What should I do if the renal cortex becomes thinner?

The kidney is one of the five internal organs of the human body and is very important to the human body. The kidney can maintain the metabolism in the human body, excrete toxic substances, maintain the balance of electrolytes in the human body, and so on. However, due to bad living habits such as eating and sleeping, the renal cortex of the human body is prone to thinning, which causes damage to the body's metabolic system. Some measures should be taken in time to regulate it. So what should we do if the renal cortex becomes thinner?

The renal cortex becomes thinner due to a series of lesions caused by chronic glomerulonephritis. Chronic glomerulonephritis is the terminal stage of the development of different types of glomerulonephritis. The lesion is characterized by hyalinization and sclerosis of a large number of glomeruli, also known as chronic sclerosing glomerulonephritis. Macroscopically, both kidneys were reduced in size and had diffuse granular appearance on the surface. The cortex is thinned on the section and the boundary between the cortex and medulla is unclear. Increased fat around the renal pelvis. The gross lesions of chronic nephritis are called secondary granular nephrosis.

1. Symptom Check

The onset is slow, the disease is protracted, and urine tests are abnormal, often with proteinuria, sometimes accompanied by hematuria, edema, and hypertension. As the disease progresses, varying degrees of renal impairment occur. There is edema, hypertension and progressive renal function damage, and laboratory tests show proteinuria with or without hematuria; the course of the disease lasts for more than 1 year; secondary and hereditary nephritis are excluded.

2. Urine

Urinalysis can be used to preliminarily observe urine protein, occult blood, white blood cells, casts, bacteria, acidity and alkalinity, and specific gravity, etc. Urine phase contrast microscopy is used to observe the morphology of red blood cells and to determine whether the hematuria originates from the kidneys. 24-hour urine protein quantification helps determine the amount of proteinuria.

3. Blood

It generally includes blood routine, blood biochemistry, and creatinine clearance; others include various tests that help assist in diagnosis in the areas of infection, tumor, and immunity.

4. Imaging

Urinary system B-ultrasound observation of kidney size helps to determine the progression of kidney disease; chest X-ray and ultrasound examinations help to detect pleural effusion and ascites, etc.

5. Renal biopsy

It is a invasive examination, but it is very important for the diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of glomerulonephritis.

Kidney care:

1. Food nourishes the kidneys: There are many foods that can nourish the kidneys, but the most effective one is animal kidneys. The kidneys of pigs, dogs, sheep, and cows all have the function of nourishing kidney qi and benefiting the essence. Kidney deficiency, low back pain, spermatorrhea, enuresis and other symptoms can be treated by eating animal kidneys. For example, sheep kidneys are sweet and warm, which can replenish kidney qi; pig kidneys are salty and flat, which can help kidney qi and benefit bladder function, and are also effective for edema due to kidney deficiency; dog kidneys are flat in nature, and are most suitable for elderly women with kidney deficiency, weak body, and cold hands and feet.

2. Nourishing the kidney with medicine: Liuwei Dihuang Pills can be often used for kidney yin deficiency. The ingredients in it, such as Rehmannia root, Cornus officinalis, Chinese yam, Alisma orientalis, Poria cocos, and Cortex Moutan, have the effect of nourishing kidney yin. For liver and kidney yin deficiency and blurred vision, take Liuwei Dihuang Pills with wolfberry and chrysanthemum as a soup. For kidney yang deficiency type, Shenqi Pills can be used, which is Liuwei Dihuang Pills with cinnamon twig and aconite added. In addition, medicines such as ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, astragalus, licorice, placenta, and cordyceps also have the effects of strengthening the body and kidneys, promoting metabolism and improving the body's immunity.

3. Moderation in sexual desire to protect the kidneys: To nourish the kidneys is to nourish the essence, and to nourish the essence you must practice moderation in sexual desire. Zhang Jingyue, a famous doctor in the Han Dynasty, said: "Desire should not be indulged. If indulged, the essence will be exhausted, and if exhausted, the true energy will disperse. Essence can generate Qi, and Qi can generate spirit. Therefore, those who are good at health preservation must treasure their essence. When the essence is full, the Qi is strong. When the Qi is strong, the spirit is full. When the spirit is full, the body is healthy. When the body is healthy, there are fewer diseases." Excessive sexual intercourse will cause the essence and energy to leak out, which can easily damage the body. Moderation in sexual intercourse and maintenance of the essence and energy can resist aging and prolong life. However, you should not suppress your sexual desire excessively, so as not to cause physical discomfort and psychological distress and affect your physical health.

4. Foot bathing helps the kidneys: Soaking your feet in warm water before going to bed can guide blood downward, replenish kidney qi, calm the mind, and help you sleep well. There was a governor in the Qing Dynasty who had a "secret to health preservation" in his later years: "take 300 steps in the morning and drink a bowl of soup before going to bed." It emphasizes soaking your feet in hot water before going to bed. For this kind of foot bath, the water temperature should be around 40 degrees and the time should be no less than 5 minutes. The feet should be rubbed against each other constantly. After coming out of the bath, wipe them dry immediately and rub the soles of the feet with your hands two or three hundred times. Swallowing saliva frequently can nourish kidney essence and moisturize the skin and hair; drinking more water can prevent excessive loss of body fluids. In short, most geriatric diseases and premature aging are caused by kidney essence deficiency, true energy dissipation, and yang energy exhaustion, so middle-aged and elderly people should pay attention to maintaining kidney energy.