Woman in Taiwan faces lifelong dialysis after years of drinking 2 cups of bubble tea daily
A 26-year-old woman in Taiwan has reportedly been left needing dialysis for life after years of relying on two cups of bubble tea a day to cope with work stress.
Source: charliepix on Canva, for illustration purposes only
The office worker, who often left home early and returned late in a bid to meet performance targets, had noticed facial swelling for about six months but dismissed it as a result of chronic sleep deprivation.
The situation took a dramatic turn one night when she suddenly felt as though her lungs were “drowning” and struggled to breathe while working overtime, prompting alarmed colleagues to rush her to the emergency department.
Kidney function had completely failed
There, nephrologist Dr Hong Yong Xiang (name transliterated from Mandarin), who was the chief resident at the time, reviewed her blood test results and found that her kidney function had completely failed.
She was diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and told she would require dialysis for the rest of her life.
Dr Hong explained to the woman’s mother that because her kidneys were no longer functioning, waste products had built up to dangerous levels in her blood, causing fluid to accumulate in her lungs and severely affect her breathing.
To save her life, doctors had to insert a breathing tube and begin emergency dialysis immediately.
Source: ETtoday
He recalled that the young woman, who moments earlier had still been worried about unfinished work, turned “whiter than the hospital sheets” upon hearing the diagnosis, as she and her mother broke down in tears in the emergency department corridor.
Subsequent examinations showed that the woman had signs of protein in her urine several years earlier, an early warning that her kidneys were already damaged but had gone untreated.
This underlying kidney condition, compounded by long-term sleep deprivation and frequent consumption of sugary drinks, ultimately led to the irreversible outcome.
Sugary drinks a leading cause of kidney failure in youth
Dr Hong warned that modern high-pressure lifestyles and refined diets are placing immense strain on kidneys, particularly in people with pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Among the five major lifestyle habits linked to kidney failure in young people, he said treating sugary beverages “like water” is the number one culprit.
Source: Giu from Geo’s Gallery on Canva, for illustration purposes only
He also highlighted four other kidney-damaging habits: chronic sleep deprivation, extreme high-protein diets that place excessive strain on the kidneys, misuse of painkillers and over-the-counter medications, and diets high in salt and heavily processed foods.
“Your kidneys do not have a backup file,” Dr Hong cautioned, urging the public to cut down on sugary drinks and opt for plain water instead.
He added that the kidneys are extremely “silent” organs, often showing no pain or obvious symptoms until more than 70% of their function is lost.
Once they “log out”, he warned, life can go “from colour to black and white”.
Also read: M’sian Man Drinks Teh Tarik 3 Times A Day For Years, Gets Diabetes In Mid-20s & Loses Right Foot
M’sian Man Drinks Teh Tarik 3 Times A Day For Years, Gets Diabetes In Mid-20s & Loses Right Foot
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Featured image adapted from sambarfoto on Canva (for illustration purposes only) and ETtoday.
