Patient's question:
What age group is most prone to kidney disease?Doctor's answer:
The causes of kidney disease are diverse, including factors such as the six evils, seven emotions, diet, work and rest, sexual overexertion, medicinal toxicity, and accidental injuries, among various internal and external factors that can lead to illness. Moreover, during the onset and progression of the disease, the etiological factors and their pathological products often interact and mutually cause each other. For instance, the pathological products at one stage can become the causative factors for another stage, leading to the development of the disease. Various etiological factors that disrupt the function of the viscera, resulting in the generation of internal qi such as internal wind, internal cold, internal dampness, internal dryness, and internal heat, as well as blood stasis and blockage, often serve as contributing factors that exacerbate and advance kidney disease.Guidance for kidney disease patients: What should be noted in their diet?
1. The diet should be light, avoiding alcohol and spicy foods. Limit the intake of greasy and animal protein-rich foods (e.g., fatty meat, shrimp, and crabs).
2. Avoid beans and their products (e.g., tofu, bean sprouts, and bean flour).
3. For patients with edema, hypertension, or heart failure, a low-salt or salt-free diet should be followed.
4. Patients with incomplete kidney function or uremia need to pay special attention:
① Avoid beans and their products, and limit the intake of nuts (e.g., walnuts, chestnuts, and almonds) and preserved foods (e.g., pickled vegetables).
② The daily intake of high-protein foods (e.g., lean meat, milk, and eggs) should be controlled. Depending on the individual condition of the patient, an adult should generally consume about 2-3 ounces per day, divided into 3-5 meals.
③ In the advanced stage of kidney failure, the kidneys have limited water excretion capacity, so water intake must be controlled. It is recommended to calculate the intake using the formula: Water intake = Total urine output the previous day + 500-800 milliliters.
④ To enhance the excretion of creatinine and urea nitrogen, it is essential to maintain smooth urination and defecation. Bowel movements should be twice or three times a day rather than once every two or three days. Winter melon, watermelon, and cucumber can promote diuresis. Clear soups made from red beans, black beans, and mung beans, sweetened, are cooling and diuretic. Honey, bananas, pears, radishes, walnut meat, and black sesame seeds can moisten the intestines and promote bowel movement. These foods can be used alongside medication and consumed regularly.