Why worry about heart health if you have kidney problems? Heart disease risks factors are greatly increased for people with kidney problems or that already are on dialysis. However with some preventative measures these risks can be reduced to a minimum. Here are a few tips for anyone worried about their heart health: 1). Keep high blood pressure under control Properly take any blood pressure medications prescribed by your doctors, and carefully watch your diet to ensure that your intake of salt and fluids does not become excessive. 2). Reduce high cholesterol levels If your cholesterol is out of the range your doctor’s recommended levels, ask your doctor about changing your current levels of exercise and dieting regime. If these steps still prove ineffective, consider taking cholesterol medication. 3). Increase physical activity The heart is a muscle, and left to unused it becomes less effective at doing its job. Increasing physical activity pushes the heart and makes it stronger, which in turn makes it easier on the heart to circulate your blood. Working out more also helps with unhealthy levels of cholesterol. Remember if you are new to working out, take the increase in your physical activity slowly so you do not cause yourself injuries. 4). Quit smoking Smoking increases blood pressure and damages the lung’s ability to properly oxygenate the blood, which means more blood must be pumped through the body to properly supply the levels of oxygen necessary for cell function. This means the heart will pump harder and faster more often and increases your risks for heart attack. Ask your doctor for plans to help you stop smoking. 5). Reduce your stress levels Constantly being stressed has been linked to increased risks for heart problems. If you feel that you constantly are having issues with emotion control or uncontrollable stress, consider asking for help from those close to you or from professionals such as a social worker. Disclaimer: This blog should not be used as medical advice. Always consult your doctor before following the ideas presented here. February is graced with Valentine’s Day! A day of love, and a day of heart. Commonly the heart is known as the seat of emotions, like love. Medically speaking however, the heart works with the kidneys to keep you moving and your blood flowing.
Your heart and kidneys are two important organs in your body. They work together to keep you healthy. When one is affected, the other is too. In other words, your heart can affect the health of your kidneys, and your kidneys can affect the health of your heart. The heart pumps blood filled with oxygen to all of the organs of the body, which of course includes the kidneys as well. Blood supplies important oxygen and nutrients to the organs and then carries away any accumulated waste and extra water from the organs and body cells. The kidneys filter out these waste products and excess water. The newly filtered and clean blood then returns to the bloodstream where it is ready to be given more oxygen by the lungs and pumped out to the body again by the heart. For people with healthy kidneys, this cycles continues every second of the day, every day of your life. Without proper kidney function, the blood would become filled with large amount of waste from the body’s daily activities. This waste build-up results with cellular damage to organ systems. If your kidneys don’t work right, they do a less than optimum job, leaving you feeling tired and/or sick. You can live comfortably with just one healthy kidney. But if you lose significant function in both kidneys, dialysis steps in to take the place to clean your blood for you. It’s life saving! There are multiple modes of dialysis. Many people like the comradery of in-center hemodialysis, others like peritoneal dialysis done at home, while still others like home hemodialysis. If you have been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease, talk to your doctor or nurse practitioner about which option is best for you about a year before you need to make a choice. At Cleveland Kidney and Hypertension, Inc., we’re here to help. Disclaimer: This blog should not be used as medical advice. Always consult your doctor before following the ideas presented here. Happy 2017 from Everyone Here at CKHC!
At New Year’s we take time to reflect on everything in our lives, both the good and the not so good. We look back on what has gone well, and what has not. It’s always important to appreciate the positive. So first, congratulate yourself on what you are most proud of! Next, ask yourself, how can you make strides towards a new goal, or a long held one? A new beginning, a new year, gives you the impetus to improve. If you decide to set a New Year’s resolution, good for you! A resolution is achievable if you are ready to put in some hard work and set reasonable goals. For example, if you and your physician set a goal of losing weight or reducing your blood pressure, give yourself mini-goals at first! Every few weeks celebrate your mini-achievement in line with your goals. For example, don’t eat cake to celebrate weight loss – maybe buy a new scarf or a new cellphone case. This makes your long term, big goal much easier to manage. Remember, always follow your physician’s orders when setting any New Year’s resolutions. Having your doctor work with you when creating goals will help ensure that your goals, whatever they may be, are both safe and attainable. We here at CKHC hope that everyone has had a wonderful holiday and look forward to helping you and supporting you to achieve your healthcare goals in 2017! Disclaimer: This blog should not be used as medical advice. Always consult your doctor before following the ideas presented here. Our hope is that this blog will provide you with both useful information as well as anecdotal stories from our offices. Thank you and enjoy!
Flu Shot It's important to get a Flu shot and get it early. Your primary doctor may give it to you for free! Ask him/her. Or you can go where it's cheapest. Rumor has it that it's very inexpensive from Costco, they even give it to non-members! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whatever the outcome of the election - God bless America! Disclaimer: This blog should not be used as medical advice. Always consult your doctor before following the ideas presented here. |
AuthorCleveland Kidney & Hypertension Consultants Inc. provides distinguished, superior medical care. We specialize in kidneys, hypertension, CKD, ESRD and dialysis. We collaborate closely with the best doctors in Cleveland, for a comprehensive approach to your total well being. This blog is general information and not meant for any individual's health directive. Consult with us for specific and best advice. Archives
December 2021
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