What factors can cause kidney issues?
The main function of the kidneys is to filter blood. Therefore, the kidneys can be affected by blood conditions and volume. Most kidney issues are caused by damage to the blood vessels in the kidneys. Contributing factors include:
High blood sugar levels
High blood sugar levels cause small blood vessels in the body to injure including ones in the kidney. If that happens, the kidney will have a hard time cleaning up blood. This will then cause the body to retain much more water and salt than usual which result in weight gain and ankle swelling.
High blood sugar level can lead to diabetes overtime which can damage the nerves inside the body, causing difficulties with emptying the bladder. After a while, the body will develop an infection from the rapid growth of bacteria in the urine.
High blood pressure
High blood pressure is a serious condition that can severely cause failure to many organs in the body including the kidney and heart. Over time, it can cause damages to the blood vessel inside the kidney which gradually weakens the kidney until it leads to kidney disease or even kidney failures.
Long-term use of certain medications, such as ibuprofen
The kidney holds many functions inside the body such as filtering waste, releasing hormones to regulate blood pressure, making red blood cells and more. Some medications such as ibuprofen can cause the kidney to work differently than how it should. Overuse of these medications cause 5% of chronic kidney failure every year.
Sources
https://www.kidney.org/kidney-topics/what-high-blood-pressure
