Know Your Kidneys

Kidneys don’t always get the respect they deserve. But kidneys are truly impressive, and the more you learn, the more you’ll understand why you want to help keep them healthy.

Another word for kidney is renal. You may hear your doctor talk about renal function or read materials that mention renal failure. Whenever you see or hear the word' renal,' you will know the subject is about the kidneys.

Location and description

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about five inches long, three inches wide, and one inch thick, located in your back on each side of your spine. Each kidney is approximately the size of a fist and weighs between four and six ounces. They are situated above your waist, with the left kidney a little higher and a little larger. The right kidney is a little lower and smaller to make room for the liver. The lower ribs protect your kidneys.

Inside the kidneys are nephrons. These are tiny units where the filtering of excess fluids and dissolved particles occurs. There are between 1 and 1.3 million nephrons in each kidney.

What kidneys do

Most people think their kidneys are just responsible for producing urine, but there’s a lot more to it. In addition to removing extra fluid and water from your body, the kidneys:

• Filter the blood
• Balance fluid content in the body
• Produce the enzyme renin that helps control blood pressure
• Produce the hormone erythropoietin to help make red blood cells
• Activate vitamin D to maintain healthy bones
• Adjust levels of minerals and other chemicals to keep the body working properly

How kidneys do their jobs

The basic function of the kidneys begins when you eat and drink. After the body takes the nutrients it needs, the extras become waste. Some of the waste winds up in the blood and needs to be filtered out. The blood gets circulated through the body with every beat of the heart. It’s the job of the kidneys, with their millions of nephrons, to filter and clean out the blood and remove the extra fluids. The extra fluid and waste becomes urine and travels from the kidneys down the ureters to the bladder until eliminated through the urethra.

Removing waste is only one job of the kidneys. In addition to filtering, the kidneys monitor the levels of chemicals, salts, and acids in the blood. Inside the nephrons are sensors that keep track of sodium, phoshorus, calcium and potassium. When levels are high, the kidneys signal to remove the excess from your blood for elimination.

Another important job of the kidneys is to monitor and regulate certain body functions. An enzyme called renin is secreted by the kidneys to control blood pressure. A hormone called erythropoietin tells the bone marrow to make red blood cells, and one called calcitriol helps to keep bones strong

What if the kidneys are unable to perform their work

Disturbances in any of the functions that the kidney performs can lead to a constellation of abnormalities that may be detrimental to survival. The clinical manifestations of these disorders usually depend upon the pathophysiology of renal injury & usually identified as a complex of symptoms, abnormal physical findings, and laboratory changes that together make possible the identification of these specific renal syndromes.

These are - Acute kidney injury, Chronic kidney disease( CKD ), Glomerulonephritis, Kidney Stones, Renal cystic disease, Urinary Tract Infections ( UTI ), Kidney Cancers.

How can one identify whether the kidneys are working well

Kidney disorders can be identified through one of the following ways :

Blood tests: Tests such as serum creatinine & blood urea nitrogen ( BUN ) measure waste products in the blood, which indicate kidney dysfunction.

Urine tests: Urinalysis including urinary protein, red blood cells, pus cells, crystals & several other tests reveal abnormalities in the urine that suggest kidney damage

Imaging tests: Ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI may be used to assess the size, any obstruction & certain other abnormalities like cysts, tumors of the kidney.

Kidney Biopsy: In certain situations, a small piece of kidney tissue might be collected for analysis to identify the reason behind kidney problems.

What can be done to slow down damage to my kidneys?

There are general things that you can do to slow down any damage to your kidneys and keep them working adequately for as long as possible. The most important thing is to attend your medical appointments, no matter how you feel, and to keep taking any medication prescribed by your doctor. You can also help by:

• Keeping good control of your blood pressure may mean taking medication
• stopping smoking
• eating a healthy diet
• keeping active
• Keeping good control of your sugar levels if you are diabetic

Conclusion: The Kidney is one of the vital organs of our body & kidney diseases pose a significant risk to life. Recognizing the kidney problems early & their prevention is the key to protecting your kidney health.