Could you be killed by gum disease?
You know how hard diabetes is on your kidneys. It’s like taking a sledgehammer to the organs, pounding them from the inside.
Diabetes is the single most common cause of kidney failure.
But you don’t have to be a diabetic to face those risks. Even if you’re at a normal weight… your blood sugar is perfect… and your diet is terrific… you could be pounding your own kidneys from the inside.
Because the latest research finds that a common condition – one you might even have right now – is just as bad for your kidneys as diabetes.
It’s gum disease!
I know that might sound random… even impossible. Dental propaganda!
But the new study finds that if you’re fighting off kidney disease, gum disease could do enough damage inside the organ to actually kill you.
That’s right – those bleeding gums could become a life-or-death situation.
If you have kidney disease, your 10-year risk of dying of the disease is 32 percent, according to the study. But if you have gum disease along with kidney disease, that risk jumps by a third, increasing to 41 percent.
That’s almost identical to the 43 percent risk of death facing diabetics with kidney disease.
The reason is quite simple: Your gums are the doorway into your body, and if they’re bleeding, you’re leaving yourself wide open for germs and other toxins to get inside.
Your kidneys, of course, filter that blood. They try to, anyway. If they’re performing poorly, they can’t do the job right – and toxins from gum disease and other germs in your mouth could cause them to practically choke.
Don’t rest too easy if you don’t think you have kidney disease or gum disease. You could have either one – or both – right now, without even realizing it.
Most of the estimated 26 million Americans with kidney disease don’t know they have it – and another 1 in 3 of us are at risk for the condition, which is one of the country’s Top 10 causes of death.
Gum disease is even more common. Half of all adults, including 70 percent of seniors, have some form of it.
Like kidney disease, most don’t know it…even though the signs can be much more visible.
On its own, of course, gum disease isn’t nearly as deadly as kidney disease. But when it’s part of a combo meal with other health conditions, it can be a contributing factor to death from other causes. It can increase your risk of heart attack and stroke, and it may even contribute to breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and more.
So work on getting and keeping your gums in shape. You already know what you need to do: Brush after meals, and floss daily.
If you notice any blood – because ANY bleeding is not normal – it’s time to get a routine cleaning, or a “deep cleaning” from a dentist or periodontist.