How much water should drink or intake with stage 1 to 5 kidney disease patient?

Since childhood, our mothers, grandmothers, and aunts have told us about keeping ourselves hydrated. No? But when the conditions and circumstances change like diseases and injuries, the need for water requirement differs. In diseases like kidney diseases, water consumption differs with the type of treatment. A healthy person can consume up to 8 liters a day but it cannot be said the same for kidney patients. In such a case; how would you know that How much water a kidney patient should intake? Let us start by explaining to you that...

Why drinking water is important?

It is a brilliant question! Seriously it is; not because it is the fundamental question but to know the importance of water in our bodies. About 60% of an adult human body is made up of water, and the blood contains 90% of water. Following are the benefits that will help you in knowing the importance of water:

• It is crucial for the functioning of kidneys and heart, as these organs are the responsible organs to purify and transport purified blood to the different organs.
• It delivers oxygen throughout the body.
• It helps in maintaining the average temperature of the body.
• It is suitable for your skin.
• The entire digestive process depends on the amount of water taken.
• It regulates blood pressure.
• It prevents kidney damage.
• It helps to lose weight.
• It helps in excreting the wastes and toxins from the body.

So, these were just the common benefits of the water. But how would you know if it is as beneficial for kidneys? You don’t have to think much because we have solutions waiting for you in this entire blog. So now, we will talk about How much water a kidney patient should intake? But before that, it is equally important for you to know about kidneys briefly. Kidneys are the little bean-shaped organs working day and night for the human body to keep the wastes and toxins out from the human body. They carry the following responsibilities:

• Filtering the wastes and toxins from the body and blood.
• It transports the purified blood to the heart.
• It helps in forming the RBCs in the blood.
• It helps in maintaining the fluid balance in the blood and body.

But to perform all these functions; kidneys require a sufficient amount of water. It depends on the conditions of the kidneys that how much water it needs at a specific time. Kidney diseases differ from one another and so the treatments.

There are three types of kidney diseases:

• Acute Kidney Injury: A sudden stoppage to the functioning of kidneys.
• Chronic Kidney Diseases: A disease developed in the kidneys from a more extended period.
• Polycystic Kidney Diseases: A disease with fluid-filled bags developed on the surface of kidneys.

To treat these diseases, there are two types of treatments available around the globe.

• Allopathic Treatment
• Ayurvedic Treatment

Allopathic Treatment

The allopathic treatment works on the symptoms of the diseases. This type of therapy is human-made that includes the following methods to treat kidney diseases:

• Dialysis and
• Kidney / Renal Transplant

Dialysis is a process of performing the functioning of kidneys by inserting a pipe in your body. It is a risk-bearing method that needs to be done at an interval of 15 days. It can promote bacterial infection and may allow the virus to attack your bodies. Renal or Kidney Transplant is a process of replacing the existing kidney with the donors’ organ. It is also a challenging and risk-filled method of treating the condition of kidneys. You may or may not get the right donor whose kidney will be supporting your bodily functions and more.

Ayurvedic Treatment

Ayurvedic treatment is different from what the allopathic treatment is about. Ayurvedic Treatment allows you to heal your kidneys with the mother earth’s gifts. This type of therapy includes the use of nature’s herbs and spices. Ayurvedic medicine works on the ‘root cause’ of the disease. It removes the root of illness that will not put an adverse effect or come back later. Now that we have given you a brief about kidney diseases and its treatments let us discuss the main topic, How much water a kidney patient should intake? The water intake varies from person to person. If you are a kidney disease patient, then you may have to follow certain conditions (that we will be discussing throughout in detail). However, it is advised to drink at least 8 ounces of water throughout your day. Following are the conditions associated with the water intake:

• The climate: The amount of water intake depends on the climatic conditions and changes. If it is hot out there, then you will be advised to drink enough water.
• Physical activities: The amount of water intake depends on the type of physical activities you are performing. If you are performing vigorous and intense exercise, then you may need more water than advised.

The water excretes from the body in different forms:

• Urine
• Sweating
• Breathing
• Breastfeeding

Few questions that have been asked frequently by patients

   1. How much fluid should a renal / kidney transplant patient have? Water is considered as a beneficial source in the speedy recovery after the transplant. It is advised to drink plenty of water, at least 2 liters a day. If you are consuming fluids other than water, then make sure that you consume 2-4 liters only. Avoid beverages containing caffeine as it will promote dehydration.    2. How much water a patient on dialysis should intake? During the process of dialysis, your bodies become sensitive and weak. It becomes more important to limit water/fluid intake. During the procedure of dialysis, you urinate a little or not at all. The extra liquids are removed from the body during dialysis. And if the water intake is high, then it may result in the following:

• Tired and unenergetic.
• Swelling on face, hands, and feet.
• Breathing troubles.
• Heart problems.
• Increased blood pressure.

   3. Will drinking water increase my GFR? This has been a topic of debate over the years. There is no evidence to prove this scientifically, but if we ask patients and their respective doctors, drinking enough water increases the GFR level. If the GFR is 60 or above, then it is a good sign, and if it is low, then it becomes a cause of concern.    4. Does drinking more water increase kidney function? Yes! Drinking 4 to 6 liters a day can lead to the healthy functioning of kidneys. Having enough amounts of fluids in the kidneys can prevent diseases like kidney stones and UTIs. Enough quantities of water can help in binding the formation of crystals in kidneys and dissolves antibiotics to prevent UTIs.    5. How long does it take water to reach kidneys? It takes approximately 5 minutes - 120 minutes to reach the bloodstream completely from the time of drinking water.    6. What types of fluids a kidney patient should take? There are numerous beverages and fluid-filled fruits available for kidney patients: Beverages:

• Beetroot juice
• Watermelon juice
• Dandelion green tea
• Ginger tea
• Chamomile tea
• Lemonade
• Lemon juice
• Cucumber smoothie
• Berry smoothie
• Turmeric tea
• Cranberry juice
• Sapodilla juice
• Honey water

Foods:

• Cucumber
• Sponge guard
• Round guard
• Bottle guard
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Cabbage
• Capsicum
• Yellow pumpkin
• Sapodilla
• Mango
• Banana

   7. What are the beverages that should be avoided by kidney patients? The fluid intake should be avoided when they contain phosphorus, sodium, and high amounts of potassium. Few of them are:

• Alcohol
• Soft drinks
• Soda drinks
• Mocktails
• Carbonated water

   8. Is tea bad for kidneys? Consuming milk tea and black tea is not recommended to the kidney patient. A kidney patient can drink green tea and that too in a moderate amount. Avoid the drinks that are a great source of caffeine, potassium, sodium, and phosphorus. We hope that we have provided the information you were looking for. Here are a few restrictions that come with the Ayurvedic treatment of kidney diseases:

• Avoid foods rich in sodium; they may become the reason for the blood clots in the future.
• The high amount of caffeine consumption should be restricted as this can become the reason of dehydration.
• Cook your food daily and avoid the food that is not fresh.
• Avoid the pre-packed foods and canned foods.
• Avoid alcohol and cocktails

Karma Ayurveda is the blend of the treatment centers and a family environment. We give a personalized treatment to each patient. Karma Ayurveda is in existence since 1937 at New Delhi, with just a single mission of stopping the artificial medications of kidney diseases. Book an appointment with us if you are looking for a natural treatment. Consider giving a mild touch to your kidneys rather than considering the human-made methods.