The buds resemble two fist-sized beans. They are located just below the rib cage on either side of the spine.
Every minute, healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood to remove waste and excess water through urine. They also maintain Your Kidneys & How They Work balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood, produce hormones, control blood pressure and red blood cell count, and help maintain healthy bones.
Vladimir Mukhin
Doctor of Clinical Laboratory Diagnostics LabQuest, Researcher of the Department of Neonatology of the National Medical Research Center DGOI named after. Dmitry Rogachev
Kidneys are the filter of our body. Infections, chronic diseases, poor environmental conditions, medications, food toxins, smoking, alcohol, unhealthy lifestyle - all this takes a significant toll on the kidneys.
Often, kidney diseases develop unnoticed: symptoms do not appear immediately. And people don’t pay attention to those that do appear, because they don’t associate them with the genitourinary system. And in vain.
Foam in urine
Sometimes foam appears due to strong urine pressure. And that's normal. Why is my urine foamy? . But if other symptoms listed in the article are added, it’s time to worry.
Denis Volodin
expert of the Hemotest laboratory, oncourologist of the State Research Center FMBC named after. A.I. Burnazyan FMBA of Russia, member of the group of interdisciplinary surgeons Sun&Fun
Foam usually indicates the presence of protein or toxic substances in the urine. This is caused by improper functioning of the kidneys, impaired excretion and filtration of various compounds and components of the blood.
Reasons why kidneys hurt
Unpleasant sensations can occur against the background of organ damage or ongoing infectious and inflammatory processes. Sometimes discomfort in the lumbar area is mistakenly perceived as renal colic. In addition to pain in the kidneys, the condition is often accompanied by concomitant symptoms, with problematic urination, fever, and deterioration in well-being.
Common triggers for pain in the kidney area include:
- urolithiasis;
- pyelonephritis;
- development of a cyst in one of the organs;
- hydronephrosis, nephroptosis;
- insufficient kidney function;
- hypothermia;
- glomerulonephritis;
- unstable operation of the system in pregnant women.
Pain syndrome is a sign of a hidden or obvious pathological process. Sometimes the source is excessive physical exertion or prolonged carrying and lifting of heavy objects.
Headaches or dizziness
Toxins accumulated in the body due to kidney dysfunction interfere with normal brain function. This leads to problems with memory and concentration, dizziness, and headaches. Tasks that you previously completed with ease become difficult and require a lot of effort.
The above are signs of anemia and inflammation associated with impaired kidney function. If symptoms recur periodically, you need to check the urinary system.
Denis Volodin
oncourologist of the State Research Center FMBC named after. A.I. Burnazyan FMBA of Russia
Unfortunately, with many serious diseases, the kidneys do not hurt and, accordingly, they do not call a doctor, and they do not interfere with living for pleasure. Therefore, a huge number of nephrology patients find out that they have kidney problems many years after they began. How can you tell if a person has kidney disease? After all, a person does not feel protein in the urine (proteinuria), a small amount of blood (microhematuria) or leukocytes and casts in the urine. And people often get used to high blood pressure quickly. And it turns out that more than 500 million people around the world, i.e. approximately every tenth adult inhabitant of our planet lives with various kidney diseases and learns about it only when complications develop. A large proportion of these people eventually develop kidney failure, meaning treatment with hemodialysis or other methods of renal replacement therapy. These people have a much greater risk than those without kidney disease of heart attacks and strokes, severe anemia and bone problems. This happens because the kidneys, in addition to cleansing the body of toxic products, are also involved in blood formation and the metabolism of vitamin D, and are responsible for maintaining the chemical constancy of the internal environment.
To understand whether a person has kidney problems, it is enough to do just a few routine tests: a general urine test, a general blood test, a biochemical analysis “from a vein” (creatinine, urea, uric acid) and an ultrasound examination of the kidneys and urinary tract, available almost everywhere . It is important to measure your blood pressure at least occasionally, especially if you are feeling unwell, and record the results. Increased blood pressure, especially at a young age, may indicate kidney disease. The appearance of edema may also indicate kidney disease. Their appearance can be suspected if suddenly all the shoes become too small, deep marks remain from the rings or elastic bands of the socks, and when you press on the shin, distinct dents remain in the area of the tibia.
True, there are conditions when the kidneys really hurt. These are kidney stones, pyelonephritis, paranephritis, sometimes nephroptosis and kidney cysts. But for their treatment, you also need to decide on a number of indicators in order to avoid complications and unreasonable prescriptions.
There are a lot of kidney diseases, many of them develop as a result of diseases that seem to have nothing to do with the kidneys: arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, infectious and rheumatic diseases, the use of toxic substances and certain medications, etc. The most important thing is what one strives for when treatment of any kidney disease - prevention of the onset of renal failure, when the kidneys cannot cope with their functions and it is necessary to carry out renal replacement therapy: hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis and kidney transplantation.
A nephrologist treats kidney diseases. He is guided by the first data and prescribes an appropriate examination, determines the diagnosis, selects a special, “renal” diet that is different for various diseases and prescribes treatment. Moreover, with a properly structured diet and selected therapy, the onset of kidney failure can be delayed by decades, or even prevented altogether.
Signs of kidney disease may include:
- increased blood pressure
- changes when urinating: foamy urine, blood in the urine, increased or decreased volume of urine (compared to normal urine output), having to get up at night to urinate.
- Fatigue – lack of energy and feelings of overwhelming tiredness may be associated with kidney disease.
- swelling in the arms and/or legs. Diseased kidneys do not remove excess fluid that accumulates in the body.
- Itchy skin - toxins that accumulate in the blood can cause very severe itching.
- lower back pain. This pain does not get worse with movement.
You can contact NES departments for advice.
Global inflammation
The diagnosis of “pyelonephritis” is familiar to many. It is often given to children during examinations by a doctor; it is also noted in pregnant women. This is due to the fact that the growing uterus and hormonal changes lead to disruption of the outflow of urine from the kidneys. This means favorable conditions are created for inflammation to occur. Therefore, pregnant women are the most vulnerable in this sense and they require increased attention from doctors (tests, ultrasound of the genitourinary system quarterly). Prevention is also of paramount importance - drinking plenty of fluids, uroseptics.
Article on the topic
In the shackles of pyelonephritis. How not to become a chronicler
Pyelonephritis itself is an inflammatory pathology that involves all parts of the kidney. As a rule, the causative agent is Escherichia coli, Klebsiella, Proteus, staphylococcus and other microbes. The presence of pathology can be determined by the following symptoms: weakness and loss of strength, increased temperature, decreased appetite, chills (it can be present for quite a long time), passivity, the desire to lie down while standing for a long time. With the active development of the pathology in later stages, pain in the lower back to the right and/or left of the spine under the ribs begins to be noted. A special feature of kidney pain is the fact that it is constant and, unlike, for example, radiculitis, does not go away when changing body position. The main danger of acute pyelonephritis is the formation of a purulent focus, which requires surgical intervention, including removal of the organ. If the process is started or treatment is inadequate, then the probability of death is high. Chronic pyelonephritis in a few years will lead to kidney shrinkage, sclerosis and severe renal failure. Therefore, doctors always pay attention to the inadmissibility of self-medication, especially with kidney inflammation, which can occur under the guise of an acute respiratory infection. At the slightest suspicion, you should immediately consult a doctor, preferably a urologist. He will conduct the necessary diagnostics and prescribe the correct treatment, which is based on antibiotics. You can undergo treatment at home, however, hospitalization in a hospital is often required.
Are your kidneys okay? What does a urine test tell you?
More details
Kidney structure
The organ consists of a medulla and cortex. They differ in their density and color. Renal columns are formed in the cortex and penetrate into the medulla. There are a large number of nephrons here.
The main part of the medulla is located in the center and looks like a renal pyramid, in the form of a cone. There are only 10 to 15 of them. The medulla makes up the rays that penetrate the cortex. Thus, these substances are tightly intertwined with each other
The nephron consists of renal corpuscles, where a large number of blood capillaries are located. They are located in the form of a vascular tangle and are fed by the liver artery, which is divided into interlobar arteries; they are also divided into arcuate arteries. They are formed due to capillaries; the blood pressure in the tangles is increased, which allows for blood purification.
The renal corpuscle is located in a two-layer capsule. These layers are separated by a cavity that flows into the lumen of the convoluted tubule. The kidney tube passes into the papillary duct, which ends in the renal calyces, they form into large cups, which, in turn, make up the pelvis. They have a tapering structure. A ureter is created near the organ's portal.
Urine is formed in the nephron ducts, which are found in the medulla of the kidney. They monitor the organ's performance as large flows pass through the organ.
Change of position
Often, in about 1.5-2% of people, a situation occurs when the kidney moves below its normal position, for example, into the pelvic cavity. In this case, both the blood supply to the organ and the process of urine outflow are disrupted. The main renal vessels, with the help of which the kidney controls blood pressure, are also affected, which in a few years will certainly lead to the development of severe hypertension, which cannot be treated with conventional drugs. And stagnation of urine will sooner or later be complicated by chronic pyelonephritis.
Question answer
What to do if a kidney prolapses?
Nephroptosis can be divided into 3 stages, each of which has its own distinctive features. So, in the first of them, you can palpate the descended kidney yourself - when you exhale, it is in the hypochondrium, and when you inhale, it returns to its place. In this case, there may be pain when a person stands in the lumbar region. When changing position to horizontal, the pain goes away.
The second stage is characterized by the complete exit of the kidney from the hypochondrium - this can be felt especially clearly when a person is standing. The pain is still localized in the lower back, but also radiates to the abdominal area.
At the third stage, the kidney begins to emerge from the hypochondrium, but does not return back. The lying position does not change the situation. At the same time, the pain intensifies and begins to be characterized by enviable constancy, intensifying with exertion. This occurs due to the tension of the ligamentous apparatus of the kidney and blood vessels. If at stages 1 and 2 you can start with therapeutic exercises and wearing a kidney band, then in this situation you cannot do without surgery. Modern equipment makes it possible to return the kidney to its place laparoscopically, i.e. without a cut. In this case, the length of stay in the hospital will be only 2 days. Refusal of treatment will certainly lead to the development of severe complications: the formation of stones, kidney shrinkage, chronic pyelonephritis, severe hypertension, kidney failure, and organ loss. If we talk about the prevention of nephroptosis, then I recommend refraining from targeted sudden weight loss.
Question answer
Why do kidney stones form?
