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Thursday was World Kidney day, the global awareness campaign that has been raising awareness since 2006 about kidney health. Hundreds of events took place worldwide with the mission to help reduce kidney disease.

The overall goal is to raise awareness by teaching communities how to prevent kidney diseases with the help of specialists that teach risk factors and provides screening for those at risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). World Kidney Day is also about donation. Transplant professionals educate about the need and importance or organ donation.

The theme for this year's celebration is "Obesity and how it leads to kidney ailments." It talks about how the kidney is an essential organ in the body and its primary role to remove toxins and excess fluids through urine. It helps maintain a good balance of body salt and chemicals, and is also involved in controlling the production of blood cells and regulating blood pressure.

The Buzz Nigeria reported that in celebration of World Kidney Day, here are eight golden rules to keep kidneys healthy:

1. Keep regular control of blood sugar

2. Keep fit and active

3. Eat healthy and keep weight in check

4. Keep hydrated to flush the toxins out of the kidneys

5. Cut down on sugar

6. No smoking

7. Stay away from over-the-counter medicine

8. Cut down on red meat, get good sleep and avoid eating junk food.

When a kidney is damaged it cannot filter blood and may cause waste build up. Acute kidney injury is temporary but chronic kidney disease is irreversible that can lead to end-stage renal disease if not treated. Dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to maintain health once the kidney fails.

Kidney disease is often caused by diabetes or blood pressure. Early kidney disease usually shows no symptoms and the only way to know is through a blood and urine test. It is only in the later stage of CKD that the one gets the symptoms such as nausea, lack of appetite, swelling of body parts and altered behavior at times according to the NDTV.