09/09/2023
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐
๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ฒ๐ฌ
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๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐?
A pair of bean-shaped organs, the kidneys sit in the flanks, closer to the spine than to your belly. They are located just underneath your diaphragm and rib cage. They normally range in size from 8 to 14 centimeters (or 3 to 5.5 inches). Each kidney weighs between 120 grams (about a quarter-pound) to 170 grams (0.4 lbs). These numbers vary based on a personโs size, and abnormal-sized kidneys could be a sign of kidney disease. About 380 gallons (1,440 liters) of blood flow through the kidneys every day.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ
Your kidneys are silent workhorses, toiling 24/7 to clean your blood of impurities and toxins that build up from the body's metabolism. This waste fluid, which we know better as urine, is then excreted. However, the kidneysโ role extends to well beyond just โmaking urine.โ They are your bodyโs very own laboratories that โtestโ your blood continuously to make sure every electrolyteโs concentration is within the specific range that is necessary for your body to function.
As an example, letโs consider an electrolyte in your blood, like potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte whose concentration needs to be within a tight range for your heart to generate its normal electric impulses. These impulses cause the heart to beat at a set rhythm or pulse. Both high or low potassium can interfere with this electricity generation and cause your heart to go into an abnormal rhythm. This abnormal rhythm, called arrhythmia, is life-threatening and could cause a person to drop dead in a matter of seconds. However, this does not happen in normal circumstances, because the moment the kidneys detect a rise in the bloodโs potassium concentration, they dump the extra potassium into urine, thus keeping the potassium level constant in the blood. If it weren't for your kidneys, a typical meal that you eat could turn out to be a life-endangering experience owing to its potassium content.
Another important function that the kidneys have is maintaining the bloodโs water concentration. The kidneys accomplish this by conserving or excreting the amount of water in your blood. You might have noticed that if you spend a day, for example, playing golf under a hot sun without drinking enough water, your urine will tend to look dark and concentrated.
Conversely, if itโs cold outside, the amount of water lost in sweat is greatly reduced, and your urine looks clear. The volume of urine goes up as well. These changes in your urineโs concentration and volume are regulated by your kidneys. The kidneysโ ability to make these changes is one of the reasons that life was able to adapt from the oceans to land, eons ago.
๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐:
- They produce a hormone that is essential to make red blood cells, called โerythropoietinโ
- They make sure your bones stay healthy by producing a form of vitamin D
- They dump excess acid, which is generated from normal metabolism, out from your system
- Very importantly, they control your blood pressure
As you might imagine, all of these functions can go haywire in kidney disease, hence leading to the usual signs and symptoms that one sees in patients with kidney dysfunction.
