You have two kidneys. They are shaped like beans with concave and convex sides and are about the size of a fist. They are located at the bottom of the rib cage, one to the left and one to the right of your spine.
Functions of kidneys
Your kidneys are multi-functional. But their main job is to get rid of waste. They remove the waste products that arises when you digest food and drink, as well as excess organic molecules (such as glucose).
I asked a few of my friends about kidneys and most of them knew about as much as I did. I think it’s because most of us don’t talk about kidneys, unless there is something wrong with them. Well it so happened that my dad is in the hospital having tests being run on his kidneys, and I thought it would be appropriate to learn a little more about human kidneys.
When people think of kidney failure, they usually think of them in terms of bladder and kidney symptoms. By consuming enough water and avoiding foods that can irritate the kidneys, many people think they will be able to avoid these.
However, often this is not always the case. This is because the kidneys have many functions and therefore when things go wrong, kidney failure symptoms are much more widespread and harder to detect.
In fact sometimes the symptoms may not seem directly related to the kidneys at first glance. But here, by understanding some of the major roles of the kidneys we will see how these kidney failure symptoms occur.
For those who suffer kidney disease, you will know how critical it is to prevent kidney failure. Kidney disease can be both temporary and permanent. This can be known as acute kidney failure/acute renal failure or chronic kidney failure.
Your kidneys are vital to your overall health and well-being. They are responsible for filtering extra fluid, waste products and toxins from your body. They also play a role in regulating blood pressure, red blood cell production and vitamin D metabolism.