Complete Overview of Kidney

Kidneys are the essential and most important organs of the body. They help us in filtering the blood, also able to remove waste and balance the body fluids. If we understand the proper working, functions, symptoms of kidney problems, and their treatment then we must lead a happy and healthy life. If we know these things we can take care of our health in a better way. In this blog, there is a complete overview of kidney including its functions, symptoms, and treatment.

What are Kidneys

Kidneys are actually the bean shaped organ in the body which are located on either sides of the spine just below the rib cage. They are small but they perform several critical and severe functions to keep you healthy and fit.

Functions of kidney

As describe earlier kidney is small in size but perform high functions including

Filtering blood: Kidney filters a large amount of blood every day and thus produce urine. This process has the function to remove the waste products from the blood and hence to purify it.
Balancing body fluids: Kidneys also plays the most important function in balancing the body fluids. They maintain the balance of body fluid and show that the cells of the body is functioning properly.
Regulate blood pressure: Kidneys also play an important role in regulating the blood pressure. Kidneys produce a specific enzyme which helps in balancing the blood pressure.

Symptoms of Kidney problems

Most of the people ignore the problems of kidneys until or unless they become severe. However, there are some symptoms that indicate that whether you have Kidney disease or not. If you want a healthy body then it is very important for you to recognize these signs as early as you can and seek medical attention.

Fatigue: Feeling unusually tired or low energy in your body is a very common sign of kidney disease. If you feel a low energy level without any reason then you may have kidney problems.

Swelling: As we described earlier, kidneys regulate the body fluids but if they are not functioning properly then fluid can accumulate and thus cause swelling in the ankles, feet, legs or hands.

Changes in Urination: When we have a kidney issue the color of our urine changes in some cases there is dark or cloudy urine. Blood in the urine is also the most important symptom of kidney problems.

Nausea and vomiting: When our kidney is not working properly the waste products accumulate in the body which lead to nausea or vomiting.

Loss of appetite: Most of the people who face kidney problems experience a loss of appetite, leading to sudden weight loss.

High blood Pressure: It is also the main symptom of kidney disease because kidneys play an important role in regulating blood pressure when they are not working properly, blood pressure will not be regulated and thus lead to high blood pressure.

Common disease related to kidney

There are a lot of problems and diseases that affect the kidney. If you understand these problems it can help you a lot in early detection and management of the disease.

Chronic kidney Disease (CKD)

It is a long term disease and gradually loses the functions of kidney. This disease is often caused by diabetes and high blood pressure. If you have these diseases there is a high risk for you that your kidney may be damaged. It responds slowly over time and if it remains untreated it can lead to serious kidney failure.
Symptoms of CKD
As it is a disease of the kidney so it has the same symptoms as the kidney like fatigue, swelling, change in the color of urination, and high blood pressure.

Acute kidney injury (AKI)

It is the sudden loss of kidney function and is may be caused after an injury or infection. This disease can develop rapidly within a day or few hours.
Symptoms of AKI
In this disease the patient has decreased urine output, swelling in the hand, legs, feet, or arms. The patient may have faced the problem of shortness of breath. Nausea and vomiting is also the most common symptom of this disease.

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are the most dangerous disease of the kidney and are often caused by the hard deposition of minerals and salts inside the kidney. This disease can cause severe pain in the kidney and also block the flow of urine. The patient who has to suffer with this disease is really in a very great problem.

Symptoms of kidney stones
Most of the people are already familiar with the symptoms of this disease. It often causes severe pain in the back side. Patient may also face pain during the process of urination. Blood in the urine is also the most common symptom of this disease.

Causes of Kidney stones
There are many causes of kidney stones. People who do not take care of their health and Kidneys face this problem. Mostly, the people who drink a very small amount of water face the problem of kidney stones. Taking high salt in diet is also the cause of kidney stones. If anyone in the family already has this disease then it’s most common that it also appears in you.

Effects of kidney diseases on the body

When kidney disease comes in progress then it affects each and every part of the body. Now, we discuss each and every effect of kidney disease on the body.

Cardiovascular system
Kidney disease has a very significant impact on the heart and blood vessels. Damaged kidney cannot regulate blood pressure properly so high blood pressure is the main problem which arises with Kidney disease. Chronic kidney diseases also increase the risk of heart attack because of the high level of fat accumulation in the body.

Skeletal System
Kidney disease also affect bones in many ways. It weakens the bones because kidney help balance calcium and phosphate levels in the body. When calcium and phosphate level does not remain balanced then our bones may be weakened.

Digestive System
It also plays a very negative impact on the digestive system. When waste products are not digested completely then its lead to vomiting and nausea which has a very bad effect on the digestive system. Many people with kidney diseases lose their appetite leading to malnutrition and weight loss.

Nervous system
In addition to all kidney also affect nervous system. When waste build up in the body it also affects the functioning of brain. When the brain is not functioning properly then it leads to confusion and memory loss. Stress and anxiety is also the most common problem that mostly occur in this disease. So where kidney problem may also lead to coma.

Immune system
Kidney vehicles our immune system and makes the body susceptible to infections.

Diagnosis of kidney diseases

Kidney disease is diagnosed by several test and procedures. The most common and mostly used test to diagnose the kidney problem is blood test.
Blood test: In this test the doctors measure the amount of waste product in the blood which indicates that how the Kidney is working.
Urine test: It is also the most common test which checks the presence of blood or other abnormalities in the urine.
Imaging test: In this category of test ultrasounds, CT scans, and MRI is available. It can provide the detailed image of the kidney and detect if any abnormality is present in kidney or not.

Treatment of Kidney Disease

Treatment of kidney disease is not same for all peoples. It depends upon the severity of the disease. Here are some common treatment options.

Medication

You can take the medicines to reduce the risk of kidney diseases.
Blood pressure medication: This medicine can control the high blood pressure, which can damage the Kidneys. There are also many natural ways to lower blood pressure at home. You must follow these natural treatments for your convenience.
Pain Relievers: If you face any kind of pain in your kidney you may also take pain relief which can reduce the severity of pain. This is not a permanent solution but you may take it for a time.

Lifestyle Changes

You may also do some changes in your lifestyle to make it healthy and fit.
Exercise regularly: When you do exercise regularly it has you can to control your blood pressure and maintain a healthy weight which reduce the disease of kidney.
Quit smoking and alcohol: You must have to quit smoking and alcohol because things increase the risk for diseases and also plays a part in increasing your blood pressure.

Dialysis

Dialysis is a procedure for kidney treatment which often do when the Kidneys are no longer able to work. There are commonly two types of dialysis.
Hemodialysis: In this type of dialysis blood is filtered outside the body by using a machine.
Peritoneal dialysis: In this type of dialysis the blood is filtered inside the body.

Kidney Transplant

If the kidney disease goes to its last stage then only one option left which is kidney transplant. It is the most effective treatment for the end stage kidney Disease. In this procedure a damaged kidney is replaced by a healthy one. This is the best option to save the lives of the people who have severe kidney disease.

Conclusion

Preventing kidney disease is important for maintaining a healthy lifestyle. You must go to the doctor for regular checkups. Also control your blood pressure and manage a proper diet. Always try to stay hydrated and drink enough water for the Kidneys to function properly. Regular exercise can also maintain a healthy weight and lower the risk of kidney diseases. Long term uses of painkillers also leads to kidney damage.
After reading the complete overview of kidney i hope you must take steps toward these processes to maintain a healthy lifestyle.