Understanding the Fundamentals of Renal Issues

What are kidney diseases?

Kidneys are very important organs of a human body which are bean shaped and located on both the sides of your spine just above your waist. Kidneys are very crucial for a human being as they perform several functions. Their main function is to purify the blood by removing the excess fluid and waste materials from the blood. The kidneys help in maintaining a balance between the salt and mineral levels in the body. They also help in regulating the blood pressure. When the kidneys are damaged, the excess liquids in the body emerge out in the body in the form of swellings. You feel fatigued. The other symptoms are vomiting, poor sleeping pattern, weakness and short breathiness.

What are the causes of acute injury of the kidneys?

The loss of the function of the kidney is termed as acute kidney injury or renal failure. These can happen due to the following points:

• A bad injury with excessive blood loss.
• Reduction of the flow of blood to the kidneys.
• Kidney damage due to shock.
• Enlarged prostate in males which obstruct the urine flow.

• Damage due to any kind of toxic materials or drugs.
• Complications during pregnancy.
• Muscle tissue breakdown

What are the causes of the chronic kidney diseases?

Long term kidney diseases which last more than 3 months are termed as chronic kidney diseases. These are very dangerous as the symptoms cannot be identified before which may lead to problems later on. The main reasons for these diseases are diabetes or hypertension. The other causes are:

• Poor condition of immune system such as diseases like viral illnesses, HIV, hepatitis, etc.

• Infections in the urinary tract along with the infections in kidney. These lead to complete kidney damage.

• The glomeruli in the kidney may be inflamed due to infections or any other causes.

• Cysts may form in the kidney. These diseases are generally inherited from parents.

• The defects may be present from the beginning of birth. These diseases are termed as congenital diseases. These defects are formed when the baby is in the womb of the mother. It is one of the most important points to remember so you should not ignore it.

• Long term medication using various drugs and toxins also cause these diseases.

The kidney is a very precious organ to the human beings. It serves a lot of purposes. You must take good care of it.