Kidney diseases is one of the leading causes of death among people nowadays. That includes several kinds of urinary system systems disorders namely: Acute/ Chronic Renal Failure, Pyelonephritis, Nephrotic Syndrome and Kidney stones. As such diseases becomes prevalent, we may wonder what causes all of them that affect our kidneys so much.
I have encountered clients with cases like these at work. Instead of what I had to do as a nurse, I discussed to them very in simplest terms and I gave them the idea as to what are the risk factors that may contribute to these diseases. I also explained to them how our Kidneys are so important in our body.

Most of us would regard the Heart and Lungs as the vital organs in our body when in fact there are several of them. Kidneys is one of the Vital organs in our body that has critical functions that keep our body in homeostasis. As a nurse I would like to share to you what I’ve learned. Today, I’m going to discuss with you the factors that causes Kidneys Diseases in which we are quite exposed.

INFECTIONS

Infections may occur in different parts of our body. These are often seen in Pyelonephritis, Glomerulonephritis and lower urinary tract infections. When these infections are unnoticed, more functional renal tissues will gradually be damaged. Our body normally find ways to heal itself during the inflammatory process. However the aftermath of such healing is scarring of the tissues and atrophy of renal cells thus, distorts the filtering function of the kidneys. Unfortunately, this is an irreversible condition. If most of the kidney cells are damaged, this infection will result to Renal Failure.

DRUGS

Whenever we are ill, we take antibiotics or any kind of medicine for relief. However, some of us are unaware that Drugs are Nephrotoxic. Metabolized drugs are often excreted through the kidneys that’s the kidneys are affected. *Inappropriate or long-term intake of medicines will lead to kidney damage.*

ANIMAL PROTEIN DIET

Too much protein in the diet can lead to kidney damage and premature kidney failure. Protein must be consumed at normal amounts. The recommended daily allowance for protein is 0.8 grams for every kilogram of body weight. Most of the protein intake are from meat products. The problem is that the body has no way of storing excess protein, therefore, the excess must be excreted through the kidney in a form of waste product. But the kidneys are not designed to process large amounts of protein all the time. Excess protein intake in responsible for excretion of more calcium through the kidneys that causes the formation of kidney stones. Furthermore, this can also be the reason for brittle bones among people who eat animal meat too much.

HYPERTENSION

If the kidneys are exposed to increased blood pressure, intrinsic lesions(hyaline arteriosclerosis) will form. If the blood pressure is not controlled for a long time, further damage to the kidneys will lead to Malignant Hypertension. At this stage, the person will experience blurring of vision, dizziness, headache including altered level of consciousness.

DIABETES MELLITUS

Most cases of Kidney Failure are caused by Diabetic Nephropathy. Lesions are formed in the arterioles that pass through the glomerular tufts including the filters themselves.
If both high blood pressure and diabetes are present and uncontrolled, Kidney Failure will follow.

CIRCULATORY SHOCK

Circulatory shock is an abnormal condition of inadequate blood flow to the peripheral tissues. The causes include hemorrhage, sever diarrhea, vomiting, septicemia, severe burns and severe allergic reactions. As a result, poor blood and oxygen supply to kidneys will result to kidney dysfunction and failure.

SEVERE MUSCLE INJURIES

Discussed a while ago is about protein as dangerous to kidneys if in excessive amounts. Acute renal failure or acute tubular necrosis may result from severe muscle injuries such as hazing or other conditions in the muscles that cause the release of large amounts of **muscle proteins (myoglobin)** into the circulation.

LESS WATER INTAKE

The kidneys maintain water and electrolyte balance on the circulatory system. It has both the ability to concentrate urine or dilute urine. When water intake is less or there is an exposure to heat, the kidneys tend to concentrate urine. The effort to concentrate urine is more laborsome for the kidneys compared to the effort of diluting it. If we have less water intake, the kidneys may give up in the future because of exhaustion.

CHEMICALS PRESENT IN PROCESSED FOODS AND BEVERAGES

The amount of chemicals present in processed foods and beverages is difficult to quantify. These include preservatives, artificial flavorings and other food additives that are suspected to have undetermined harmful effects on the kidneys. These foods are canned good, bottled drinks, junk foods, soft drinks and processed meat. Nitrites are present in brines and canned goods and is very detrimental to health.

IMMUNE-MEDIATED CAUSES

In some cases, the immune system becomes abnormal and is not able to recognize the body as its own. Rather it recognized the tissues of the kidneys as foreign, resulting to self-attack. This condition is called auto-immune diseases. Examples of these are Lupus nephritis, Goodpasture’s syndrome and IgA nephropathy.

Let's be cautious with out health and take good care of our kidneys.

HEALTH UPDATE #1: THE CAUSES BEHIND KIDNEY DISEASE