10 Common Bad Habits That Cause Kidney Failure/damage

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.