Friday, March 8, 2024
HomeHealthHow Do You Know If Your Kidneys Are Filtering

How Do You Know If Your Kidneys Are Filtering

The Following You May See Some Risks For The Conditions Like:

HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR KIDNEYS ARE FILTERING: PEE IN A JAR!
  • Blood or lymphatic system disorders
  • Infections such as strep infections, viruses, heart infections, or abscesses, etc.
  • History of cancer
  • Exposure to hydrocarbon solvents

Many conditions increase the risk of glomerulonephritis symptoms of kidneys, not filtering. Below are some Medical terminologies which are tough to understand, such as:

  • Amyloidosis A type of disorder in which a protein called amyloid builds up in the organs and tissues
  • Vasculitis or Polyarteritis A condition that affects the glomerular basement membrane, a part of the kidney that helps filter out the wastes, toxins, and extra fluid from the blood.
  • Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis Causes damage to the glomeruli.
  • Anti-glomerular basement membrane disease It weakens the immune capacity.
  • Analgesic nephropathy syndrome This is also a kidney disease happens due to heavy use of pain reliever medicines and especially NSAIDs
  • Henoch-Schönlein purpura This is also a disease that involves purple spots on the skin, joint pain, gastrointestinal problems.
  • IgA nephropathy It is a type of disorder in which antibodies called IgA to build up in kidney tissue
  • Lupus nephritis Causes kidney complication of lupus
  • Membranoproliferative GN is a form of glomerulonephritis due to an abnormal buildup of antibodies in the kidneys.

How The Kidneys Work

The kidneys are like the body’s garbage collection and disposal system. Through microscopic units called nephrons, the kidneys remove waste products and extra water from the food a person eats, returning chemicals the body needs back into the bloodstream. The extra water combines with other waste to become urine, which flows through thin tubes called ureters to the bladder, where it stays until it exits through the urethra when someone goes to the bathroom.

The kidneys also produce three important hormones:

  • erythropoietin, which stimulates the bone marrow to make red blood cells
  • renin, which helps regulate blood pressure and
  • the active form of vitamin D, which helps control the calcium balance in the body and maintain healthy bones.

Kidney failure, which is also called renal failure, is when the kidneys slow down or stop properly filtering wastes from the body, which can cause buildups of waste products and toxic substances in the blood. Kidney failure can be acute or chronic .

Page 1

Improving Your Kidney Function Can Be Simple

So you see for many, improving kidney function doesnt need to be difficult. In most cases, simply by stepping to the side and getting out of your own way, checking your thoughts, fears, and excuses at the door, you can catalyse massive changes in your health, by simply allowing the healing to take place.

Rubbing Lanterns Wont Help Improve Your Kidney Function, But Heres What Can

Now stay with me I am not saying that that you can cure all by thinking just happy thoughts, wishing, and getting out of the way, no definitely not. There are many practical things you can do every day, with little to no fuss that are very effective in helping increase kidney function. Very helpful indeed.

Note: thinking positive however sure wont hurt, in fact it will go a long way your mindset is the single biggest determining factor on how quickly you heal.

So in tune with todays theme of simplicity, I would like to share with you 10 effortless tips that can be applied immediately to help your kidney function, no need to leave home, and no need to spend a dime.

Don’t Miss: Are Grapes Good For Kidney Stones

What Will Happen If Kidneys Are Not Filtering Urine

The intention is not to filter the urine, and instead, it would be filtering our blood by kidneys. When kidneys get unfiltered blood, the nephrons are responsible for filtering blood, separates fluids, complex unwanted substances, and supplies back filtered blood to the heart for further process.

In this process, nephrons, which are exclusively the Glomerulus, take part in the filtration of blood and urine creation, which will be available for drainage through ureters and finally through the bladder and urethra.

Once the kidney stops functioning filtration, there would be more and more accumulation of substances, leading to blood vessel damage, cysts formations, infections, and other complications.

Just think that Kidneys are like Water filter. If the filter gets damaged, you taste smelly or non-purified water, which causes Water-Borne Diseases like typhoid, Cholera, Diarrhea, etc.

Do You Know Your Kidneys Matter

How to Prevent Damage to your Kidneys

Our bodies are dependent on our internal organs to survive and reproduce. Each organ is associated with the other for survival. The brain, the liver, the lungs, the kidneys, the bladder, the heart, the stomach and the intestines perform their respective functions to ensure proper functioning of the body system.Kidneys, on a daily basis, excellently maintains a chemical balance in the body. The human body needs to maintain a chemical balance in order to prevent chronic illness and other anomalies that may affect other organs.Kidneys are positioned at the back of the abdominal cavity. They execute some vital functions in the human body such as the formation of urine, balancing chemicals and fluids in the body, and extracting waste from the bloodstream. They also aid various other organs in carrying out routine functions in the body. Lets discuss the functions of the kidney.

Recommended Reading: Can You Have 4 Kidneys

Nephrotic Syndrome Symptoms Of Kidneys Not Filtering:

Below are some signs which indicate Nephrotic Syndrome, such as,

  • Edema , especially around our eyes and on our ankles and feet
  • Fatigue
  • Weight gain due to fluid retention
  • Foamy or Cloudy urine, due to excess protein in the urine
  • Loss of appetite

Some of the Complications & Risks associated with Nephrotic Syndrome symptoms of kidneys not filtering, if not treated properly, such as,

  • Diabetic kidney disease
  • Acute kidney injury & Chronic Kidney Disease.
  • Also, Infectious Diseases.

Inability To Eat Meat And Dairy

Interestingly enough, advanced kidney disease can make protein-rich foods like meat and dairy taste absolutely terrible. According to the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, that’s because these foods break down into nitrogen and creatinine, waste products that unhealthy kidneys are unable to filter out of the bloodstream.

Also Check: Does Red Wine Cause Kidney Stones

Swelling In Ankles Feet And Hands

Kidneys that are failing to perform properly dont remove any extra fluid from the body. This leads to sodium retention which causes swelling in your ankles, feet and hands. Swelling of the lower parts of your body can also signal heart and liver disease or leg vein problems.

Warning: Sometimes taking medication, reducing salt and removing excess fluid in your body can stop swelling. If it doesnt help, then you need a separate treatment.

What Do My Kidneys Do

How to Get Your Kidneys Filtering

Every day, your kidneys filter about 30 gallons of blood to remove about half a gallon of extra water and waste products. This waste and extra water make up your urine . The waste comes from the food you eat and the use of your muscles. Your urine travels to your bladder through the ureters, tubes that connect your kidney to your bladder. Your bladder stores the urine until you are ready to urinate . When you urinate, urine leaves your body through your urethra.

Your kidneys also do many other jobs, such as help:

When your kidneys dont work the way they should, they allow waste and water to flow back into your blood stream instead of sending them out with your urine. This causes waste and water to build up in your body, which can cause problems with your heart, lungs, blood, and bones.

Read Also: Can You Have 4 Kidneys

Kidney Facts You Should Know

  • Once age 40 is attained, the number of functional nephrons present in each kidney start falling at a rate of 1% a year. Despite this decline in the number of functional nephrons in kidneys the kidneys continue to function normally because the nephrons have a tendency of enlarging once the demise begins.
  • If the nephrons in both kidneys are taken out and placed end to end horizontally, they will cover a distance of 16 kilometers.
  • Kidneys are responsible for maintaining a constant amount of fluid in the body. The entire blood in the body gets filtered around 400 times in a day through the kidneys
  • The blood flow in kidneys is higher than the blood flow in the heart, liver, and brain.
  • In each hour, kidneys receive around 120 pints of blood.
  • Kidneys measure around 4.5 inches in length.
  • Kidneys are about the size of a standard computer mouse or a mobile phone.
  • Each kidney weighs about 4-6 ounces.
  • Each kidney consists of at least a million nephrons. Nephrons are tiny filters that are capable of filtering blood and eliminating waste materials.
  • Even though the kidneys weigh only 0.5% of the entire body weight, they receive more arterial blood compared to other organs in the body. In fact, almost 25% of the blood pumped by the heart goes to the kidneys.

How Can You Tell If Your Kidneys Are Not Working Properly

Your kidneys perform an incredible amount of work each day. They filter about 180 liters of fluid each day to produce 2 liters of urine. Your kidneys filter toxins from your bloodstream and take away excess fluids. They also play a role in keeping your blood pressure within normal limits, in making red blood cells, and even producing vitamin D.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs, situated just below your ribcage on your back. Each kidney is about 4 to 5 long, about the size of a fist or a cell phone. The kidneys filter blood and produce urine that flows down tubes, known as ureters, to store in your bladder until the next time you urinate.

Kidneys can fail, which means they do not work properly. Doctors refer to this as kidney failure or renal failure.

Many health conditions can increase the risk of renal failure. Diabetes is a major risk factor for kidney disease, according to the National Kidney Foundation. Low blood pressure can damage your kidneys and lead to kidney problems.

There are three main types of kidney failure acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal failure. Acute kidney injury is a condition in which your kidneys quit working suddenly, over the course of a few hours or days, as the result of low blood pressure after an accident or other serious health crisis.

End-stage renal failure is a condition in which your kidneys quit working altogether and they can no longer support life.

Also Check: Does Kidney Infection Cause Diarrhea

How Is It Tested

As part of standard blood tests, your doctor can check the creatinine level to assess kidney function. Creatinine is released from muscle cells into the blood stream.

Creatinine is one of the things that the kidneys filter from the blood. If the kidneys start to lose some function, blood creatinine level rises. The creatinine level is used to calculate an estimate of the GFR and provide an estimate of your kidney function.

Most people who have a minor reduction in kidney function can take steps to not keep the kidneys from getting worse. If the function is somewhat low but stable, you may need to see your doctor only once per year. If the GFR is declining or it is already under 50, it’s best to see a kidney doctor, if for no other reason than to become educated.

How high blood pressure damages the kidneys

High blood pressure can cause tiny cracks in the lining of arteries, which provide a breeding ground for fatty deposits that hamper blood flow. As the arteries that feed blood to the kidneys narrow, the body produces renin, a hormone that makes small arteries narrow further. This worsens high blood pressure, causing even more kidney damage. Over time, restricted blood flow can damage or destroy the nephrons, the tiny filtering units inside your kidneys.

When Things Go Wrong

How Inflammatory Arthritis Affects the Kidneys

A little more than 1 in 10 Americans over the age of 20 show evidence of kidney disease. Some forms of kidney disease are progressive, meaning the disease gets worse over time. When your kidneys can no longer remove waste from blood, they fail.

Waste buildup in your body can cause serious problems and lead to death. To remedy this, your blood would have to be filtered artificially through dialysis, or you would need a kidney transplant.

Recommended Reading: Is Red Wine Good For Kidney Stones

Signs Of Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease is generally without symptoms and painless in its early stages, except in situations where an underlying condition causes pain. Chronic kidney disease takes a long time to develop. If the affected personâs symptoms develop over a number of hours or a few days, it is more likely that the kidney problem they are experiencing is acute kidney injury .

Chronic kidney disease is a common disorder, with an estimated 1 in 10 people in the US having some degree of the disorder. Chronic kidney disease can occur at any age, but is more common in the elderly, and it is more common in women than in men. In the elderly, CKD is often a result of ageing rather than an underlying disorder.

A diagnosis of chronic kidney disease is often made only in the later stages of the disorder. In the early stages, the disorder may not cause disturbances that can be clinically measured. Symptoms only appear later, and once they do, the affected person will be tested by a physician to confirm that CKD is present.

Some conditions predispose people to chronic kidney disease. These include:

  • Nosebleeds
  • Rash

If these symptoms appear, seek medical assistance as soon as possible. Seek emergency help if you experience problems with breathing or pain in your chest area, canât stay awake despite trying or canât keep fluids down at all.

For more information on chronic kidney disease, read this resource on chronic renal failure.

Prevention Of Kidney Disease

Medication and changes to lifestyle, along with an early referral to a kidney specialist , can prevent or delay kidney failure.

Heathy lifestyle choices to keep your kidneys functioning well include:

  • Eat lots of fruit and vegetables including legumes and grain-based food such as bread, pasta, noodles and rice.
  • Eat lean meat such as chicken and fish each week.
  • Eat only small amounts of salty or fatty food.
  • Drink plenty of water instead of other drinks. Minimise consumption of sugary soft drinks.
  • Maintain a healthy weight.
  • Stay fit. Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity that increases your heart rate on five or more days of the week, including walking, lawn mowing, bike riding, swimming or gentle aerobics.
  • If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do, quit. Call the Quitline or ask your doctor for help with quitting.
  • Limit your alcohol to no more than two small drinks per day if you are male, or one small drink per day if you are female.
  • Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
  • Do things that help you relax and reduce your stress levels.

A range of medication is available for high blood pressure. Different blood pressure medications work in different ways, so it is not unusual for more than one type to be prescribed. The dose may change according to your needs.

Recommended Reading: What Laxative Is Safe For Kidneys

When Should I Get Screened

If you are over the age of 40, you should get screened for kidney disease as well as liver disease and C-reactive protein .

If you are over the age of 20 and exhibit any risk factors, you should also get screened, or if you simply want to be informed about your health. Life Line Screenings kidney function test can give you a detailed look at your health as well as peace of mind with a simple finger-prick blood test.

What Is Kidney Failure

How do kidneys filter your blood?

Kidney failure means one or both kidneys can no longer function well on their own. Sometimes, kidney failure is temporary and comes on quickly. Other times, it is a chronic condition that can get worse slowly over a long time.

Kidney failure may sound serious, and it is. But treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplant help many people with limited kidney function continue to live fulfilling lives.

Recommended Reading: Carbonation And Kidney Stones

Kidney Disease And Cardiovascular Risks

Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with chronic kidney disease. Compared to the general population, people with chronic kidney disease are two to three times more likely to have cardiovascular problems such as:

This increased risk is partly caused by factors common to both chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure. However, researchers are discovering that chronic kidney disease is, in itself, an important risk factor for the development of cardiovascular disease, and a history of cardiovascular disease is a risk factor for the development of chronic kidney disease.

The kidneys regulate water and salts, remove certain wastes and make various hormones. Kidney disease increases the risk of cardiovascular disease in many ways, including:

Acute Intrinsic Kidney Failure

Acute intrinsic kidney failure can result from direct trauma to the kidneys, such as physical impact or an accident. Causes also include toxin overload and ischemia, which is a lack of oxygen to the kidneys.

The following may cause ischemia:

  • severe bleeding

There are several tests your doctor can use to diagnose kidney failure.

You May Like: What Artery Delivers Blood To The Kidney

What Is Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease, sometimes called CKD, is an umbrella term for several conditions that affect the kidneys, but it generally means permanent and usually progressive damage to the kidneys caused by a variety of conditions.

Learn Your ABCs of Kidney Disease

Johns Hopkins nephrologists Drs. Sumeska Thavarajah and Daphne Knicely offer a free educational class most months, from 5 6 p.m. at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center. For more information, call .

RELATED ARTICLES

Most Popular