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Now- a days a lot of people are suffering from kidney disease and their numbers are increasing day by day. These days many of us are acquainted with words like – Kidney stone, Renal failure, Kidney transplantation, Dialysis etc. Kidney disease has reached in an alarming situation now a days. Our modern lifestyle is much more responsible for creating problems of kidneys. Persons having high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes, having habits of eating junk food and taking excessive pain killer medicines have high risk.
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Before knowing about diseases of kidney we should know about kidneys – what are kidneys? What are their functions? Etc.

Kidneys are a pair of bean shaped vital organs of our body; each is about the size of a fist and are located on either side of the spine at the bottom of the rib cage above our waist. The right kidney lies a little bit lower than the left kidney.

Kidneys act as filters. Blood is filtered in kidneys. Functional units of kidneys are called nephrons. There are about one million nephrons in each kidney. Nephron consists of a filtering unit of small blood vessels (capillary network) known as ‘glomerulus’. Glomerulus is attached to a tubule, a tiny urine collecting tube.

In glomerulus blood is filtered and the remaining fluid flows to the tubule, and after complicated exchange the filtered fluid is converted into urine which we excrete.

Function of kidneys:-

Main function of kidney is to bring out waste products of body metabolism and extra water from blood in the form of urine.

Other functions of kidneys are:-

1) Kidneys control the volume of body fluid

2) Kidneys control mineral contents of our body.

3) Kidneys produce active form of vitamin-D which is beneficial for the health of bones.

4) Kidneys help to regulate blood pressure.

5) Kidneys control the acidity and alkanity of blood.

6) Kidneys produce erythropoietin that increases the rate of production of red blood cells.

Kidney diseases

There are various types of kidney disease -

1) Kidney failure – (a) acute kidney failure
      (b) chronic kidney failure

2) Polycystic kidney disease

3) Kidney stone

4) Renal tubular acidosis

5) Lupus nephritis

6) Kidney infection

7) Kidney cancer etc.

Symptoms of kidney disease

1) Swelling of legs, ankles etc.
2) Scanty and painful urination
3) Sometimes coming of blood with urine
4) Anaemia
5) High blood pressure
6) Sometimes burning sensation during urination
7) vomiting, nausea
8. Loss of appetite, headache etc.

Precautions

1) in case of painful and scanty urination consult a doctor immediately.

2) Don’t take pain killer medicines without the advice of a doctor.

3) If anybody in your family has got polycystic kidney disease then you should also consult a doctor.

4) Try to control your blood pressure. If necessary take medicines to control your blood pressure but don’t discontinue.

5) If your body water is lost due to heat or any reason then drink sufficient water.

6) Try to control your blood sugar. If necessary take insuline.

Sometimes it so happens that a person’s kidney damage is noticed after performing blood and urine tests but the person was not aware of the fact.

So from time to time blood test, urine test are required. Particularly for the following categories of persons regular check-up

blood test and urine tests are essential:-

1) Persons having high blood pressure and diabetes.

2) Persons who suffered from disease like nephritis in childhood.

3) Persons whose family member is suffering from polycystic kidney disease.

4) Persons having anaemia.

5) Persons having swelling in legs, ankles.

6) Persons who often suffer from urinal infection.

Author: S.N.Bhattacharya

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