Kidney Failure
Kidney Failure
And
Treatments
By Andrea Sands
6/21/10
Professor Noahleen Betts
The kidneys are important organs in your body to help filter waste. Sometimes organs may fail and cause further problems within your body. There are treatments available for kidney failure including dialysis and a kidney transplant. Both treatments do involve life changes and the patient must stay healthy. It is important to learn about your body and learn the signs and symptoms of when something goes wrong. The kidneys keep your body regulated by maintaining your fluid volume, mineral composition, and acidity. This is done by excreting and reabsorbing water and electrolytes. They keep a balance in sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, phosphate, and hydrogen. Your kidneys also regulate blood pressure because they excrete enough sodium chloride to maintain normal balance. The most common cause of high blood pressure is kidney disease. Normally when a higher consumption of salt is taken, the body adjusts by excreting more sodium without raising arterial pressure. If your kidneys are not able to excrete such amounts of salt, you will develop high blood pressure. It is important to check your blood pressure and limit your amount of salt intake as well as following regular appointments with your doctor. Sometimes people will gradually lose kidney function. Chronic kidney failure causes dangerous levels of fluid and waste to build up within your body. You may have few symptoms when in early stages. Unfortunately, the symptoms may not become noticeable until you have significantly lost kidney function. There are several diseases and conditions that can cause chronic kidney failure such as type I diabetes, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, kidney stones, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, vesicourteral reflux (urine backs up into kidneys), polycystic kidney disease, kidney infection, glomerulonephritis, lupus, scleroclerma, vasculites,
And
Treatments
By Andrea Sands
6/21/10
Professor Noahleen Betts
The kidneys are important organs in your body to help filter waste. Sometimes organs may fail and cause further problems within your body. There are treatments available for kidney failure including dialysis and a kidney transplant. Both treatments do involve life changes and the patient must stay healthy. It is important to learn about your body and learn the signs and symptoms of when something goes wrong. The kidneys keep your body regulated by maintaining your fluid volume, mineral composition, and acidity. This is done by excreting and reabsorbing water and electrolytes. They keep a balance in sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, phosphate, and hydrogen. Your kidneys also regulate blood pressure because they excrete enough sodium chloride to maintain normal balance. The most common cause of high blood pressure is kidney disease. Normally when a higher consumption of salt is taken, the body adjusts by excreting more sodium without raising arterial pressure. If your kidneys are not able to excrete such amounts of salt, you will develop high blood pressure. It is important to check your blood pressure and limit your amount of salt intake as well as following regular appointments with your doctor. Sometimes people will gradually lose kidney function. Chronic kidney failure causes dangerous levels of fluid and waste to build up within your body. You may have few symptoms when in early stages. Unfortunately, the symptoms may not become noticeable until you have significantly lost kidney function. There are several diseases and conditions that can cause chronic kidney failure such as type I diabetes, type II diabetes, high blood pressure, enlarged prostate, kidney stones, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, vesicourteral reflux (urine backs up into kidneys), polycystic kidney disease, kidney infection, glomerulonephritis, lupus, scleroclerma, vasculites,
References: MayoClinic: Kidney Transplant www.mayoclinic.com American Heart Association: Kidneys and Kidney Function www.americanheart.org