Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist. Red-brown in color, they are located on either side of your spine in your upper abdomen. They are part of the urinary tract, and filter waste products, excess salt, and fluids out of the blood. These waste products are then excreted as urine. Renal (kidney) failure occurs when the organs lose their ability to filter out wastes. Toxins build up... Read more >
Kidney pain, or renal pain, is usually centered in the lower back, just below the rib cage. The pain may spread to the sides, the abdomen, or down into the groin. In men, it may even radiate into the testicles.Kidney pain may be a constant dull ache or it may be sharp and intermittent. Occasionally it may be accompanied by hematuria (blood in the urine). Diagnosing the cause of renal pain can be difficult as a... Read more >
Kidney stones (renal calculi or crystals) are solid mineral deposits that accumulate in the urinary tract. According to the National Institutes of Health, ten percent of Americans experience kidney stones during their lifetime. Seven to ten hospital admissions out of every thousand are related to kidney stone symptoms or kidney stone treatment. Usually, the renal calculi pass through the urinary tract without... Read more >
NCERx recently asked people about their kidney health. About 1100 answered questions regarding their kidney pain history and their prevention practices. Seventy-one percent of respondents reported that they have experienced some form of kidney pain. However, 78 percent do not suffer from any of the listed chronic conditions that would trigger this pain. Consequently, most people's kidney problems occur... Read more >
A number of disorders can cause flank pain, some of these are associated with the kidneys, some are not. Note, however, that some kidney disorders present without any noticeable symptoms. Kidney disorders that do cause side or flank pain include: Kidney Infection: A kidney infection can be acute or chronic and may be an indication of an underlying health condition, such as diabetes. Chronic forms can lead to... Read more >
Chronic and acute renal failure stem from different root causes. While acute renal failure is more likely to develop due to sudden injury, infection or rapidly developing medical conditions, chronic renal insufficiency tends to result from gradual damage caused by diabetes, cancer, or hypertension (high blood pressure). Causes of Acute Renal Failure Three separate types of acute renal failure (ARF) have been... Read more >
Kidney cysts are not common, but left untreated, they can cause damage that leads to eventual renal failure. Kidney cysts are usually caused by inherited genetic disorders. They require lifelong treatment: Cures for the disorders are currently unavailable. Polycystic Kidney Disease Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, affects over 500,000 Americans, and is the fourth leading cause of renal failure. It is an... Read more >
For many people with a kidney stone treatment is often unnecessary. Most calculi are spontaneously passed in the urine. Ninety percent of small stones (less than 1/4 inch, or four millimeters) pass without any need for treatment at all. Stones that measure five to seven millimeters can be passed about half of the time. Once a stone exceeds seven millimeters in diameter, however, some form of intervention is... Read more >
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