Unrecognized health complaints The kidneys are quiet and silent

What protects the kidneys: Take on over-the-counter painkillers only for a short time

Kidneys perform important drainage and detoxification functions, producing hormones for blood pressure regulation and important red blood cells. Kidneys are vital. If they get sick, this has fatal consequences, precisely because symptoms usually do not appear until it is already too late.

In order to protect the kidneys, one should not only drink a lot, but especially medications should never take without good reason, it points out the Uro GmbH North Rhine, a merger of established urologists in NRW. In addition, the experts recommend from the age of 35 to have a check-up made, which offers the health insurance.

Diabetics and hypertensive patients are at particularly high risk of developing kidney disease. But smokers and obese are at risk. Problem: Kidney damage does not cause discomfort. Neither pain, exhaustion or discoloration in the urine show that something is wrong. Urologists, on the other hand, can detect disease at check-up with simple, early-stage lab tests.

In addition to a proper adjustment of the blood sugar in diabetics and the blood pressure in patients there are some rules that everyone should pay attention to. "For the protection of the kidneys, which ultimately work like a giant blood vessel, all the rules that strengthen the cardiovascular system apply," explains urologist Dr. med. Reinhold Schaefer from the network. "These include sports, healthy eating, avoiding obesity and abstaining from cigarettes." In addition, kidneys need enough water for their detoxification function to transport pollutants through the urine.

It should be about one and a half liters a day, more in heat and sports. Last but not least, it is important to understand that the kidneys are filtering organs and to remove drugs from the blood. Especially with long-term use of painkillers they do maximum work. Therefore, never over-the-counter medicines without medical consultation over a longer period of time. (Sb)