We are all susceptible to stress. It's a natural part of life, but too much stress can harm our health by raising our blood pressure and damaging our kidneys. We can keep our kidneys healthier and live a healthier life overall if we understand how stress affects our health and find ways to manage it. When your body is subjected to high levels of stress for extended periods of time, these physical reactions, if left unchecked, can eventually harm your health. Increased blood pressure, a faster heart rate, and more fat and sugar in your blood can all contribute to a variety of health problems, including high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease (also known as cardiovascular disease). Stress, as well as uncontrolled reactions to stress, can cause kidney damage.
Your kidneys, as blood filtering units in your body, are prone to problems with blood circulation and blood vessels. High blood pressure and blood sugar levels can put additional strain on your kidneys. Managing stress is an important part of maintaining your overall health, whether your goal is to prevent heart and/or kidney disease or to improve your health while living with heart and/or kidney disease. It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate stress completely or to never have any physical reactions to stress. There are, however, steps you can take to help manage stress and control your body's response to stress.
Some simple stress-reduction techniques: Limit your intake of salt and caffeine (especially if you have high blood pressure), sugar (especially if you have diabetes), and fats (especially if you have heart or blood vessel disease).Set aside time to relax, get enough sleep and stick to a regular sleep schedule, maintain a positive attitude and outlook, take a vacation, exercise regularly, and engage in more physical activity. This is not an excellent summary of stress-reduction techniques. Everyone should strive to improve their diet and increase their physical activity.
ZS DMO II Karla P. Calapardo, RND
References:
