As we get closer to the end of the year, holiday shopping and travel to see loved ones start in earnest. As many as 74% of Americans are expected to travel to visit others during the holiday months, despite concerns about inflation and other rising costs. This means more food preparation, cleaning, and driving, flying, or other travel.
This time of year also brings various stresses on your health, which may put your kidneys at risk if you’re not careful. To find out how to avoid damaging these organs, let’s look at which holiday habits can cause kidney problems, the possible complications, and what you can do to avoid them.
Dr. Ghayas Habach and the dedicated medical team at Merit Health Care are here to help residents of Sylacauga and Talladega, Alabama, with many medical needs related to kidney issues.
Kidneys act as your filtration system, removing waste, excess fluids, and other materials from the body through urination. They also help clean blood and maintain blood pressure, so to protect their health, it’s best to avoid certain habits when you’re enjoying yourself over the holidays:
Specifically, overindulging in classic holiday treats and common dishes at dinner, like cookies, pies, cakes, chocolates, eggnog, and other sugar-filled items. Doing this overloads your blood sugar and can pose kidney problems over time.
Lots of beverages are available at many gatherings, and often that means people aren’t drinking enough water to stay hydrated. Dehydration can also affect kidney function.
Enjoying alcoholic drinks too much can not only dehydrate you and affect your kidneys, but it can also pose several risks to your cardiovascular health.
People tend to spend more time eating after big meals, which can also lead to mood changes, blood sugar spikes, fatigue, and weight gain.
You may not notice anything wrong when on the way home from the festivities, but left unchecked, several of the problems mentioned can lead to other conditions over time.
Often confused with back pain because of their location, kidney pain can result from a number of conditions, including some listed below.
Also referred to as renal calculi, this very common condition affects men more than women and occurs when too much waste is present in the bloodstream, causing crystalline objects to form that can block areas of your urinary tract.
A term that indicates blood in your urine; it can occur in tiny amounts or appear as a pinkish hue. Like kidney pain, it can happen for many reasons, including kidney stones, infection, and other forms of kidney disease.
A viral or bacterial infection in the urinary system can cause issues with your kidneys, including lower back pain, painful urination, fever, and chills.
This can result from preexisting kidney problems that come from things like diabetes, lupus, and other infections like malaria, HIV, or Hepatitis B or C. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can also increase the risk of this condition.
To lower your risk of kidney issues during your holiday travels, try these helpful hints:
Whether you’re trying to prevent kidney issues or already have them, monitoring what you eat and staying active can make a big difference when you're out celebrating with family and friends.
For other ways to keep kidneys healthy at this festive time of year, contact Dr. Habach and Merit Health Care today.
