Kidneys & Kidney Disease
Here’s an amazing fact: your entire blood supply flows through your kidneys every two minutes. Those hard-working kidneys filter the blood to remove waste products and fluids. They also make hormones that help you make red blood cells, control blood pressure, and build strong bones.
Your kidneys are vital to your health. So when kidney disease strikes, it can be very serious. When your kidneys can’t do their job as filters, waste and extra fluid build up in your blood, which makes you sick. The kidneys also lose the ability to produce hormones that assist in making red blood cells, controlling blood pressure, and maintaining healthy bones.
The two main causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure. Other causes include inflammation of the kidney nephrons (tiny filters that remove fluid and wastes from the blood); diseases that are inherited like polycystic kidney disease and some birth defects; autoimmune diseases like lupus; malformed kidneys; kidney stones; and repeated urinary tract infections.
There are several factors that can put you at risk for kidney disease:
- A family history of chronic kidney disease
- Being older
- Being born prematurely
- Being African American, Hispanic, Asian, or American Indian
- Smoking
- Uncontrolled high blood pressure or diabetes (controlling these diseases can reduce your risk of chronic kidney disease)
- Blockages in your kidneys or ureters (these can be treated by your doctor)
- Overuse of over-the-counter pain pills with ibuprofen, naproxen, or acetaminophen (NSAIDs) (talk to your doctor if you need pain pills each day, or even a few times each week)
- Taking street drugs (get help to stop taking street drugs that could damage your kidneys)
- Taking prescription drugs that you are allergic to (know your drug allergies, and promptly tell your doctor about any symptoms you have after you start a new drug)
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with kidney disease or think you may be at risk, it’s important to learn as much as you can, as early as you can. The information in this section will help you learn more about the health of your kidneys.
