Kidneys Image Tips

A kidney biopsy is a procedure where the doctor extracts a piece of kidney tissue and examines it to look for signs of damage and disease.

Why is a kidney biopsy done?

Usually, doctors prescribe kidney biopsy if they suspect you have a kidney problem, to determine how severe your kidney disease is or to monitor kidney treatment. If you have a kidney transplant and your kidneys are working properly then you might need a kidney biopsy too.

A few other reasons why a kidne...more

The main job of the kidneys is to balance the electrolytes in the blood and maintain the pH homeostasis. The kidneys also remove waste products from the blood and boost your metabolism.

To prevent injuries and diseases in the kidneys, you can undertake the following steps to keep your kidneys healthy:

Hydrate yourself: You need to drink sufficient water to improve kidney function and the ability of the kidneys to flush out the toxins from the body. Drinking at least 6-8 glasses...more

When people suffer from an accident through a high fall or an impact with a blunt object, a blunt abdominal trauma occurs and kidneys are the third most common organs that are impacted by the trauma. Kidney rupture is not much different from a ruptured spleen and it is nothing that cannot be treated.

As you all know, the kidneys are well protected by the ribs and abdominal muscles, but the lower portion of the kidneys are inferior and they are prone to the blunt trauma. Now, if you are ...more

Kidney Cancer, more commonly known as renal cancer, first presents itself in the lining of the kidney. It then grows malignant and forms a tumor. The good news is that renal cancer rarely spreads to other organs. The bad news is that the tumors grow quite large before they can be detected.

Causes-
Kidney cancer has been found to occur most often in people who are older than 40 years of age. Though the cause of cancer is not definitively known, there are a few factors that might incr...more

The kidneys are two small organs located in the abdomen. The main function performed by these organs is the filtering of the blood. Kidneys help remove waste from the blood which they turn into urine so that it may be excreted from the body. In doing this they also help regulate blood pressure, maintain the production of red blood cells, and sustain the electrolyte balance. When the kidneys do not function properly, the results could be fatal.

Hence, it is important to be able to recogn...more

Often, early stages of kidney diseases do not come with specific signs and symptoms and most people will remain unaware of their condition. However, certain symptoms may be perceived that may indicate that a person is suffering from early stages of kidney failure. When you are diagnosed with kidney failure (also known as renal failure) in the initial stages, certain measures can be taken to retard the progression of the renal disease. This can also help reverse the condition and improve the qual...more

A kidney stone is like a small rock that forms in the kidney. Stones form when certain chemicals in the body clump together. A stone can either stay in the kidney or travel through the urinary system by passing though the urine and not causing any harm.

What are the symptoms?

Very small stones might pass through the urinary system without causing much pain. Larger stones can block the flow of urine if they get stuck in the ureters or urethra. Kidney stones do not usually cause ...more

Kidneys are among the chief excretory organs of the body. The main function of the kidneys is to filter blood. It filters the blood and retains the toxic materials from it to excrete them in the form of urine. The filtered and thus purified blood is sent back to heart. The urine collected is carried by the ureter to the urinary bladder. Here the urine is stored till the bladder is full and triggers the sensation to urinate. Kidneys are two bean-shaped, about 11 cm long organs that are located be...more

A kidney stone is a solid mass that is formed from crystals present in the urine. People with normal body functioning have natural chemicals in their body that prevent the formation of kidney stones. Commonly, there are two kinds of kidney stones

Calcium - Stones that are made of oxalate and calcium.
Uric acid - This develops when the urine of a person is too acidic.
Struvite - Large stones that cause urinary obstruction.
Cystine - These are very rare. Often occur in peopl...more

There is a rich concentration of minerals in the kidneys, and when there is no sufficient medium to clear it out, these can form small crystals within the urinary tract and can settle anywhere along the urinary tract. Stones can, therefore, be found in any part of the kidney and the ureters, which connect the kidney to the bladder.

The pain that is associated with kidney stones is very diagnostic. It includes a sharp shooting pain in the back of the abdomen, on either side of the spine....more