Overview About Kidney and Kidney Diseases

The kidneys are organs of a vital role performance, that serve several essential in keeping the blood clean and chemically balanced. The kidney also plays a regulatory role in most animals, including vertebrates and some invertebrates. It is important to understand the function of the kidney and how they work so it will help us to keep them healthy. We can also called the kidney renal, because there are some terms that we can use renal for instead of kidney so if you here something like renal anywhere you would have understand what they are talking about.

The kidney or renal are located close to the middle of the back, immediately below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine. The right kidney is a slight lower and smaller to make room for the liver. Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. The bean-shaped organ are about 12.7cm long, 7.62cm wide and 2.54cm thick.

Facts About Kidney

• The kidney is the chief osmoregulator of our body. It helps to regulates the concentration and osmotic pressure of blood by regulating the water contents of blood plasma.
• It removes toxic wastes like drugs and harmful substances, by removing just the right amount of excess harmful substances, well performing kidneys maintain what is called the body's fluid balance.
• The Kidney produces the actual amount of heat needed by the body to catch up with the environmental condition especially on a cold day
• It helps in the excretion of nitrogenous wastes from our body like urea, ammonia and uric acid. The basic functional unit is the nephron.
• It helps in regulation of water level in the body because, water and salt balance is primarily a result of regulation through urinary loss.
• Helps to keep the pH of the blood constant
• Maintains salt or ion balance in the body

Kidney Diseases

1. Nephritis: This is the inflammation of the nephron. It is caused by bacteria. Glumeruli are unable to filter blood completely. Useful substances like protein pass out with urine (proteinuria). The Symptoms include reduced urine, blood in urine, fatigue, high blood pressure and swelling which is notable in the hands, ankle, feet and face.
2. Dropsy: This is the swelling of soft tissues due to the accumulation of excess water. Water is retained in the blood since reabsorption by kidney has failed. There is a serious infiltration of the cellular tissues which results to Oedema. The symptom is swelling in the feet, ankles and legs
3. Diuresis: This is the increased or excessive production of urine. There is increased secretion of urine. It can be caused by shock or accident. The urine is watery because the tubules fail to reabsorb water. The symptoms of diuresis can be an increase in urine production, tiredness, heart failure, discomfort, hypercalcemia.
4. Kidney Stone: This is a hard mass formed in the kidneys, normally containing insoluble calcium compounds. Due to one abnormality or the other, amino acids and calcium phosphate settle in Kidney to form kidney stone. This obstructs the free flow of urine. The symptoms include severe pain in the side and back, below the ribs, pain on urination, brown, pink or red colour of urine, foul-smelling urine, vomiting, urinating frequently than typical.
5. Oedema: This is the swelling from too much increase of watery fluid in cells, tissues, or serous cavities. The kidney may be unable to absorb water from the blood into the tubules due to the infection. This causes the joints to swell as a result of water retention in the blood. The symptoms of oedema include swelling of the tissue directly under someone skin, extended or glossy skin, enlargement in the abdominal size.

Effects of Kidney Diseases

• Blood poisoning due to inability to remove some of the toxic materials
• Oedema of the joints since fluid level is not well regulated
• Kidney cells are affected
• Death might result due to the disease

Ways to Cure or Remedy The Effects of Kidney Diseases.

1. Prompt treatment by a kidney specialist using drugs
2. In the case of a failed or falling kidney, the use of machine in removing the waste which is called dialysis should be recommended
3. Surgery might be used in the case of outright removal and replacing it with another through kidney transplant or ordinary surgery involving removal of kidney stones.