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Are Your Kidneys Behind Your Ribs

How To Keep Your Kidneys Healthy

How Do You Know If Your Kidneys Are Hurting?

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 mealsIf 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.

Here’s How Kidneys Perform Their Important Work:

  • Blood enters the kidneys through an artery from the heart
  • Blood is cleaned by passing through millions of tiny blood filters
  • Waste material passes through the ureter and is stored in the bladder as urine
  • Newly cleaned blood returns to the bloodstream by way of veins
  • Bladder becomes full and urine passes out of the body through the urethra.
  • The kidneys perform their life-sustaining job of filtering and returning to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours. Approximately two quarts are eliminated from the body in the form of urine, while the remainder, about 198 quarts, is retained in the body. The urine we excrete has been stored in the bladder for approximately one to eight hours.

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    What Organ Is Under The Left Rib Cage

    The spleen is an organ that is placed directly below the left rib cage. An enlarged spleen, also known as splenomegaly, can be caused by a variety of illnesses, including infections, liver disease, and various malignancies . Splenomegaly is most commonly found in people who suffer from chronic immune disorders or who have been diagnosed with leukemia.

    In addition to being located beneath the left side of the chest, the spleen functions to filter out old red blood cells and remove excess white blood cells from the body. It is therefore not surprising that problems with this organ often lead to an increased number of red blood cells or white blood cells in the blood. Symptoms of an enlarged spleen include fatigue, easy bruising, fever, pain in the left upper quadrant of the abdomen, and weakness.

    The spleen is usually about 5 inches long when it is healthy and weighs between 1 and 2 pounds. Splenomegaly occurs when this organ grows larger than this and begins to interfere with blood flow and function. Surgery may be required to remove an enlarged spleen.

    An autopsy of a young woman who had no apparent medical problems revealed that she had a spleen that was more than twice its normal size.

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    Where Are My Kidneys

    The kidneys are located below the rib cage, one on each side of the spine, toward the back of the body. They are protected by the lower part of your rib cage.

    Each bean-shaped organ is about 4 to 5 inches long, about the size of an adult fist. Although they are small, your kidneys work hard to keep the rest of your body in balance.

    Should I Get Medical Help

    Are The Kidneys Located Inside Of The Rib Cage / Kidney And Adrenal ...

    If you have pain below the right rib cage and youre not sure why, ask yourself the following questions:

  • Is the pain persistent or severe?
  • Do you feel breathless?
  • Do you have a temperature but also feel shivery?
  • Is your poo lighter in colour and your pee darker than usual?
  • Is there blood in your poo?
  • Have you coughed up blood?
  • Have you lost weight?
  • jaundice) at all?
  • If you answered yes to 1 or more of these questions, you should see a doctor immediately as these symptoms could be a sign of a serious medical condition.

    If you answered no to these questions, here are some possible causes of the pain under your right rib cage.

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    How Is Kidney Pain Treated

    Treatment depends on the cause, the severity of the pain and how sick you are feeling.

    You may find the pain eases with simple treatments like paracetamol. Talk to your doctor and your pharmacist.

    If you have pain that you are worried may be caused by a kidney problem, please see your doctor. If you are pregnant and you have kidney pain, see your doctor.

    You should also see your doctor if you have a pain in the back along with any of the following:

    • discoloured urine, painful urination or blood in your urine
    • feeling that you need to urinate urgently

    Transverse And Descending Colon

    The colon is also known as the large intestine. It forms an upside-down U shape over the coiled-up small intestine.

    On your right is the ascending colon. On the top is the transverse colon. And on the left of the U is the descending colon.

    The descending colon is located on the left side of your large intestine.

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    What Is The Outlook For Kidney Infections

    With treatment, the outlook for kidney infections is very positive. It is vital that you take all of any prescribed medications for the infection. You may begin feeling better shortly after beginning a treatment, but still need to take the entire prescribed treatment.

    Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 05/22/2019.

    References

    • National Kidney Foundation. Urinary Tract Infections Accessed 5/23/19.
    • National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases . Pyelonephritis: Kidney Infection Accessed 5/23/19.

    How Do My Kidneys Filter Blood

    I Have Pain Under My Left Ribs How Do I Make It Stop?

    Each kidney contains more than a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of:

    • Glomeruli: Glomeruli are groups of tiny blood vessels that perform the first stage of filtering your blood. They then pass filtered substances to the renal tubules. The name for this process is glomerular filtration.
    • Renal tubules: These tiny tubes reabsorb and return water, nutrients and minerals your body needs . The tubules remove waste, including excess acid and fluids through a process called diffusion. Your body sends the remaining waste through your kidneys collecting chambers. Eventually, it leaves your body as pee.

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    Connection To The Cardiovascular System

    Given that the kidneys filter our blood they must be connected to the cardio vascular system. The kidney plays a very important role in our cardio vascular system. The kidneys help to regulated blood pressure, removes waste and excess water as well as manage the pH balance in the body.

    The kidneys receive a continuous flow of blood. In fact, from 20 to 25 percent of the blood leaving the left ventricle of the heart enters the kidneys. This amounts to 1.2 litres of blood processed by the kidneys per minute! Per kidney that is 600ml each! Each kidney processes the volume of a modern bottle of soda per minute.

    The kidney is connected to cardio vascular system by the renal arteries and renal veins. The renal artery carries blood away from the heart and into the kidney. This is the blood that will be processed by the kidney. The renal vein carries blood to the heart and away from the kidney. This is the blood that has been cleaned by the kidney.

    Changes In Your Urine

    This is one of the first signs your kidneys are in trouble. So If you notice any of the following changes, speak to your doctor:

    • Pressure during urinating
    • Dark urine followed by less frequent urinating and/or urinating in small amounts
    • Pale urine and more frequent urination in larger amounts
    • Need to urinate many times during the night

    Read Also: What Happens When One Kidney Stops Functioning

    Can You Tell If You Passed A Stone

    Dr. De cautions people to be careful with the phrase passing a stone. Theres the passing the stone from the kidney to the bladder, which is the painful part, she says. Then theres the bladder out the urethra, which generally doesnt cause pain. Often, people only know they urinated out a stone if they are straining their urine or see it in the toilet. If you have severe pain or severe nausea or vomiting, head to the ER.

    You may be given a urine mesh screen or a pee strainer, which you place on top of the toilet seat to collect any material in your urine. Your kidney stone may look like a grain of sand or a piece of gravel. You should keep any stones you collect in a cup with a lid or a plastic bag to keep them safe and dry until you can give them to your doctor for analysis. Your doctor will more than likely give you information on how to reduce your risk of kidney stones like:

    • Drinking plenty of water.

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    What Should I Do If My Kidneys Hurt

    Kidney Basics Overview

    If you have kidney pain that doesnt go away, the first thing you should do is call your healthcare provider to schedule an appointment or go to the emergency room if you have symptoms such as uncontrolled pain, severe nausea or vomiting, fevers or chills, or an inability to pee. In the meantime, here are some things you can do to ease discomfort:

    • Stay hydrated. Drinking lots of water will help flush bacteria from your urinary tracts. Avoid caffeinated drinks and alcohol.
    • Use heat. Place a heating pad on your back, abdomen or side to help reduce kidney pain.
    • Take pain relievers. To ease fever or discomfort, take over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen .

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    What Tests Can Help Determine The Cause Of Kidney Pain

    In order to pinpoint a cause, a number of tools are available to help your healthcare provider make a diagnosis:

    • Urinalysis: This test checks for the presence of blood, white blood cells , proteins and certain molecules that are linked to various kidney disorders.
    • Imaging tests:Ultrasound or a CT scan can provide images of the physical structure of the kidneys and urinary tract. It can also tell your healthcare provider if stones are present and determine if urine flow is adequate.

    Metallic Taste In The Mouth

    Sometimes, your body can become so overloaded with toxins that you can literally taste them. People with kidneys that are not working at optimal capacity, can often experience a metallic taste in their mouths. Any unfiltered waste buildup can linger in your blood where it can alter the taste of food. This buildup of toxins can further lead to halitosis and a lack of appetite.

    Read Also: How Does Metformin Affect Your Kidneys

    What Other Health Problems Can An Ectopic Kidney Cause

    An ectopic kidney usually doesnt cause health problems, or complications, and may work normally. Most people are born with two kidneys, so if your ectopic kidney doesnt work at all, your other kidney may be able to do the work both kidneys would have done. In rare cases, a nonfunctioning ectopic kidney must be removed. As long as the other kidney is working well, there should be no problems living with one kidney, also called a solitary kidney.

    People who have an ectopic kidney are more likely to have vesicoureteral reflux . VUR is a condition in which urine flows backward from the bladder to one or both ureters, and sometimes to the kidneys. In some people, an ectopic kidney can block urine from correctly draining from the body or may be associated with VUR.

    The abnormal placement of the ectopic kidney and potential problems with slow or blocked urine flow can be associated with other problems, including

    Talk with your health care professional about treatment options if you have any of these health problems.

    Why Are My Kidneys Important

    How do your kidneys work? – Emma Bryce

    Normal healthy kidneys…

    Your kidneys filter blood and make urine. Urine contains excess fluid and waste. Filtering your blood helps keep excess fluid and waste from building up in your body.

    Kidneys need a certain level of pressure to work properly. They use hormones and fluid levels to control this pressure. For example, if the pressure inside the kidneys is too low, the kidneys make a hormone that causes blood vessels to constrict. This has the effect of increasing blood pressure.

    The kidneys work to maintain normal blood pressure. This keeps your heart, brain, and other organs healthy.

    Your kidneys make a hormone called erythropoietin. Erythropoietin tells bone marrow to make red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to your brain and vital organs. Red blood cells provide the energy you need for daily activities. If you dont have enough red blood cells, you develop anemia. Anemia can make you feel weak and tired.

    The kidneys make an active form of vitamin D. You need vitamin D to absorb calcium and phosphorus. Calcium and phosphorus are important minerals for bone health. The kidneys also balance calcium and phosphorus so your body has the right amount.

    Your body functions best with a healthy balance of acids and bases in your blood. As cells break down, they make acids. The foods you eat can either increase or lower the amount of acid in your body.

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    How Are Kidney Infections Treated

    A physician will treat the disease based on his or her examination. He or she may start the patient on the standard treatment of a course of antibiotics before the lab tests results are available. The medication may change once the exact strain of bacteria is revealed by the lab tests.

    If the treatment is effective, the patient should feel better in two to three days. If not, your healthcare provider will start looking for additional problems. Most antibiotic treatments last for 14 days and it is essential that patients take the pills as recommended for the full 14 days even though symptoms may disappear after a few days. The disappearance of symptoms does not mean all bacteria are killed. Some may remain and the infection may reappear.

    There is also a concern that those bacteria that remain may develop resistance to the medication. For some reason the disease is more difficult to treat in men and they may have to take medication for up to six weeks. Patients with severe illness, those that have significant nausea and vomiting, high fevers, significant pain and signs of dehydration may be hospitalized for a few days while the antibiotics are administered intravenously. Urine samples are taken after about six weeks of treatment and examined to insure the bacterial infection is eradicated.

    What Do The Kidneys Do

    Your kidneys have many important functions. They clean toxins and waste out of your blood. Common waste products include nitrogen waste , muscle waste and acids. They help your body remove these substances. Your kidneys filter about half a cup of blood every minute.

    In the process:

  • Blood flows into your kidneys through a large blood vessel called the renal artery.
  • Tiny blood vessels in your kidney filter the blood.
  • The filtered blood returns to your bloodstream through a large blood vessel called the renal vein.
  • Pee travels through tubes of muscle called ureters to your bladder.
  • Your bladder stores pee until you release it through urination .
  • The kidneys also:

    • Control the acid-base balance of your blood.
    • Make sugar if your blood doesnt have enough sugar.
    • Make a protein called renin that increases blood pressure.
    • Produce the hormones calcitriol and erythropoietin. Calcitriol is a form of vitamin D that helps your body absorb calcium. Erythropoietin helps your body make red blood cells.

    An adrenal gland sits on top of each kidney. It produces hormones, including cortisol, which helps your body respond to stress.

    Cortisol also plays a role in:

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    What Side Is Your Kidney On

    Answers to commonly asked questions about a critical waste-removal system

    “What side is your kidney on?” people ask, as they wonder whether that agony they’re feeling is coming from a kidney.

    The answer, of course, is both sides! You have two kidneys, one on either side of your body.

    Too often people dont understand or appreciate these important, fist-sized organs until something goes wrong with them. So for this blog, were going to share some interesting facts about kidneys.

    Where are the kidneys located?

    • Your kidneys live in the upper part of your abdomen, just under your rib cage.
    • Your right kidney is found a bit lower than your left one, to make room for the liver.

    What do they look like?

    • Your kidneys are shaped like beans .
    • Theyre about 4 or 5 inches long.

    What do kidneys do?

    • Kidneys help remove waste and excess liquids from your body. They do that thanks to tiny filters called nephrons that pick up the waste that will leave your body as urine. They filter all the blood in your body several times a day.
    • They produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and tell your body when to make more red blood cells.
    • They help make sure the volume of liquid in your body doesnt fluctuate too much. Thats why if youre losing a lot of water through sweat, you wont need to urinate as often.

    Why do kidneys hurt?

    Why do kidneys stop working?

    • A number of problems can cause kidney disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and inflammation of the kidneys.

    What Are The Kidneys

    Are The Kidneys Located Inside Of The Rib Cage : Where Your Kidneys are ...

    The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter your blood. Your kidneys are part of your urinary system.

    Your kidneys filter about 200 quarts of fluid every day enough to fill a large bathtub. During this process, your kidneys remove waste, which leaves your body as urine . Most people pee about two quarts daily. Your body re-uses the other 198 quarts of fluid.

    Your kidneys also help balance your bodys fluids and electrolytes. Electrolytes are essential minerals that include sodium and potassium.

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