What is Kidney Disease?
The kidneys are twin, fist-size organs located at the bottom of the rib cage on either side of the spine. They perform several functions, the most important of which is filtering waste products, excess water, and other impurities out of the blood. These waste products are stored in the bladder and later expelled from the body as urine.
In addition, the kidneys regulate pH, salt, and potassium levels in the body, and they produce hormones that regulate blood pressure and control the production of red blood cells. The kidneys are also responsible for activating a form of vitamin D that helps the body absorb calcium to build bones and modulate muscle function.
The kidneys main function is to remove waste products from your blood through urine.
Kidneys are essential to having a healthy body.
Kidney disease occurs when one or more conditions damage your kidneys, keeping them from operating properly. This can lead to health problems including high blood pressure, weak bones, nerve damage, and poor nutritional health.
Illnesses such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and a host of other chronic conditions can cause kidney disease. Kidney disease that gets worse can cause your kidneys to completely fail, which ultimately will require dialysis (a medical procedure) to clean your blood.
According to the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million American adults have kidney disease (NKF).
The most common form of kidney disease ischronic kidney disease, caused by high blood pressure. Because the kidneys are constantly processing the bodys blood supply, they are exposed to about 20 percent of the total blood volume of the body every minute.
High blood pressureis dangerous for the kidneys because it can lead to increased pressure on the glomeruli, which are the functional units of the kidney. In time, this high pressure compromises the filtering apparatus of the kidney, and kidney function begins to decline.