Thursday 11 April 2019

Kidneys : Parts of the body

                                          A to Z 2019


The Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs on either side of the spine, below the ribs and 

behind the belly. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long, roughly the size of a large fist.
The kidneys' job is to filter the blood. They remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, 

and keep the right levels of electrolytes. All of the blood in the body passes through them 

several times a day. Blood comes to the kidney, waste gets removed and salt, water and 

minerals are adjusted. The filtered blood goes back to the body. Waste gets turned into urine 

which collects into the bladder. If blood stops flowing into a kidney, part or all of it could 

die. This could lead to kidney failure.

 CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

The term “chronic kidney disease” ( CKD ) means lasting damage to the kidneys that can 

get worse over time. If the damage is very bad, the  kidneys may stop working. This is 

called kidney failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). If kidneys fail,  needs dialysis or 

kidney transplant in order to live.

                                                      Causes of CKD

Diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease are some of the chronic causes .


                                                       Symptoms 

Symptoms may not appear till the kidneys are damaged. In kidney failure the 

symptoms that are caused by waste and extra fluid building up in the body are noticed.

some of the symptoms when kidneys are beginning to fail : Itching, muscle cramp, nausea 

and vomiting, not feeling hungry, swelling in feet and ankles, too much urine or not 

enough urine, trouble catching the breath, trouble sleeping.

                                                 Complications of CKD 

Some of the common complications of CKD include anemia, bone disease, heart disease, 

high potassium, high calcium and fluid buildup.

                                                        Prevention

The best way to prevent CKD is to keep blood sugar and blood pressure under control. 

follow a low-salt diet, exercise regularly, abstain from tobacco , limit alcohol and last 

but no the least have regular check-ups with the doctor.


Kidney diseases are silent killers, which will largely affect the quality of life. There are 
however several easy ways to reduce the risk of developing kidney disease.

                                                    Care of the Kidneys

                                                               Exercise

Engage  in light physical activities , walking and exercises. Being active and fit helps to reduce the blood pressure and therefore reduces the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease.

                                Keep regular control of the blood sugar level.

People who have diabetes develop kidney damage, so it is important for people with diabetes to have regular tests to check their kidney functions.

Kidney damage from diabetes can be reduced or prevented if detected early. 

                                        Blood pressure 

BP is the most common cause of kidney damage.

The normal blood pressure level is 120/80. Between this level and 139/89, you are 
considered prehypertensive and should adopt lifestyle and dietary changes. At 140/90 
and above, you should discuss the risks with your doctor and monitor  blood pressure 
level regularly. High blood pressure is especially likely to cause kidney damage when 
associated with other factors like diabetes, high cholesterol and Cardio- Vascular 
Diseases.

                                     Eat healthy and control weight 

This can help prevent diabetes, heart disease and other conditions associated with 
Chronic Kidney Disease.
Limit the amount of processed and canned food. Do not add more salt to food. Consume 
home-cooked food with minimal oil and salt. Use fresh local ingredients. Consult a 
dietitian.

                                      Drink more home-made fluids

Drink sufficient water or homemade drinks. Patients suffering from kidney stones are advised to drink more water or barley water to lessen the risk of forming stones.

                                          Avoid smoking
Smoking slows the flow of blood to the kidneys. When less blood reaches the kidneys, it 
impairs their ability to function properly. Smoking also increases the risk of kidney cancer 
by about 50 percent.

                                  Do not take over-the-counter pills 

 Consult your doctor before buying drugs/medicines over the counter.

Common drugs such non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen are known to 
cause kidney damage and disease if taken regularly.
If you are dealing with chronic pain, such as arthritis or back pain, talk to the doctor to 
find a way to control your pain without putting the kidneys at risk.

If one is diabetic, obese or suffering from hypertension the risk factors increase. If one of the family members or parents suffer from kidney disease then talk to your doctor.

                                        

                                        Kidney transplant

A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney in the patient's body 

whose kidney is not working and is on dialysis. The transplanted kidney takes over the 

work of the two kidneys that failed, so the patient no longer need dialysis.
During a transplant, the surgeon places the new kidney in your lower abdomen and 
connects the artery and vein of the new kidney to your artery and vein. 
Many transplanted kidneys come from donors who have died ( cadaver). Some come from 
a living family member. The wait for a new kidney can be long.
In case of a kidney transplant , the patient must take drugs for the rest of the life, to 
keep the body from rejecting the new kidney.



Check the yogasanas for proper kidney functioning.

Yogasanas are to be practiced under proper guidance in consultation with the doctor.



                                                                Trivia

They were travelling along the country-side road. John said that this road is a kidney-

buster. He would never drive on this road again.

                                                   Saving lives

Hari was declared brain-dead. Renuka was devastated. They had just begun their married 

life and her happiness was nipped in the bud. Her parents tried to console her but in 

vain. 

"How can you think of such a thing?", almost rebuking Hari's parents. Her parents were 

baffled as how could Hari's parents be so practical. Hari's parents were doctors and knew 

the importance and the urgency.

"Give me the papers. I will sign the Organ donation Form", said Reunka wiping her tears 

and suppressing her sobs. 

"Are you sure, Reunka?", her father not in line with her decision.

"Hari will be born dumb , deaf or blind in his next life if his organs are retrieved", 

cautioned her mother.

"Appa, Amma. This will be the highest form of 'daan'. Hari's kidneys will be harvested in 

another failing life. Hari will 'live'in some other body. A few more lives will be saved", 

said Renuka addressing her parents.


Readers, do you feel that everyone should donate their organs after they cease to 

live? Let me know your view/s.


                        I am participating in the A to Z Challenge. 

A to Z Challenge - Day 1. Arms : Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge - Day 2. breasts : Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge - Day 3.Chin & Cheeks : Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge - Day 4. Dimples : Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge - Day 5. Eye : Parts of the body.

A to Z Challenge - Day 6. Feet: Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge - Day 7 . Gums/Gingiva

A to Z Challenge - Day 8. Hair : Parts of the body

A to Z Challenge -Day 9. Intestine : Parts of the body
A to Z Challenge - Day 10. Kidneys - Parts of the body
(Information courtesy Google)
(video courtesy YouTube) 

15 comments:

  1. https://ideasolsi65.blogspot.com/2019/04/kidneys-parts-of-body.html

    ReplyDelete
  2. People are awakening to the idea of organ donation, but the superstitions continue to exist in many minds. The kind of thoughts that cross their mind seem so regressive. That's the reason we need to keep spreading awareness about organ donation, It is indeed the best kind of charity--you are saving a life and giving the person a second chance to life. What can be a greater 'daan' than that?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Medical social workers work full time to spread awareness and educate people of organ donation and debunk the myths associated with it. I have heard that Mumbai people are getting aware and voluntarily come forward. thanks shilpa Gupte for visiting my blog.

      Delete
  3. We have lost 2 family members to kidney failure and they were on dialysis for a long time. They were looking for kidney transplant but it didnt work out for them. Organ donation is a must as it can save so many lives. Very relevant and informative post, Kalpana!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sad that the family members could not get an organ. thanks Shilpa for visiting my blog and sharing about your family.

      Delete
  4. When I was little, there was a French cartoon on TV, explaining how the body works. The kidney episode portrayed the kidneys as a fun park with rollercoasters :D

    The Multicolored Diary

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. And A Tarkabarka H the French cartoon must have entertained you a lot as a child.

      Delete
  5. In the first paragraph you have explained how the kidney functions and this refreshed my memory since the last time I studies about human anatomy specifically the kidney was 36 years back. And how things like Diabetes and BP cause kidney failure was also useful reading. And I agree that donating organs is a wonderful thing.As regards people's attitudes the reason for people failing to understand things is the religious hangups we Indians have. For example when I was planning to pledge my eye my father came up with some objections about it being wrong as per our religion and other things. I just went ahead and overruled his objections.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The older generation do not believe in organ donation and have religious hang-ups . But it is the duty of their kids, relatives, social workers and doctors to convince them. An organ not donated is a life lost. Thanks Jai for visiting my blog and share some insights of your life.

      Delete
  6. This is really a very useful post. Kidneys get seriously affected by taking over-the-counter pain-killers. And also due to too much protein intake, which is a huge risk on keto diets. We really must take care of our body.

    Btw, I am behind. Haven't been able to post L today, will complete it tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I was searching for your L post. i will check tomorrow.

      Teens and body builders tend to take protein shakes after workout and this affects the kidneys in the long run.
      Thanks Chicky K for reading and commenting.

      Delete
  7. Very informative post on Kidney! We need to take care of each body part..this is what I am realizing reading your posts daily.
    Also thanks for the message of Organ donation... it is very important.

    Read my K post - https://evergreenleaf.blogspot.com/2019/04/k-karmic-connection-atozchallenge-2019.html

    ReplyDelete
  8. Very interesting post about kidneys and how to take care of them. Life would be pretty awful without functional kidneys so I will try to do my best with this.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks ALICE G for dropping by.

    ReplyDelete

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