Amalia Young and Baldeep Pabla

 Healthy kidneys handle several specific roles:  Maintain a balance of water and concentration of minerals, such as sodium, potassium, and phosphorus, in your blood  Remove waste by-products from the blood after digestion, muscle activity, and exposure to chemicals or medications  Produce renin, an enzyme that helps regulate blood pressure  Produce erythropoietin, which stimulates red blood cell production  Produce an active form of vitamin D, needed for bone health

Chronic Kidney Disease  Diabetes  High Blood Pressure  Immune Diseases such as:  Lupus  HIV/AIDS  Hepatitis B & C  Severe Infections within the kidney that leads to scarring as it heals  Inflammation in the tiny filters  Polycystic kidney disease which causes fluid-filled cysts to form.  Congenital defects present at birth. Acute Kidney Injury  Traumatic Injury w/blood loss  Sudden reduction of blood flow to the kidneys  Damage by severe infection  Obstruction of urine flow  Damage from certain toxins or drugs  For males an enlarged prostate  For females pregnancy complications  Marathon runners who do not receive enough fluids can damage their kidneys because of a sudden breakdown of muscle tissue

 Kidney failure means that your body is not filtering all of the harmful substances out of your blood. Your body fills up with toxins.  Kidney failure has harmful effects throughout your body. It can cause serious heart, bone, and brain problems and make you feel very ill.

 Treatment for kidney disease is very complex. It is not advisable to self treat a strict regiment with your doctor is important.  A strict diet with many restrictions will probably be put together.  You also need to lose weight and stop smoking.  It is important to tell your doctor about the medicines you take because they can be toxic to the kidneys.  Another choice for kidney failure patients is a kidney transplant.  This can be a very risky surgery for the patient who is receiving the kidney and donating the kidney.  There are many factors that have to be taken into consideration when being a candidate.

 Urinary incontinence is when the muscles that control when urine is released from the bladder is weak.  It is caused by muscle spasms in the bladder and can be caused by medications.  There are prescription medications that can help control muscle spasms and calm the bladder.

 The fat surrounding the kidneys is very important because it keeps the kidneys in place. If the amount of fatty tissue lessens (as with rapid weight loss), the kidneys then drop to a lower position. This condition is called ptosis which creates problems if the ureters, which drain urine from the kidneys, become kinked. Urine can no longer pass through the ureters  The urinary system also helps to filter all of the toxins out of our blood which keeps us healthy.

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