National Kidney Month: Ten things you should know about kidney health

March is National Kidney Month, a time to learn more about kidney health and encourage people to make kidney-friendly choices. Keep reading for ten things to know about kidney health and kidney disease.

1. The kidneys remove waste and excess fluid and maintain the water, salt, and mineral balance in your blood. Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood each minute.

2. Kidneys also produce hormones to help control blood pressure, make red blood cells, and support bone health.

3. Damaged kidneys may filter blood less effectively or, in the case of kidney failure, very little or not at all.

4. Smart food choices, regular exercise and weight management, controlling diabetes and high blood pressure, and drinking plenty of water can all help support kidney function.

5. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than one in seven adults is thought to have chronic kidney disease or CKD. As many as nine in 10 adults with CKD don’t know they have it.

6. The most common causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure.

7. People with chronic kidney disease often experience no symptoms until the disease is in its later stages. Your doctor can give you a serum creatinine level test that will help determine your kidney function.

8. Kidney failure is only treatable with dialysis (filtering the blood with a machine) or a kidney transplant.

9. NSAIDs like Aleve or Advil can lead to kidney damage if taken incorrectly or for too long. Do not take more than the recommended dosage or use for more than ten days.

10. People at risk of kidney disease should keep up with annual physical exams to stay on top of their health and detect kidney damage early.