The Importance of Kidneys

Once a person is in adulthood, around thirty to thirty-five years old, the kidneys’s functionality begins to decline by .5 percent a year. This makes the kidneys more susceptable to disease; therefore, it is crucial to take care of kidneys.

Kidneys have several jobs to do in the body, and can be categorized into either filtering or balancing.

·  Balancing: Kidneys keep the acids in the body stable; furthermore, they guarantee that there is enough water in the body and that the blood pressure is at a normal level.

·  Filtering: Receives liquids and purifies them, sending the “good” blood back into the body and releasing the waste that will late be excreted as urine.

When kidneys don’t work properly, it can be split into acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failure. Both are not good. Acute kindey failure have several main causes:

  1. Infections
  2. Low blood pressure
  3. Blood-clotting disorder

Chronic kidney failure is when the kidney is not able to function for at least three months, which can lead to kidney failure if not cared for appropriately. Diabetes and high blood pressure can cause kidney failure.

Beginning signs of kidney failure:

·  Fatigue

·  High blood pressure

·  Blood in your urine (hematuria)

·  Urination that may be painful or difficult

·  Eye puffiness


Kidneys are extremely important for your well-being. If any of these symptoms are occurring, see your doctor immediately.


Christina2. “Senior Center.” Senior Articles. N.p., 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 30 July 2014.

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