Kidneys

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs which are located towards the back of the upper abdomen, just above the waist on either side of the spine. The kidneys function to remove waste products from the blood. They clean about 1 liter of blood a minute. National Kidney Foundation: How Your Kidneys Work http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Kidneys_explained?OpenDocument The kidneys also help regulate the water level in the body. Both excess water and waste products are filtered out of the bloodstream via the nephrons (see the figure below). Urea and creatinine are the waste products that are removed from the blood stream. If the kidneys are not functioning, then a person has to undergo dialysis regularly to help remove these toxins from the blood stream because they form ammonia which can, through a number of metabolic effects, cause death of neural cells in the brain.. http://www.engin.umich.edu/~cre/web_mod/viper/kidney_function.htm

Resources on this page for kidneys includes a list of renal diseases and symptoms of renal disease. A figure is included that shows the location and structure of the kidneys. Other resources include a fast facts section, related Mahalo and Google links, as well as a news section. If you have any questions about kidneys ask about it in the space provided.

Several factors impact the health of the kidneys, including diet, exercise, medications, smoking and the level of water consumption.Meriter: Keep Your Kidneys Working Well In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are considered central to the vital energy (jing). Maintaining proper kidney health is thus very important and there are specific herbal prescriptions that help support kidney health. http://tcm.health-info.org/Zang%20Fu%20foundation/kidneys.htm

Kidney diseases are also called renal diseases. Some common kidney problems are: hypertension (high blood pressure), diabetes, kidney stones, kidney failure and kidney cancer.National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Kidney & Urologic Diseases

If you have any of the following symptoms, or a combination of these symptoms, it is recommended that you see your doctor to determine if you have renal disease:

1. Pain in the lower back
2. High blood pressure
3. Increasing frequency of urination at night
4. Swelling of your eyes and/or in the ankles and wrists
5. Urine that is dark brown, bloody or has foam
6. Discharges or burning sensations during urination http://www.umm.edu/eri/kidneys.htm

• Google Books: Kidneys Books

• Google Books: Heptinstall's Pathology of the Kidney

• Amazon.com: Kidneys Books

• Amazon.com: The Kidney at a Glance

• Current Medicine: Atlas of Diseases of the Kidney

• PubMed Central: Articles and Journals About the Kidneys

The content on this page is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Please contact a physician for information if you believe you have a kidney disease.