Gaby
Your kidneys do a lot more than make urine: they filter waste and excess fluid, balance electrolytes like sodium and potassium, help regulate blood pressure, support red blood cell production, and keep calcium levels steady.
When kidneys are damaged, their ability to filter waste and perform other functions falters. Waste and fluid can build up, electrolytes can go out of balance, and that can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, and weaker bones. Over time, damage can progress to chronic kidney disease and kidney failure.
Dipa Kamdar, a researcher and senior lecturer at Kingston University in the U.K., outlined seven everyday habits that can harm kidney health.
Use of Painkillers
Common over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain relievers, such as ibuprofen and aspirin, can damage the kidney tubules—tiny tubes that return filtered nutrients and fluids back to the bloodstream.
People who already have chronic kidney disease should avoid these painkillers unless a doctor prescribes them. To reduce risk, take pain relievers for the shortest time possible and follow the recommended dosage.
Insufficient Water Intake
Water is essential for the kidneys to remove waste. People who don’t drink enough water, especially in hot weather, increase their risk of kidney damage. Dehydration concentrates the urine, raising levels of minerals and waste and increasing the chance of kidney stones and urinary tract infections, both of which can harm the kidneys.
Excessive Alcohol Consumption
Alcohol dehydrates the body and disrupts normal kidney function. Heavy drinking can also raise blood pressure, and higher blood pressure damages the kidneys.
Smoking
Smoking directly harms the kidneys. Cigarette smoke contains toxic chemicals, such as cadmium, that can damage kidney tissue.
Smoking also causes oxidative stress—when harmful molecules called free radicals damage the body’s cells—promotes narrowing of blood vessels, and damages the vessels’ lining. All of these effects strain kidney function.
Smoking also raises the risk of other diseases that harm the kidneys, including diabetes and hypertension.
Obesity
Measures of obesity, such as waist circumference, are linked to a higher risk of heart disease and diabetes—two of the most common causes of kidney disease. Obesity can also directly damage the kidneys by altering the hormones and inflammatory molecules produced by fat tissue.
Unhealthy Diet
Ultra-processed foods—think hot dogs, sugary sodas, and packaged bread—are associated with obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
One U.S. study followed the diets of 14,000 adults for 24 years and found that people who ate a lot of ultra-processed foods had a 24% higher risk of developing kidney disease.
A diet high in salt also threatens kidney health, especially for people who already have kidney problems. The kidneys normally help keep sodium and potassium in balance by filtering excess water from the blood. A high-salt diet disrupts that balance, reduces kidney function, and raises blood pressure, which puts additional stress on the kidneys and can lead to kidney disease.
Poor Sleep
Some studies link poor sleep quality and abnormal sleep duration with kidney disease. Sleeping less than six hours or more than ten hours per night can harm the kidneys. Experts generally recommend seven to nine hours of sleep per night for optimal bodily function.
