kidney failure; what you need to know
By Josephine Gikaru
Kidneys are part of the renal system which consists of the bladder, a pair of ureters and the urethra. Most human beings are born with two kidneys and their job involves to
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- Remove wastes and extra fluids from your body
- Maintain a healthy balance of salts, water and minerals by removing acid produced by body cells
- They also make hormones that help, control your blood pressure, make red blood cells, keep your bones healthy and strong
- They clean ones blood before it is sent back to the heart with healthy kidneys filtering about half a cup of blood in every minute.
Each kidney has close to a million nephrons which are the filtering stations. With each kidney is a glomerulus which is a network of capillaries at the beginning of the kidneys, they are the filters. Also is a tubule that returns the needed substances to the blood.
Do I have kidney failure?
When less than 15 % of your kidneys are not working that then is considered kidney failure. There are various symptoms present during this time due to the accumulation of waste substances and excess water in the body.
- Swelling in feet, hands, face due to the excess fluids building up in the body
- You may urinate more often that usually
- Feeling dizzy faint or week
- The body could feel very itchy due to waste build up in the blood.
- One urinates more often than usual and at times has difficulty in urinating while the urine may be red purple or brown in color.
- Ammonia breathe while your food tastes like metal
- Reduced appetite
It’s important for one to stay hydrated, exercise and avoid excess salt. However do not rely on the above symptoms as it is important for one to seek medical advice from a doctor.
