Taiwan woman, 26, drinks 2 cups of bubble tea every day for years, has to undergo lifelong dialysis after kidneys fail

A Taiwanese woman who drank two cups of bubble tea daily for years will now have to undergo lifelong dialysis after her kidney function completely failed.

Drinking bubble tea had been her way of coping with stress, ETtoday reported, adding that the 26-year-old woman worked long hours to achieve sales targets.

Prior to her health crisis, she had been experiencing facial swelling for the past six months but attributed it to staying up late.

However, when she suddenly could not breathe while working overtime one night, her colleagues rushed her to a hospital's emergency room.

Emergency dialysis

ETtoday reported that a kidney specialist, who was the chief physician at the time, realised her kidney function had completely failed after reviewing her blood test report.

He then told the woman's mother that the woman's uremia index was off the charts and causing pulmonary edema.

According to Cleveland Clinic, this refers to a buildup of fluid in the lungs, and symptoms include difficulty breathing.

As such, the woman had to be intubated and given emergency dialysis immediately, or her life would be in danger.

Upon hearing the news, the woman turned pale, and both mother and daughter broke down in tears in the emergency room corridor.

Medical examination

Subsequently, examinations revealed that the woman had proteinuria for many years, which, according to Cleveland Clinic, refers to protein in a person's urine.

The kidney specialist added that this was likely due to chronic glomerulonephritis, a kind of kidney disease.

Combined with years of staying up late and excessive sugary drinks, the woman now requires lifelong dialysis, ETtoday reported.

Habits that damage kidneys

In light of this incident, the kidney specialist expounded on other habits that might to kidney failure in young people, drinking loads of sugary drinks being one of them.

He also listed four other habits that can damage a person's kidneys:

• Staying up late for extended periods
• Consuming extremely high-protein diets
• Abuse of painkillers and over-the-counter drugs
• A diet high in salt and strong flavours

Top photos via ETtoday and Canva