Horseshoe Kidney Human Body
Horseshoe Kidney
The human body is a wonderful thing. It 's not everyday that one takes a second to ponder about all of the wonderful things the human body can do. The brain helps us to be the most intelligent beings on earth. Our hearts beat to keep us alive. What about the kidneys? People typically do not think about what they do for us or consider them one of the human 's most amazing organs. What if humans only had one kidney? Would there be any disadvantages compared to the typical human with two kidneys?
First, it is important to understand what the kidneys are and what they do. The typical human has two bean-shaped kidneys located near the middle of the back, on each side of the spine. They are about the size of the average human …show more content…
It gets its name because of the fact that its midline is just about parallel to the spine with each kidney lying on either side to resemble a horseshoe. Horseshoe kidney is the most common renal fusion anomaly and occurs in about one in every four hundred people. They fuse together when the embryo is between five and twelve millimeters long. They are believed to join together after the spine and pelvic organs grow too large too quickly and keep the two kidneys in contact for a longer time period than normal. During this time the kidneys are lower and closer to the pelvis. Because of the abnormal formation, the isthmus, or connected point of the lower poles of the kidneys, never rise and rotate like a normal kidney would and stay lower along the spine than kidneys usually are. Doctors have not yet been able to figure out why horseshoe kidney occurs in some people but not others. However, they have found kidney mutations tend to run in the family and may have something to do with the genetics of a …show more content…
After nineteen years the only problems I have encountered with my horseshoe kidney are slightly high blood pressure and not being able to play certain sports. These are definite problems, but are manageable. I have been with the same doctor my whole life because he knows a lot about horseshoe kidneys and knows my history with my high blood pressure. After many blood tests and heart monitoring sessions, my high blood pressure proves to be non-threatening for now. However, I do have to monitor it a few times a week, just to be safe. Hopefully in the future, doctors will discover how to better treat patients with a horseshoe kidney and recognize the risks earlier on. Improvement in treatments for horseshoe related kidney problems will also help. For now, I will make sure to drink my cranberry juice, and hope for the
The human body is a wonderful thing. It 's not everyday that one takes a second to ponder about all of the wonderful things the human body can do. The brain helps us to be the most intelligent beings on earth. Our hearts beat to keep us alive. What about the kidneys? People typically do not think about what they do for us or consider them one of the human 's most amazing organs. What if humans only had one kidney? Would there be any disadvantages compared to the typical human with two kidneys?
First, it is important to understand what the kidneys are and what they do. The typical human has two bean-shaped kidneys located near the middle of the back, on each side of the spine. They are about the size of the average human …show more content…
It gets its name because of the fact that its midline is just about parallel to the spine with each kidney lying on either side to resemble a horseshoe. Horseshoe kidney is the most common renal fusion anomaly and occurs in about one in every four hundred people. They fuse together when the embryo is between five and twelve millimeters long. They are believed to join together after the spine and pelvic organs grow too large too quickly and keep the two kidneys in contact for a longer time period than normal. During this time the kidneys are lower and closer to the pelvis. Because of the abnormal formation, the isthmus, or connected point of the lower poles of the kidneys, never rise and rotate like a normal kidney would and stay lower along the spine than kidneys usually are. Doctors have not yet been able to figure out why horseshoe kidney occurs in some people but not others. However, they have found kidney mutations tend to run in the family and may have something to do with the genetics of a …show more content…
After nineteen years the only problems I have encountered with my horseshoe kidney are slightly high blood pressure and not being able to play certain sports. These are definite problems, but are manageable. I have been with the same doctor my whole life because he knows a lot about horseshoe kidneys and knows my history with my high blood pressure. After many blood tests and heart monitoring sessions, my high blood pressure proves to be non-threatening for now. However, I do have to monitor it a few times a week, just to be safe. Hopefully in the future, doctors will discover how to better treat patients with a horseshoe kidney and recognize the risks earlier on. Improvement in treatments for horseshoe related kidney problems will also help. For now, I will make sure to drink my cranberry juice, and hope for the