Chronic and acute renal failure
Every minute, the waist filter about 1 liter of blood, or one fifth of the amount pumped by the heart. THE’chronic renal failure is a serious disease that causes a gradual and irreversible deterioration of the kidneys’ ability to filter blood and excrete certain hormones. The products of metabolism and excess water pass less and less into theurine and accumulate in the body.
THEchronic renal failure results from complications of diabetes, hypertension or other illnesses. THE’acute renal failure, meanwhile, occurs suddenly. It often occurs as a result of a reversible decrease in renal blood flow. The causes are multiple, such as dehydration, severe infections, an obstruction such as an enlarged prostate, or exposure to substances that are toxic to the kidneys such as contrast agents used in radiology. Too much uric acid is also a symptom of kidney failure.
How the kidneys work The kidneys have the essential function of removing excess fluid and metabolic wastes from the blood. The kidneys receive blood through the renal arteries which carry oxygenated blood from the heart. As it enters the kidneys, the blood circulates in smaller and smaller vessels which each end in a nephron, a kind of miniature kidney. A nephron is formed from a glomerulus which filters water, mineral salts, calcium, amino acids and wastes and a tubule which carries water and all collected materials. The blood then reabsorbs the materials that the body can use again, and the rest is collected in the pelvis, a kind of funnel connected to theureter which carries urine to the bladder. |
When to consult
If you are suffering from diabetes or any other disease that may cause renal failure, your doctor will monitor the health of your waist on a regular basis by blood and urine tests. If symptoms appear between two visits, do not hesitate to contact your doctor.
Even if you are not at risk of developing kidney failure, contact your doctor immediately if the your urine volume changes considerably or if your urine contains traces of blood.