How Stress Affects Your Kidneys

Whether you’ve been caught in stand-still traffic or you’ve been nervous before an important meeting—we’re all familiar with the physical and mental effects of stress. While it's normal to experience higher levels of stress from time to time, too much stress can contribute to health issues that affect the kidneys.

How Chronic Stress Affects the Kidneys

While having small amounts of stress in your life is perfectly normal, long exposure to your body’s stress response can make your body work harder to keep you healthy. When your body is experiencing high levels of stress, it has the following effects:

• Increased blood pressure
• Higher heart rate
• Higher amount of fat in your blood
• Increased blood sugar

These things make it harder for your kidneys to do their job to keep you healthy. 

Tips To Reduce Your Level of Stress

The next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try one or more of these coping techniques to relax and recharge:

• Try yoga, stretching, or meditation
• Get an extra hour of sleep
• Go for a walk or spend time in your garden
• Do something you love
• Share a laugh with a friend
• Vent to someone you trust
• Write about how you are feeling in a journal
• Try a new kidney-friendly recipe for dinner
• Talk to your Satellite Healthcare social worker for other things that might help

Visit our blog for more information about chronic kidney disease and how to live your best life.