6 ways to improve your kidney health – World Kidney Day 2024

We are joining in with World Kidney Day 2024 to help raise awareness of kidneys, why they are important and how to improve your kidney health.

It’s a topic that’s too BIG to ignore, with 1 in 10 people in the UK now living with Chronic Kidney Disease and around 1.2 million who don’t even know they have it. Kidney disease does not just affect a handful of people – it is now the 10th biggest killer in the world.

Kidney Failure is life-threatening, and while tansplants and dialysis aren’t cures, they are temporary treatments that help keep loved ones with us for longer.

7 facts that everyone should know

• 1.2 million people in the UK don’t know they have kidney disease.
• Kidneys activate vitamin D to help keep your bones and muscles healthy.
• Kidneys clean your blood 40 times every day, removing toxins and waste products.
• Kidney disease is often silent in its early stages with no obvious symptoms.
• Uncontrolled diabetes or high blood pressure are the biggest causes of kidney failure.
• More than 5,000 people are waiting for a kidney transplant
• An estimated 60,000 people in the UK die prematurely every year due to kidney disease.

Early diagnosis and treatment, as well as changes to your diet and lifestyle, are vital and can often help slow down or prevent any further damage. However, if Chronic Kidney Disease goes undetected or is not managed well, it can progress to kidney failure, which is fatal without treatment. Patients with kidney failure will need regular dialysis or a kidney transplant.

6 ways to improve your kidney health

There are several easy ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease and some small changes in your everyday life can have enormous health benefits.

1. Keep fit and active

This helps reduce your blood pressure which will also reduce your risk of kidney disease.

2. Eat healthily and keep your weight in check

This can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with kidney disease.

3. Keep well hydrated

This helps the kidneys clear sodium, urea and toxins from the body which can significantly lower risk of developing chronic kidney disease. Take part in the 30 day water challenge this April.

4. Don’t smoke

Smoking slows blood flow to the kidneys, deceasing their ability to function properly.

5. Monitor your blood pressure

High blood pressure accelerates kidney damage. To protect yourself from kidney disease you should maintain a diet low in salt and saturated fats.

6. Get your kidney function tested

If anyone in your family has suffered from kidney disease, you are diabetic or have high blood pressure or if you are of South Asian or African-Caribbean ethnic background.

At Just Travel Cover we are proud to have helped thousands of people with kidney disease, kidney cancer and other related conditions find Travle Insurance that means they can enjoy trips abroad with peace of mind that they are covered. We are also keen to work closely with Kidney Care UK – the UK’s leading kidney patient support charity, and Cruise Dialysis, a travel company that help dialysis patients by finding cruises that offer cruise packages with haemodialysis on board.

For more information about keeping your kidneys healthy, Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, Transplants and Living Donation, please visit the Kidney Care UK website.

Visit our blog to find out about Travel Insurance for kidney disease.