Your Essential Guide to Caring for your Kidneys.

Surprising Facts About Your Kidneys.

They are the size of a fist and are situated in your lower back, right below the rib cage.

Your right kidney is generally smaller than your left one and sits slightly lower in your back because it helps to make room for your liver.

Their functions include helping to get rid of waste and making red blood cells and regulating your blood pressure. They are also capable of generating vitamin D in our bodies. Vitamin D is firstly done by the skin on exposure to sunlight. If your skin fails to do this, then your liver takes over. Your kidneys take over if your liver fails.

Each kidney has about 1.5 million blood-filtering units called ‘nephrons’ which help to remove a waste product called ‘urea’ from blood as it flows through your organs. If your neurons are removed and laid out end to end, they would cover an area of just under 10 miles!

They filter about 180 litres of blood a day.

Your kidneys make urine from urea, water and other waste products. This fluid flows from your kidneys’ tubules, which are found in the neurons, to 2 tubes known as ‘ureters‘. The ureters then release urine into your bladder. You produce 1 to 2 litres of urine a day.

The Ancient Egyptians may have been the first people to describe kidneys. The approximately 3500-year-old Ebers papyrus contains a description of them.

As I’m sure some of you will be aware that we only need one kidney to lead a normal life. This is because we only need about 300,000 nephrons to filter blood properly. One kidney has more than enough.

If your kidneys are unable to filter your blood, then ‘dialysis’ machines are used.

At the start of World War 2, Dutch doctor, Willem Kolff, is credited with inventing an artificial kidney that evolved into dialysis machines. He made it out of sausage casings, orange juice cans and a washing machine! Believe it or not, in 1945, one woman lived 7 more years because if Kolff’s machine. He also established Europe’s first blood bank and helped more than 800 people avoid Nazi concentration camps by hiding them in his hospital.

The largest kidney stone ever recorded was the size of a coconut; it weighed 1.1 kg. Ouch!!

What Can Go Wrong with Your Kidneys?

Infections. Urine can get backed up and cause kidney infections.

Kidney Stones are formed when minerals in the urine crystallise.

Hyponatremia. This is caused by drinking too much water. The sodium in your blood becomes dilated because your kidneys can’t get rid of the fluid fast enough. Your cells could swell up.

Chronic Interstitial Nephritis. Remember, every drug you take pass through your kidneys. If medications like Ibuprofen and Naproxen are used daily for long periods of time, your kidneys could eventually be damaged by them.

Kidney Failure. This could be caused by the following:-

• High blood pressure.
• Diabetes.
• High cholesterol.
• Infections.
• Inflammation.
• Kidney stones.
• Polycystic kidney disease which is an inherited condition where cysts develop in the kidneys.

Facts About Chronic Kidney Disease.

There are no symptoms in the early stages of this disease.

As it progresses, harmful waste builds up in your body, your blood pressure could rise, your body could retain excess fluid leading to swollen ankles, feet or hands and shortness of breath. Other symptoms include blood in your urine and nausea. When this happens, you would need treatment, dialysis to replace the work of your failing kidneys.

Sadly, there is no cure.

10% of the world’s population is affected by chronic kidney disease and millions die each year because they don’t have access to affordable treatment.

Over 2 million people worldwide currently need dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.

In people aged 65 and over, approximately 1 in 5 men and 1 in 4 women have chronic kidney disease.

Essential guide to caring for Your Kidneys.

1. Stay hydrated. Your urine is a good indicator of your hydration. It should be straw-coloured. If it’s darker then have a drink. I’m not going to tell you how much you should drink each day. It depends on how active you are, how much you sweat etc. I get alarmed when people say, “drink 10 gallons a day.” Yes, I know I’m exaggerating but I don’t see the point of developing hyponatremia and then dying, do you?

2. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and whole grains.

3. Eat less salty or fatty foods.

4. Don’t smoke.

5. Drink less alcohol.

6. Maintain a healthy weight.

7. Exercise for at least 150 minutes a week.

8. Eat less meat. Animal protein generates high amounts of acid in your blood that can harm your kidneys and cause acidosis – a condition in which the kidneys can’t eliminate acid quick enough.

9. Eat less sugary foods. They can contribute to obesity which increases the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes, 2 of the leading causes of kidney disease.

So, I hope I’ve inspired you to look after your kidneys. They are truly amazing.

Sources: nhs.uk, mentalfloss.com, dmclinicalresearch.com, thefactsite.com, kidneycareuk.org, kidney.org, healthline.com