Kidney Failure: A Serious, Potentially Fatal Condition
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 in the body as a result. Without treatment, the condition is fatal. Over 67,000 Americans die of renal failure every year.
Two different forms of the disease exist: acute and chronic renal failure. If kidney function stops suddenly, the disease is considered acute. Acute renal failure (ARF) is often caused by physical injury or surgical complications, or by blockages in the blood vessels leading to the kidney. Often, ARF is treatable, with long-term survival rates of sixty percent. Chronic renal failure (CRF) occurs over time and gradually destroys the kidneys' structures. CRF is often due to existing medical conditions, the most common of which are hypertension and diabetes. Kidney cysts and stones, kidney inflammation, chronic use of over the counter painkillers, and hereditary disorders of the kidney can also contribute to renal failure.
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