How Much Sodium Is Needed by PKD Patients

2014-12-27 07:17

If you are diagnosed with PKD, you may be asked to follow a low-salt diet, because salt is very high in sodium and high sodium consumption is very harmful. Well, how much sodium is needed by PKD patients?

Sodium is essential for the body functions. It not only helps to regulate blood pressure and blood volume, but also transmit impulse for nerve function and muscle contraction. For a healthy adult, sodium intake is usually 2300 mg a day, and for these who have high blood pressure, their sodium intake should have no more than 1500mg per day.

PKD is an illness that cause progressive loss of kidney function through a cluster of cysts. In early stage of PKD, there are only few small cysts in kidney. They are in small size and usually cause no severe impairment of kidney function, so at that time, sodium limitation is not needed. However, with the deterioration of illness, high blood pressure and fluid retention will be finally caused. At that time, low sodium intake is needed, because high sodium intake will further elevate blood pressure and aggravate fluid retention, which is very harmful for kidneys. For PKD patients with swelling and high blood pressure, they need to keep their sodium intake being lower than 1500mg a day. Exact sodium intake is determined according to exact kidney condition. Here you can consult our online doctor for individual advice.

To strictly limit sodium intake, high sodium foods like pickled foods, processed foods and sauces should be excluded from dining-table. In addition, sodium is just one of the aspect that PKD patients need to be careful and besides it, they also need to regulate their potassium and phosphorus intake, so as to alleviate illness condition and avoid further health tissues.

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