How Our Kidneys Work

The kidneys are a pair of organs, present in humans and animals. These organs, necessary to continual renal functioning of the body, are part of the excretory system.

The kidneys are located in the abdominal cavity. One on the right and one on the left, the kidneys are partially protected by the bottom two ribs. The primary function of these organs is to remove toxins from the blood. This is done by creating urine, then excreting it as waste, removing the toxins from the body. In addition to removing waste, the kidneys also help the body retain homeostasis, performing some hormone regulating functions, as well as electrolyte balance, acid-balance, and the maintaining of blood pressure. While most people are born with two working kidneys, generally, a human can live with only one kidney, as long as that kidney is functioning well.

Kidneys are susceptible to a number of diseases, both acute and chronic. A common type of kidney disease is kidney stones, which send millions of Americans to the hospital emergency room each year. Often very painful, kidney stones are formed when the kidneys have too much waste and too little water to turn that waste into urine. Often, drinking a lot water and simply waiting for the stones to pass is the best option, but sometimes, more severe or larger stones require surgery.

Acute kidney failure can occur as the result of disease effecting the function of the kidneys. This can sometimes results from serious infection, complications due to diabetes, or severe lack of water intake. Such acute kidney failure needs to be treated in the hospital, and can usually be corrected with a day or two of treatment. Once the kidney function is restored to normal, there are generally no long-term negative effects on the kidneys.

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More serious kidney disease, that is ongoing, is termed Chronic Kidney Disease, or CKD. With CKD, the kidneys begin to gradually lose their ability to carry out normal functions. The National Kidney Association estimates that 26 million Americans have CDK. Such chronic diseases can result in the need for dialysis or kidney transplant. While kidney disease can affect anyone, African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and Seniors have a higher risk than average.

Risk factors for CKD include diabetes, hypertension and family history of the disease. CDK can be detected through three basic tests – blood pressure, urine albumin and serum. While early detection can lead to good results for the treatment of kidney disease, untreated CKD can lead to kidney failure. Extreme CKD or kidney failure, can eventually require kidney dialysis, where the patient is hooked up to a machine that filters toxins from the blood. Dialysis is generally a temporary solution, often employed while a donor kidney is being found in preparation for a kidney transplant.

Healthy kidneys are necessary for a healthy body. Proper nutrition, regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, and drinking plenty of water are the best ways to keep the kidney’s happy and healthy.