Whats The Urinary Tract How Does It Work
Your urinary tract is vital to your body because it gets rid of waste and extra fluid. Its made up of both your kidneys, two ureters, your bladder and your urethra. Each organ has an important job :
- Kidneys: Your fist-sized, bean-shaped kidneys are located on either side of your spine, below your rib cage. Each day they filter 120 to 150 quarts of your blood to remove waste and balance fluids. Your kidneys make one to two quarts of urine every day.
- Ureters: After your kidney creates urine, the liquid travels through the tube-shaped ureter to the bladder. There is one ureter per kidney. Kidney stones can pass through the ureters or, if theyre too big, get stuck in them. You may require surgery if the stone is too large.
- Bladder: Between your hip bones is your bladder, an organ that stores urine. It stretches to hold about one and a half to two cups.
- Urethra: Like a ureter, your urethra is a tube through which urine passes. Its the final stop of the urinary tract where your urine leaves your body. This is called urination.
Your Kidneys Are Vital
Your kidneys are located near the middle of your back, on either side of your backbone . They are protected from physical injury by a large layer of fat, along with your lower ribs and back muscles.
They are bean-shaped and each one is the size of an adult fist . Most people are born with two kidneys, but around one in every 750 people are born with just one. The good news is that you can still lead a healthy life with just one. One kidney alone can provide up to 75 per cent of normal kidney function.
The entire organ is not one big filter. Each kidney is made up of about one million tiny filters called nephrons. Blood enters your kidneys through the renal artery and goes back into your body by the renal vein.
Your kidneys have four incredible powers. They:
Read on to find out how to keep your kidneys healthy.
Should I Cut Calcium Out Of My Diet If I Develop Calcium Oxalate Kidney Stones
If you develop kidney stones composed of calcium, you may be tempted to stop eating foods that include calcium. However, this is the opposite of what you should do. If you have calcium oxalate stones, the most common type, its recommended that you have a diet higher in calcium and lower in oxalate.
Foods that are high in calcium include:
- Cows milk.
Its also important to drink plenty of fluids to dilute the substances in your urine.
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Swollen Or Puffy Face
Why this happens:
Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the face.
What patients said:
My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.
My checks were always puffy and tight. Sometimes they would even hurt.
Why Kidney Health Is Vital To Your Overall Well
In ancient times the kidneys were viewed as the seat of feelings, conscience, and yearnings and the source of morality and ethical activity. The kidneys were associated with the innermost parts of a persons personality and well-being. While we know now that kidneys have no direct role in shaping our ethics, emotions and personality, these two bean-shaped organs are nonetheless vital to our well-being.
The kidney is a remarkably intricate organ that acts as the filter system of the body. Just as important, your kidneys also work to keep the whole body in a state of chemical balance. The kidneys regulate the substances, helpful and harmful, that float around in the body and keeps them within very tight parameters so the body can function as a well-oiled machine. This is called renal function.
You cannot live without proper renal function, even if the kidneys are assisted artificially. Life would not continue without the many functions these organs perform.;
The kidney is the major player in the regulation of your blood pressure, and the make-up of the blood. Maintaining many hormones that are vital to our very existence, the kidneys even produce hormones that tell bones when to make more blood cells.
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Upset Stomach Nausea Vomiting
Why this happens:
A severe build-up of wastes in the blood can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.
What patients said:
I had a lot of itching, and I was nauseated, throwing up all the time. I couldn’t keep anything down in my stomach.
When I got the nausea, I couldn’t eat and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure pills.
Types Of Kidney Stones
- Calcium stones are the most common type of kidney stones. They are usually made of calcium and oxalate , but are sometimes made of calcium and phosphate.
- Uric acid stones form when your urine is often too acidic. Uric acid can form stones by itself or with calcium.
- Struvite stones can happen when you have certain types of urinary tract infections in which bacteria make ammonia that builds up in your urine. Struvite stones are made of magnesium, ammonium and phosphate.
- Cystine stones are made of a chemical that your body makes naturally, called cystine. Cystine stones are very rare, and happen in people who have a genetic disorder that causes cystine to leak from the kidneys into the urine.
Kidney stones can be as small as a grain of sand or as largesometimes larger thana pearl. They can stay in your kidneys or travel through your ureters , and out of your body with your urine. When a kidney stone moves through your ureters and out your urethra with your urine, it is called passing a kidney stone. A kidney stone can also get stuck in your urinary tract and block urine from getting through. When you pass a kidney stone or a large kidney stone blocks the flow of your urine, it can be very painful.
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Hypertension And Kidney Health
Hypertension which is another name for high blood pressure is the No. 2 cause of chronic kidney disease in the United States. In fact, 80 percent to 85 percent of people with chronic kidney disease have hypertension.
Chronic kidney disease can cause hypertension; likewise, hypertension can cause chronic kidney disease. Regardless of which came first, its vital to have blood pressure well-controlled and to take medications that help off-load pressure on the kidney.
What Causes Autosomal Recessive Pkd
Like ADPKD, autosomal recessive PKD is an inherited disease. In this case, however, a child may be born with the disease only if both parents are carriers of the gene that causes it. A carrier is someone who has the gene, but does not have the disease. When both parents are carriers of the gene that causes ARPKD, their child has a 1 in 4 chance of being born with ARPKD. The child has a 1 in 2 chance of being a carrier of the gene that causes ARPKD and a 1 in 4 chance of neither having the disease nor being a carrier of the gene. The disease usually does not affect every generation of a family.
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How Are Children Treated For Kidney Stones
Most childrens kidney stones can be treated with the shock wave lithotripsy , a completely non-invasive procedure. Your child is placed under anesthesia and sound waves of specific frequencies are focused on the stones to shatter them into fragments small enough to be easily passed during urination.
Learn About How Your Kidneys Work In The Following Video:
To summarize: Why are the kidneys so important for me and my body?
- Restless legs
Trust your physician and consult her or him if you are not feeling well. The sooner you speak to your physician and the more open you are about your symptoms, the better your physician can react and find a suitable treatment for you. The right measures at the right time can have a decisive influence on the course of kidney disease. Unfortunately, existing chronic damage to the kidneys cannot be reversed. If complete kidney failure has occurred, the function of the kidney must be replaced. There are various options for this.
Learn how to prevent further kidney damage in the next section
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Kidney Pain And Alcohol Abuse
Although the kidneys do not directly filter alcohol, problems associated with the kidneys may be related to the alcohol abuse. Alcohol can affect certain renal hormones such as anti-diuretic hormone and result in dehydration.
Alcohol may also raises the risk of atherosclerosis and cause clot formation in the kidneys.
How Your Kidneys Work
Your kidneys play a vital role in your body. They work hard to clean your blood and create urine for you 24 hours a day. Without kidney function, you would struggle to process toxins and eliminate waste, and this would have a devastating impact on your health.
Its important to keep your kidneys healthy so they can perform these important tasks throughout your life. If your kidneys are not healthy, other organs in your body may suffer and this could lead to further health complications.
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When To Contact A Doctor
A person who is experiencing kidney pain should contact a doctor as soon as possible to find out what is causing it.
People must contact a doctor to diagnose and treat kidney pain. Receiving the correct treatment ensures that the kidneys do not become damaged, which can lead to kidney failure.
Doctors may order tests such as:
- urine tests, which can help them identify any infections
- imaging tests, such as CT or ultrasound scans
- cytology, which can help them identify cancer cells in the urine
How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy
To avoid symptoms of kidney problems there are several things you should do according to National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases .
1. Keep your blood glucose in check, especially if you have diabetes.
2. Maintain a healthy blood pressure.
3. Eat healthy mealsâIf you are already displaying symptoms of kidney problems, avoid a diet high in protein, fat, sodium, and potassium.
4. Have yearly tests to ensure your kidneys are functioning properly
5. Avoid painkillers unless necessary as they can damage your kidneys. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen and naproxen are especially bad.
6. Contact your doctor immediately if you think you have a bladder or kidney infection.
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How Is Kidney Cancer Diagnosed
If you have symptoms, your doctor will perform a complete medical history and physical exam. The doctor also may order certain tests that can help in diagnosing and assessing cancer. These tests can include:
Most cancers are grouped by stage, a description of cancer that aids in planning treatment. The stage of a cancer is based on:
- The location and size of the tumor.
- The extent to which the lymph nodes are affected.
- The degree to which the cancer spread, if at all, to other tissue and organs.
The doctor uses information from various tests including CT, MRI, and biopsy to determine the stage of cancer.
How Does The Urinary System Work
The urinary system’s function is to filter blood and create urine as a waste by-product. The organs of the urinary system include the kidneys, renal pelvis, ureters, bladder and urethra.
The body takes nutrients from food and converts them to energy. After the body has taken the food components that it needs, waste products are left behind in the bowel and in the blood.
The kidney and urinary systems help the body to eliminate liquid waste called urea, and to;keep chemicals, such as potassium and sodium, and water in balance. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body. Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys, where it is removed along with water and other wastes in the form of urine.
Other important functions of the kidneys include blood pressure regulation and the production of erythropoietin, which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow. Kidneys also regulate the acid-base balance and conserve fluids.
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How Do My Kidneys Work
Each of your kidneys is made up of about a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron includes a filter, called the glomerulus, and a tubule. The nephrons work through a two-step process: the glomerulus filters your blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to your blood and removes wastes.
What Are Clinical Trials And Are They Right For You
Clinical trials are part of clinical research and at the heart of all medical advances. Clinical trials look at new ways to prevent, detect, or treat disease. Researchers also use clinical trials to look at other aspects of care, such as improving the quality of life for people with chronic illnesses. Find out if clinical trials are right for you.
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Specific Symptoms Of Kidney Cyst:
A cyst is a pouch of skin filled with liquid. Cysts may form in the kidneys and sometimes do not cause any symptoms. Some of the symptoms that it can cause:
- Side or back pain
- If they get infected you will have fever and chills.
- You may have kidney function issues.
If there are no symptoms you will not need treatment, but if the cyst is causing issues you will need to have the cyst drained. This is done with ultrasound guidance and only done by medical professionals.
Image 7 : Here you can clearly see the liquid filled pouches on the kidney surface.Picture Source : www.mayoclinic.org
Is Acquired Cystic Kidney Disease A Type Of Pkd
Acquired cystic kidney disease is not a type of PKD. While ACKD does cause cysts to form inside the kidneys like PKD does, people with PKD are born with it and people with ACKD are not. Instead, ACKD is caused by chronic kidney disease or kidney failure/ESRD. ACKD is more common in people who have had kidney disease for a long time. ACKD happens most often in people who are on dialysis, but the cysts are not caused by dialysis treatments. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases has more information about ACKD.
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What Is The Treatment For A Kidney Infection
Kidney infections are treated with antibiotics. Your health care provider may tell you to take an antibiotic medicine that treats the most common types of infections, until your urine can be looked at to figure out the exact type of infection you have. Once your urine test results are available, your health care provider might tell you to take a different type of antibiotic, depending on the type of infection you have.
If you have a very serious infection, you may need to stay in the hospital to receive treatment.
If your kidney infection was caused by a problem with the shape of your urinary tract, you may need to have surgery to correct the problem and prevent future kidney infections.
How Will I Know If My Child Has Arpkd
Signs and symptoms of ARPKD are often noticeable even before a baby is born. Pregnant women receiving prenatal care have regular ultrasounds. The ultrasound images can show that the unborn babys kidneys are larger than they should be, which can be a sign of ARPKD.
Another sign of ARPKD is a lack of amniotic fluid in the womb. Amniotic fluid is the liquid that surrounds and protects the baby in the mothers womb. In the early months of pregnancy, the mothers body makes the amniotic fluid. In the middle to later months of pregnancy, when the babys kidneys begin to work, they make the amniotic fluid. Some babies with ARPKD have badly damaged kidneys, even before birth, and their kidneys cannot make enough amniotic fluid. Ultrasound images can show that there is not enough amniotic fluid around the baby.
If a baby is born with ARPKD, signs of the disease at birth may include:
- Swollen belly
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What Do The Kidneys Do In Our Body
Kidney is considered as one of the major organs of the body. This is because of its important role in various functions that keep us in healthy condition. The major functions of it include the following.
- Maintenance of fluid volume within the body.
- Maintenance of acid-base equilibrium within the body.
- Blood is purified of waste products, chemicals and toxins by the kidneys.
- Electrolytes such as Sodium, potassium and chloride are kept in the required amount in body with the help of the kidneys.
- Kidneys are also known to produce hormones and chemicals required for information transmission through nerves.
This article will discuss a bit more about the anatomy of the kidney as well as possible causes for kidney pain.
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Symptoms Of Kidney Disease
Each person may have different symptoms of kidney disease. Here are the most common:
- Frequent headaches
- Itchiness all over the body
- Blood in the urine
- Relieve swelling
- Protect your bones
Your kidney doctor also may recommend a lower protein diet to minimize waste products in your blood. Regular follow-up kidney tests may be necessary to see if your disease remains stable or is progressing.
I think I can confidently say that we all want to live a healthy life without having to worry about our kidneys failing, Dr. Young says. I believe the most important part of my job is to try to prevent further damage to the kidneys and try to help people live as long as possible, as naturally as possible.
Steven Baldridge, RN, is a staff educator at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center.
What Are The Most Common Types Of Kidney Stones
The most common type of kidney stone is a calcium oxalate stone. This type happens when calcium and oxalate combine in your urine. It can happen when you have high quantities of oxalate, low amounts of calcium and arent drinking enough fluids.
Stones caused by uric acid are also fairly common. These come from a natural substance called purine, which is a byproduct of animal proteins .
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When To See A Doctor For Kidney Pain
Kidney pain that you feel in your middle back or that radiates to your abdomen or groin is usually an indicator of a serious health condition.
According to Dr. Charles Patrick Davis, you should visit your doctor promptly if you suspect kidney pain. Some of the warning signs of kidney disease or problems are:
- Sharp flank pain that comes on suddenly
- A dull, constant one-sided pain in your back or side
- Blood in your urine
What Does Kidney Pain Feel Like
Your kidneys are fist-sized organs shaped like beans that are located at the back of the middle of your trunk, in the area called your flank. They are under the lower part of your ribcage on the right and left sides of your backbone.
Their main job is to filter waste out of your blood and produce urine to remove that waste along with extra fluid from your body.
When your kidney hurts, it usually means theres something wrong with it. Its important to determine whether your pain is coming from your kidney and or from somewhere else so that you receive the right treatment.
Because there are muscles, bones, and other organs around your kidney, its sometimes hard to tell if its your kidney or something else causing your pain. However, the type and location of the pain and other symptoms you are having can help point to your kidney as the source of your pain.
When To See Your Doctor
Kidney pain is almost always a sign that something is wrong with your kidney. You should see your doctor as soon as possible to determine whats causing your pain.
If the condition that has caused kidney pain isnt treated promptly and appropriately, your kidneys can stop working, which is called kidney failure.
Its especially important to see your doctor right away if your pain is severe and started suddenly because this is often caused by a serious problem such as renal vein thrombosis or bleeding into your kidney that needs emergency treatment.
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Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disease. This means that it is caused by a problem with your genes. PKD causes cysts to grow inside the kidneys. These cysts make the kidneys much larger than they should be and damage the tissue that the kidneys are made of. PKD causes chronic kidney disease , which can lead to kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease . PKD causes about 2 percent of the cases of kidney failure in the United States each year.
There are two types of PKD: autosomal dominant PKD and autosomal recessive PKD. Autosomal dominant PKD causes cysts only in the kidneys. It is often called adult PKD, because people with this type of PKD might not notice any symptoms until they are between 30 and 50 years old. Autosomal recessive PKD causes cysts to grow in both the kidneys and the liver. Autosomal recessive PKD is often called infantile PKD because babies can show signs of the disease in their first few months of life, or even before they are born.
Can A Large Kidney Stone Cause An Injury
Your risk of injury from a kidney stone can go up based on the size and location of the stone. A larger stone could get stuck in a ureter, causing pressure to build up. This can lead to renal failure and, in the worst-case scenario, you could lose your kidney. The chance of passing a 1 cm stone is less than 10%, and stones larger than 1 cm typically dont pass.