You must have seen your Doctor paying special attention to your creatinine levels when you consult him with your reports. Why is it so important?
Creatinine is a waste product. The amount of creatinine present in blood shows how well our kidneys are working. A compound called creatine is produced in the pancreas, liver, kidney and then stored in muscles. Muscles use creatine as energy that helps in muscle contraction and the rest of it is converted in creatinine. The creatinine produced is then removed from the body through kidneys.
If our kidneys are not working properly then it might lead to an increase in creatinine levels in blood. High levels of creatinine indicates poor kidney health and kidney damage.
Creatinine levels are further used to find out the stage of kidney disease. Early stages can be managed with proper diet, lifestyle and medications whereas later stages require immediate medical help.
Let’s not worry and find the solution to our problem.
Risk Factors of High Creatinine
People suffering from Diabetes and Hypertension are at most risk of having high creatinine levels. High blood sugar levels damage blood vessels over time, increasing blood pressure that further lead to heart and kidney diseases.
Causes of High Creatinine
- Dehydration: Drinking less water reduces the blood volume, filtration rate and increases the levels of creatinine in blood
- High Blood Sugar: Increased sugar levels damages blood vessels and organs including kidneys that reduces the filtration rate of kidneys. Hence, creatinine levels increase in blood.
- High Blood Pressure: Over the time blood vessels and the functional unit of kidney called nephrons are damaged. Due to which waste product, extra fluid and creatinine builds up in the blood
- Long Term Kidney Diseases: It reduces kidney functions and is one of the reasons for high creatinine in blood
- Enlarged Prostate or Kidney Stone: This might cause blockage or back flow of urine. This leads to several infection, swelling and reduced kidney functions along with high creatinine
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTI): Repeated UTIs damages kidneys over the time and might lead to high creatinine levels
- Increased intake of Animal Protein: Protein supplement or non-veg food are rich in creatine that increases creatinine levels.
- Intense Physical Activity: Increased physical activity increases muscle breakdown and further creatinine levels in blood
Levels and Normal Range of High Creatinine
What are normal creatinine levels? The normal creatinine range is 0.84-1.2 mg/dl. The amount of creatinine produced in our bodies depends on age, gender and the body size. That’s why levels for male, females and children are different.
|Normal||0.84 – 1.2 mg/ dl|
|High||Above 1.2 mg/ dl|
Symptoms of High Creatinine
- Constant high levels of BP (Blood Pressure)
- Swelling in feet
- Puffiness under eyes
- Frequent muscle cramps
- Foam or blood in urine
- Reduced urine amount
- Increased weakness and tiredness
- Vomiting and nausea
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
Home Remedies for High Creatinine
- Ginger cinnamon tea:
- Ginger (adrak) is loaded with antioxidants, fights bacterial infections, reduces swelling, muscle pain and cinnamon (dalchini) excretes extra fluid out of the body.
- So to get all of these benefits boil 1 inch of ginger and 1 pinch of cinnamon in 1 cup of water for 2-3 minutes, strain and drink.
- Garlic (lehsun):
- Garlic contains allicin that reduces blood pressure, cholesterol and improves kidney health.
- Chew 1 clove of garlic or swallow 1 garlic clove, chopped with a glass of warm water.
- Turmeric (haldi):
- Turmeric has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce infection in kidneys and swelling in nephrons.
- Add ½ tsp (3grams) of turmeric in boiling hot water and drink early morning to get all the benefits.
Best Treatment for High Creatinine
At Zyla, we help you with personalized management of High Creatinine through a unique Triple Combination Therapy (TCT) approach of Medical nutrition therapy, Naturo therapy and Allopathic therapy.
- A well balanced diet with exact amount of protein required by an individual on the basis of creatinine levels.
- List of food to have to maintain electrolyte balance.
- Medicine review by expert doctors to manage kidney health.
- Exercise plan with proper guidance on number of sets and duration of exercises.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Creatinine?
Creatinine is a waste product. The amount of creatinine present in blood shows how well our kidneys are working. High levels of creatinine indicates poor kidney health and kidney failure.
- How to Lower High Creatinine Levels?
- Drink enough amount of water, consult your doctor to know how much water you should drink.
- Increase fibre intake by having 2-3 fruits in a day, vegetables or salads in lunch and dinner
- Limit salt intake to 4-5 grams per day and completely avoid packaged food.
- Reduce intake of protein-rich food especially mutton, chicken, fish, and eggs. Add plant protein instead like pulses and legumes. Refer your nutritionist about how much protein you should take in a day.
- When to worry about Creatinine Levels?
If you are facing swelling in feet and under eyes, difficulty in breathing, high blood pressure, reduced urine output or high blood sugar levels get your kidney function test done. And consult your doctor with reports for further guidance as all of these symptoms indicate high creatinine levels and kidney damage.
- Can I eat Eggs and Non-veg if my Creatinine Levels are on the Higher Side?
Avoid protein-rich food and animal protein like mutton, chicken, fish, and eggs as they increase serum creatinine levels. Consult your nutritionist to know the daily protein intake.
- How to treat High Creatinine Levels?
Treatment totally depends upon the cause of high creatinine levels. Doctors might add medication to control high blood pressure, swelling, high sugars and maintain electrolytes that will improve kidney function. On the basis of creatinine levels doctors might suggest Nutritionists will plan for a high fibre, low protein and low salt diet on the basis of serum creatinine levels.
Dr Rebecca Shweta Gladwin
MD (Medicine), PG (Diabetology), PG Diploma (Endocrinology)
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