Phosphorus is a mineral in our body. We all need calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin D to keep our bones strong and healthy. Phosphorus is also used by our body cells to produce energy. We get phosphorus from the food we eat.
Before getting deep into the topic, let us try to answer the following questions:
Excess phosphorus in your diet – does it impact your body and health?
What happens if you consume excess phosphorus?
What does excess phosphorus in your blood mean?
High Phosphorus (Hyperphosphatemia)
Remember! Your kidneys help to balance phosphorus and other electrolytes in your blood.Kidneys filter out the excess phosphorus in our body.
When the kidneys are not working well phosphorus gets accumulated in our body.In other words, kidneys have lost their efficiency to remove excess phosphorus from the body.
Your nephrologist will check your phosphorus levels if the doctor suspects kidney disease.
Complications of high phosphorus levels in the body
High phosphorus levels in the body mean your kidneys are not working properly to filter out excess phosphorus from your body. When phosphorus builds up, it removes calcium from bones making them weak – and leads to a build-up of calcium and phosphorus deposits in the heart, blood vessels, and other body parts. It increases your risk of heart disease, heart attack, and stroke.
Who can get hyperphosphatemia?
People who are prone to kidney disease (chronic kidney disease or kidney failure) can get hyperphosphatemia. The risk for chronic kidney disease or kidney failure increases if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney disease. Approximately 70% of people with advanced chronic kidney disease have hyperphosphatemia.
Do foods cause high phosphorus levels?
Foods high in phosphorus content can increase phosphorus levels in the body. Such foods include choclates,non vegetarian diet , snack foods, fast foods, processed meats, processed cheese and yogurt, dairy products, and milk.
How to prevent hyperphosphatemia?
If you have kidney disease you need to check your phosphate levels as advised by your doctor.If phosphate levels are high you should limit intake of foods high in phosphate .Please check with your doctor about what foods have to be avoided.
Sometimes you will need to take medications to reduce your phosphorus levels.These medications should be taken with food as they prevent the absorption of phosphorus from the food
Furthermore, if you have high-risk factors for kidney disease – such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and excess body weight, you should consult your nephrologist regularly to prevent further kidney damage.
Diagnosis
Though you may not have any immediate symptoms if you have high phosphorus levels, your nephrologist will do a physical examination, take your medical history, and discuss your food, fluids plan, and medicines that you take.
The normal phosphorus levels in the blood are between 2.5 to 4.5 mg/dL.
Bottom Line
High phosphorus levels indicate chronic kidney disease or kidney failure.
Dialysis helps remove excess phosphorus from your body, but hyperphosphatemia is still present among people on dialysis.
Nephrologists regularly check phosphorus levels, if you are on dialysis to check whether hyperphosphatemia is present. If your phosphorus levels are high, nephrologists recommend a low-phosphorus diet along with medicines.
Learn more about “dialysis and your diet”
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