Kidneys are bean shaped organs. They are the filters of our body. Kidneys remove organic waste from the blood and they excrete it from our body. They remove the excess of salt and water from the body. They are an important part of the body. Kidneys are 4-5 inches long. The main parts of the kidney are Nephrons. They are responsible for the removal of waste from our body.
The main function of the kidney is to balance the acid-base ratio in the body. It helps to regulate blood pressure. It produces hormones which help in producing the red blood cells in the bone marrow. The main function as we know is that it removes wastes from the blood and it is excreted from the body as urine. It maintains the water levels in the body and also the minerals that one needs to have in the body. Kidneys act as a filter. The impure blood flows through them and the pure blood reaches the body back.
There are various kinds of diseases that can affect the kidneys. These diseases affect the kidneys to such an extent that the kidneys are no longer able to filter waste and fluids from the body. The disorders which affect the kidneys can be from minor infections to kidney failure. These diseases can cause high BP, anemia and at times increase the cholesterol levels.
Some of the common diseases are:
- Inherited kidney diseases
- Congenital kidney diseases
- Acquired kidney diseases
- Inherited kidney diseases
- Polycystic kidney diseases
- Nephrotic syndrome
One does not know about a kidney failure until it stops functioning completely.
The symptoms of kidney failure include loss in appetite, nausea and vomiting, extreme fatigue, difficulty in sleeping, itching and dry skin, muscle cramps and twitching. If not treated, the waste products can lead to coma or even death. But these days, due to technological developments, there are different kinds of life saving treatments for kidney failure.
One of the popular methods is dialysis in which an artificial kidney machine carries out the vital functions, which the kidney cannot perform. These days it is easy to have a kidney transplant, but a lot depends on the donor and the recipient.
These are few warning signs and symptoms of kidney diseases ;
- High Blood Pressure
- The eyes, hands and feet turn puffy
- Passage of bloody, cloudy or tea-coloured urine
- Excessive foaming of the urine
- Frequent passing of the urine during night
- Passing less of urine or difficulty passing urine
- Fatigue
One can prevent kidney diseases by keeping blood pressure down and following a healthy lifestyle and diet. The following recommendations will help maintain proper kidney and bladder function;
Drink plenty of water.
Consume good quality vegetable proteins like beans, lentils, peas, soy and tofu .
Consume plenty of vegetables and raw vegetables and fruits.
Limit intake of caffeine, soft drinks and alcohol.
Reduce intake of animal proteins.
Keep salt intake to the minimum by avoiding canned foods, pickles and foods with preservatives. It is important to read the labels on food products and make proper dietary choices. Non-dairy creamers and milk are substitutes to lower the intake of phosphorus.