chronic stress also leads to impaired decision-making, poor sleep, and unhealthy eating habits, thus creating a vicious cycle that rapidly leads to poor health.
Uncontrolled stress leads to kidney damage due to high blood pressure which leads to massive strain on your kidneys. If your goal is to live a healthy lifestyle and have healthy kidneys, avoiding and learning how to deal with stress can be one of the most beneficial skills for you to master.
However, Don’t Push Yourself Too Hard (At First)
If you’re one of the rare people who doesn’t just work out but also has a strong competitive drive as well, you might want to listen to the advice we’re about to share with you. When you first start a new physical activity, especially one that your body hasn’t had the chance to acclimate to yet, make sure not to push yourself too hard until you begin to feel comfortable with the activity.
The reason for this precaution is a syndrome called Rhabdomyolysis, which is caused by muscle breakdown. This happens when muscle tissue dies and gets released into the bloodstream, causing kidney overload and in almost half the cases, total kidney failure. This syndrome is quite rare, but it can only happen if you push yourself too hard at something that you’re not used to just yet.
Don’t Ignore Your Body When You’re Sick
Everything from an unwashed hand to sharing space with sick people can eventually lead to you catching a common cold or worse, the flu. The average person will get sick 1-3 times a year, and the more time you spend ill, the more antibodies you produce to fight the infection/virus. These antibiotics may have a negative effect on your kidneys and cause them to become highly inflamed, so you should attempt to keep your colds as short as possible. But how?
First thing’s first, more than 70% of Americans report that they still go to work while they’re sick. This is problematic for two reasons. First, you dramatically increase the chance of someone else becoming sick. Second, it will take you much longer to heal from your cold if you’re sitting at a desk, working.
Mental Health can Improve Kidney Function
People who are chronically stressed suffer from faulty hearts, reduced immune systems, a tendency to gain or lose weight, emotional regulation issues, and yes, even kidney disease. There is a strong consensus among researchers that chronic stress harms your kidney’s health, although the actual reasons for this correlation aren't clear yet. One theory is that high-stress levels cause high blood pressure, which harms the kidneys over time.
Being chronically stressed can also cause a myriad of other negative habits, such as poor sleep amount and quality, as-well-as poor food choices. These may contribute to even further kidney damage. You can try adopting various positive habits that reduce stress such as meditation, and also research how food affects our emotional regulation.