Kidney Disease Info and links
What do kidneys do anyway?
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, about the size of your fist, located along your back, just below your ribs.
They are sophisticated machines that you cannot live without. They process nearly 200 quarts of blood every day and sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water, which become urine.
All about Kidney Disease Causes
The leading causes of kidney disease are diabetes (sometimes called "sugar") and high blood pressure. There are also kidney disorders caused by genetic factors, such as polycystic kidney disease.
Risk Factors
Those at a higher risk of developing kidney disease are African-American males, the elderly and those with family history of kidney disease.
Are you at risk?
- Do you have a family history of kidney disease?
- Do you have diabetes?
- Do you have high blood pressure?
- Are you an African-American male between the ages of 30-50?
- Do you have a personal history of obesity, cardiovascular disease, HIV, Hepatitis C, or malignancy?
Warning Signs
The following are warning signs of kidney disease:
- High blood pressure
- Fluid retention
- Frequent urination
- Shortness of breath
- Headache & Fatigue
- Nausea & vomiting
- Dry & itchy skin
Most frequently, there are no signs at all! Early detection is important, as the early stages of kidney disease do not make you feel sick.
Early Detection
Of kidney disease is important and regular health screenings are essential in detecting and preventing it. Any primary care physician can administer urine and/or blood tests to test kidney function, and check for risk factors suchas high blood pressure (also called hypertension), diabetes, cholesterol, and obesity.
Treatment
The primary treatment of chronic kidney disease is either dialysis or kidney transplant. Dialysis is a machine process that does the kidneys' job of filtering waste products from the blood. The other option is a kidney transplant, where a human kidney is surgically implanted into the patient.
Prevention
The best prevention of kidney disease is to eat well, exercise and get regular health screenings. If kidney disease is detected early, medical intervention can slow the progression of it to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and kidney failure. Healthy kidneys are vital for life, so take good care of yourself and your kidneys by exercising, eating right, and seeking proper healthcare!
