Facts about kidney disease

It is hard to put a number on how many people die of kidney failure each year; the number may very well be in millions. It is essential to know the risks and what need to be done to avoid this disease.

The kidneys:

  • There are two kidneys
  • Kidneys are located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage
  • Kidneys are about the size of a fist
  • The kidneys are shaped like kidney beans
  • Kidneys are connected to bladder by tubes called ureters

What do kidneys do?

Kidneys may be best described as filters in your body. Kidneys keep things in your body that are required and reject the things that you don’t need. There are many other things kidneys do and they include:

    • Make urine
    • Remove waste and extra fluid from your blood
    • Help control your blood pressure
    • Make red blood cells
    • Balance hormones
    • Balance body chemicals
    • Maintain healthy bones

Symptoms and early signs of kidney disease:

Kidney disease refers to a variety of diseases. CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) is the term coined to describe a common kidney disease that may be caused by many different diseases e.g. diabetes, high blood pressure, some drugs, physical injury etc.
There are no early symptoms of kidney disease. There are no early symptoms of kidney disease. Yes, you are right the previous sentence was written twice to emphasize the fact that there are no early symptoms until the disease is almost at a chronic state.
Speak with your doctor if you:

  • Often feel sick to your stomach
  • feel tired or dizzy
  • have swelling in your feet, hands or face
  • have back pain