How the kidneys work

What is the most important function of the kidney? Now that’s a hard one [“we thought you might say that” CKDEx Ed]. Even though the kidneys have 7 main functions, two stand out. So, here goes. The two vital functions of the human kidney are: Waste removal. Kidneys are excretory organs in the human body, […]

7 kidney functions The kidney has 3 excretory functions (i.e. removing things) Functions of kidneys 1: waste removal Functions of kidney 2: fluid balance (also affects blood pressure) Functions of kidney 3: acid-base balance And 4 metabolic functions (i.e. or making or activating (strengthening) substances) Functions of kidneys 4: blood pressure control (makes renin) Functions

What the UK public know about their kidneys The knowledge is patchy at best. Here are some examples of what the UK public know (or do not know) about their kidneys. 80% of the UK public do not know where the kidneys are – in addition, 80% don’t know the kidneys filter blood Only 50%

What the public know about their kidneys and what they do In this article, we will describe what the public know about their kidneys and what they do. Their knowledge is patchy at best. 80% of the UK public do not know where the kidneys are – in addition, 80% don’t know the kidneys filter

World’s biggest myth about the kidneys “Everyone must drink 3-4 litres of water a day. And this helps to ‘flush out the kidneys’ which prevents kidney stones and UTIs” Many sources of information (mostly non-medical and of dubious reliability) dogmatically assert that humans 3-4 litres of water daily to stay well hydrated and thrive. CKDEx

Kidney factsheet 1. Where are the kidneys and how big are they? The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage. They are about the size of your palm: 12 (10-14) cm long, 6 cm wide and 3 cm deep, and weigh 150g. 2. Can you

Is my doctor any good? It is surprisingly difficult to check whether your doctor is any good. There is little/no easily accessible information ‘out there’ for you to read. So how do you find out? Like we say, it is difficult. It is easy to find out about the recent quality of a restaurant or hotel through

What is included in a NHS health check? What is a NHS health check? You can have an NHS Health Check if you’re aged 40 to 74 years and you have not had a stroke, or do not already have a pre-existing health condition. You should be automatically invited. If you are not invited and fit the criteria, ask your GP

What happens to the kidneys during pregnancy? So. What happens to the kidneys during pregnancy? Put simply – quite alot. Pregnancy leads to a remarkable number of major changes to the body. The kidneys are central players, and undergo several changes to accommodate the needs of the growing baby and the mother’s body. The changes

Glomerulus as art       CKDEx has more information about what is a glomerulus. They are the tiny filtering units in the kidney. Each kidney has about 1 million glomeruli. Some of these images of glomeruli are from Kamenetsky, 2010.