Kidney Diseases (original) (raw)

Also called: Renal disease

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• Summary
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• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

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Summary

You have two kidneys, each about the size of your fist. They are near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage. Inside each kidney there are about a million tiny structures called nephrons. They filter your blood. They remove wastes and extra water, which become urine. The urine flows through tubes called ureters. It goes to your bladder, which stores the urine until you go to the bathroom.

Most kidney diseases attack the nephrons. This damage may leave kidneys unable to remove wastes. Causes can include genetic problems, injuries, or medicines. You have a higher risk of kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a close family member with kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease damages the nephrons slowly over several years. Other kidney problems include:

• Cancer
• Cysts
• Stones
• Infections

Your doctor can do blood and urine tests to check if you have kidney disease. If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant.

NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Start Here

• Your Kidneys and How They Work (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

• Keep Your Kidneys Healthy (National Kidney Disease Education Program) Also in Spanish

• Dandelion (National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health)

• Kidney removal (nephrectomy) - series (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Nephrectomy (Kidney Removal) (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

• Low Phosphorus Diet: Helpful for Kidney Disease? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

• Phosphorus and Your Diet (National Kidney Foundation)

• Kidney School (Life Options Rehabilitation Program)

• Kidneys and Urinary Tract (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

• Your Kidneys and How They Work (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) Also in Spanish

• Kidney Problems (AGS Health in Aging Foundation)

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• Acute nephritic syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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• Bartter syndrome (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Bilateral hydronephrosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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• Distal renal tubular acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Glomerulonephritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Hydronephrosis of one kidney (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• IgA nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Injury - kidney and ureter (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Interstitial nephritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Kidney removal (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Kidney removal - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Membranous nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Minimal change disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Nephrocalcinosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

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• Obstructive uropathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Perirenal abscess (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Proximal renal tubular acidosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Reflux nephropathy (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Renal papillary necrosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Renal vein thrombosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish