Your Kidneys and Why it’s Important to Look After Them

The kidneys are a pair of organs that sit just below your rib cage towards the back on either side of the spine. Most people are born with two and these essential organs are typically the size of a fist with a reddish-brown colour. And essential they are. Much like the heart and lungs, kidneys are vital for healthy bodily function, their main job being to remove waste products and excess water from the body. These waste products are removed through the urine, which involves a complex process of excretion and reabsorption. 

Kidneys also have additional functions such as:

• balance the body’s fluids
• release hormones that regulate blood pressure
• produce vitamin D that promotes bone health
• control the production of red blood cells

If your kidneys aren’t performing as they should, harmful toxins and excess fluid build-up within the body, which can lead to kidney failure. Symptoms of kidney failure include high blood pressure, fatigue or lethargy, recurring headaches, swelling in the face and ankles (oedema), fluid retention, and lower back pain.

How do kidneys work?

Kidneys perform their crucially important job by filtering and returning approximately 190 litres of fluid to the bloodstream every 24 hours, of which two litres are removed from the body as urine. In general, urine has been stored in the bladder for between one to eight hours. Your kidneys also balance electrolytes in your body, which are minerals, like sodium, calcium, and potassium, that have a key role in how your body functions.

However, their main job is to remove waste from your blood and return clean blood back to your body. Every minute about one litre of blood enters your kidneys through the renal arteries and then flows back into the body through the renal veins.

Chronic kidney disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) refers to having some type of kidney abnormality that persists for three or more months, such as protein in urine and having decreased kidney function. There are a variety of causes of chronic kidney disease. The kidneys may be affected by other medical conditions, while some kidney conditions are hereditary or congenital.

A few risk factors for CKD include:

Diabetes

Diabetes causes your body to not make enough insulin or you cannot process insulin properly. This results in high blood sugar levels, which cause problems throughout your body. So much so, that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease.

High blood pressure (or hypertension)

High blood pressure is another common cause of kidney disease. High blood pressure causes the pressure of blood within your artery walls to increase. 

Kidney stones

There are many causes of kidney stones but there are certain medications and a change in diet can help to prevent them. In most cases kidney stones, although very uncomfortable, are passed and expelled from the bladder; however, when stones are too large to pass, surgery or alternative treatments can take place to remove them or break them down into pieces for the body to pass.

Urinary tract infections

Urinary tract infections occur when bacteria enter the urinary tract and cause an infection. Symptoms, such as pain and burning when urinating and a frequent need to urinate. Although these infections most often occur in the bladder, they can sometimes affect the kidneys.

Congenital diseases

Congenital diseases may also affect the kidneys. These usually involve some problem that occurs in the urinary tract when a baby is developing in its mother’s womb. One of the most common happens when a valve-like mechanism between the bladder and ureter (urine tube) fails to work properly and allows urine to back up (reflux) to the kidneys, causing infections and possible kidney damage.

Medications, drugs, and other toxins 

Excessive use of over-the-counter medications can be harmful to your kidneys. Certain other toxins, pesticides and recreational drugs, such as heroin, can also cause kidney damage. Ingested herbal toxins can also cause significant kidney damage. 

What is kidney failure?

Kidney failure refers to 85-90% of your kidney function being depleted and not working adequately enough to keep you alive. While high blood pressure and diabetes are the two most common causes of kidney failure, your kidneys can also become damaged from injury, or other diseases and disorders.

Kidney failure is the result of a gradual loss of kidney function and some people aren’t aware that they have kidney disease until their kidneys fail. Some individuals with early kidney disease may not have any symptoms, but some symptoms that usually show up later on may include:

• poor appetite and weight loss
• anaemia (a low blood count)
• weakness
• fatigue and trouble sleeping
• itching
• muscle cramps (especially in the legs)
• swelling of your feet or ankles

These symptoms develop when both kidneys have failed. Sadly, there is no cure for kidney failure, however, it’s still possible to live a long life with treatment and many people with kidney failure are able to live healthy and happy lives. Kidney failure can be treated with dialysis or a kidney transplant, depending on your prognosis.

How to keep your kidneys healthy

Healthy kidneys are vital to your overall health, and that’s why early detection of kidney disease can save your life. Appropriate medication, healthy lifestyle changes, and regular visits to a kidney specialist (if necessary) can prevent or delay kidney failure.

Here are a few simple tips you can incorporate into your day-to-day life to optimise your kidneys’ health:

• eat a healthy diet that’s high in fruit, vegetables, whole grains, and dairy products
• drink enough water when you are thirsty
• if you have diabetes, manage and monitor blood sugar levels
• if you have high blood pressure, monitor and check it regularly
• quickly treat any urinary tract infections or kidney stones
• lose excess weight and maintain a healthy weight
• exercise regularly, which reduces your risk of heart disease and high blood pressure, both risk factors for kidney disease
• don’t smoke
• limit alcohol consumption

For more information please contact Dr Chandni Dayal, Specialist Physician and Nephrologist at Lenmed Ahmed Kathrada Private Hospital.

Email: [email protected]

Contact details: 087 265 6364 or 087 284 0124