What is KIDNEY FAILURE

KIDNEY FAILURE

In order to understand kidney failure, it helps to know how the normal kidneys look and work.

THE KIDNEYS

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located in the abdomen toward the back, normally one on each side of the spine.

The kidneys’ main job is to filter blood and help the body get rid of excess water, salt, and waste products. Your kidneys also help balancing levels of electrolyte levels in the body, controlling blood pressure, and stimulating the production of red blood cells.

We have 2 kidneys, but a person can live with less than even one complete kidney. Some people live without any working kidneys at all (kidney failure). Their blood is filtered by a machine in a process called dialysis.

ACUTE KIDNEY FAILURE

Acute kidney failure is a condition where your kidneys suddenly stop working.
There are 3 major causes of kidney failure , such as:

A sudden, serious drop in blood flow to the kidneys. Heavy blood loss, an injury, or a bad infection called sepsis can reduce blood flow to the kidneys.
Damage from some medicines, poisons, or infections. People who have serious, long-term health problems are more likely to have medicines for long term use which may affect the kidneys :

- Antibiotics, such as gentamycin and streptomycin.

- Pain medicines, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.

- Some blood pressure medicines, such as ACE inhibitors.

- The dyes used in some X-ray tests.

A sudden blockage that stops urine from flowing out of the kidneys. Kidney stones, a tumor, an injury, or an enlarged prostate gland can cause a blockage.

KIDNEY FAILURE SYMPTOMS

Acute kidney failure often does not cause symptoms that you notice.
When symptoms do appear, they may include:

Swelling, especially of the legs and feet.
Little or no urine output
Thirst and a dry mouth.
Rapid heart rate.
Feeling dizzy when you stand up.
Loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
Feeling confused, anxious and restless, or sleepy.
Pain on one side of the back, just below the rib cage and above the waist (flank pain).

Diagnosis of kidney failure is confirmed by blood tests measuring the buildup of waste products in the blood: BUN (blood, urea, nitrogen), creatinine, and GFR (glomerular filtration rate) level.

KIDNEY FAILURE – RISK FACTORS

Some people have a greater chance of getting kidney failure over time. People with higher risk of kidney failure, are:

Elderly people.
People with chronic disease such as liver disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart failure, or obesity.
People who undergo heart/belly surgery or bone marrow transplant.

Compiled by: www.kidneyplus.com

The Many Benefits Of Organic Olive Oil

People all over the world have come to recognize the many health benefits that come with adding a bit of olive oil into their diet, but most people don’t realize that the olive oil that they are buying probably isn’t any healthier than their ordinary household canola oil. That’s because olive oil alone isn’t the healthy part about olive oil, but rather the many antioxidents and polyphenols that are present within the olive oil; most of which is most likely missing by the time it makes it to the kitchen table.

Unfortunately, it’s a fact that the vast majority of extra virgin olive oil that is sold around the world fails to meet the standards of the international or US Agricultural Department for quality. This was found in a series of tests that were performed by the Agricultural Research Service on most of the olive oils that are available for commercial sale. These olive oils are over-processed and refined to the point they lose all of their natural health benefits before they ever even see the inside of a store.

Fortunately, several U.S. vendors have stepped up to the plate and have begun offering 100% pure extra virgin olive oil – lab tested and guaranteed to have high polyphenols counts, making them some of the healthiest organic olive oil available today. One of these vendors is Olive Oil Excellence – a small, Florida based Olive Oil Store that has made finding the healthiest and best tasting olive oil as easy as clicking your mouse. They have many varieties of olive oil, extra virgin and infused olive oils as well as a large selection of balsamic vinegar. You can find them online at: http://www.oliveoilexcellence.com/