High temperatures in summer can easily cause acute kidney injury, nephrologists remind you to replenish water and take medication safely

2026/09/13 10:02

Nephrologist Lin Xuanming reminds the public that high temperatures in summer can easily increase the risk of acute kidney injury due to dehydration. People taking anti-diabetic drugs should pay more attention to hydration and medication safety. (Provided by Annan Hospital)

[Reporter Wang Junzhong/Tainan Report] The weather is often very hot after autumn. If you are exposed to the sun for a long time or do not replenish enough water after exercise, you may increase the risk of acute kidney injury! The Department of Nephrology of Tainan City Annan Hospital has recently treated many patients with acute kidney injury caused by dehydration. Among them, a 52-year-old diabetic man jogged under the hot sun for about an hour. Due to insufficient water replenishment, he returned home with dizziness, decreased urine output, and dark brown urine. The examination found that the renal function index had nearly doubled, and he was diagnosed with acute kidney injury. He gradually recovered after being hospitalized for rehydration treatment.

Lin Xuanming, a nephrologist at Annan Hospital, said that sweating a lot at high temperatures and not replenishing water in time can easily cause insufficient blood flow to the kidneys and cause "prerenal acute kidney injury." If combined with strenuous exercise, it may also lead to rhabdomyolysis and increase the burden on the kidneys. Therefore, if the urine output is significantly reduced or the urine is dark brown, this is a warning signal from the kidneys, and you should seek medical treatment as soon as possible, especially for patients with chronic kidney disease. One acute kidney injury may accelerate the deterioration of their kidney function.

Please read on...

Lin Xuanming pointed out that SGLT2 inhibitors (commonly known as sugar-removing drugs), which are commonly used in diabetes and kidney protection treatment in recent years, excrete sugar together with water through the urine and have a mild diuretic effect. When you sweat a lot, it is easy to cause double dehydration through sweating and urination. Therefore, you should actively replenish water while taking the medicine, and avoid outdoor sports between 10 am and 4 pm. If you experience fever, vomiting, diarrhea, or being unable to eat normally, you should suspend taking the medicine according to the doctor's advice and seek medical treatment as soon as possible to reduce the risk of dehydration and normoglycemic ketoacidosis.

In order to reduce the risk of heat damage to the kidneys, Lin Xuanming reminds us to master the four major principles of "understanding medications, proactively replenishing water, avoiding the hot sun, and paying attention to warning signs." In addition to the above-mentioned body-related warning signs, they also include: Do not take anti-inflammatory analgesics by yourself due to heatstroke or muscle soreness, so as not to increase the burden on the kidneys; summer exercise should be arranged in the early morning or evening; active rehydration should be taken before and after exercise. Dialysis patients should control water intake according to medical advice, and discuss with the dialysis team to adjust the amount of dehydration in summer.