Men who drink a lot of alcohol, smoke cigarettes and regularly self-medicate with painkillers can affect kidney function.
Men are at risk of kidney failure earlier than women because higher levels of testosterone can reduce kidney function. Men often have unhealthy lifestyles (such as drinking alcohol, smoking, staying up late...) compared to women, so they are more likely to have kidney failure. Below are habits that men should limit to enhance the function of this organ.
Drink a lot of alcohol
Men who drink too much alcohol, heavy alcohol use, hinders the kidney's blood filtration process. It also affects blood pressure and increases uric acid production, leading to the risk of kidney failure. Many studies show that drinking more than 4 drinks a day can double the risk of chronic kidney disease.
Drinking too much alcohol puts pressure on the kidneys. Photo: Freepik
Smoking
Smoking worsens high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, common causes of kidney disease. Smoking also damages the heart and blood vessels, leading to poor blood flow to the kidneys.
Hold urine
Men usually feel the urge to urinate when their bladder contains about 200-300 ml, while in women it is 250-350 ml. If you hold your urine, your body tends to retain toxins that should be excreted, which gradually accumulate into kidney stones.
Improper use of drugs
Many people self-medicate with painkillers when they have persistent headaches. Although the drugs provide temporary relief, this habit can cause kidney failure.
A 2011 study by Harvard Medical School in the US found that long-term use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can increase the risk of kidney cancer. Scientists explain that these drugs, when entering the body, damage the small filtering blood vessels in the kidneys, which perform the job of filtering blood and removing waste.
Eat too much protein
Men often tend to eat a lot of protein to support the muscle growth process, but this habit can harm the kidneys. The reason is that animal protein has the ability to create high levels of acid in the blood and cause metabolic acidosis, making this organ unable to remove acid quickly enough.
Fast food and processed foods are high in sodium and phosphorus, which increase the risk of kidney damage or failure. Some studies have shown that regularly eating trans fats can lower testosterone levels.
Huyen My (According to WebMD, Hindustan Times )
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