Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease is a condition in which the kidneys gradually lose their ability to function properly over a period of time, usually months or even years. As many as one in six individuals...

Goodpasture's disease is a rare autoimmune disorder characterized by the destruction of connective tissue in the air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs and the filtering components (glomeruli) of the...

Spirulina is a blue-green algae that is commonly used for liver detoxification. It contains amino acids, minerals, rhamnose sugars and enzymes. Alternative health practitioners claim that it can...

The signs and symptoms of early renal (kidney) disease are changes in urine, swelling, fatigue, skin rash/itching, a metallic taste or ammonia breath, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath,...

Kidney stones are one of the most common disorders of the urinary system. Although these crystals are small, they can create intense pain as they move along the urinary tract. Kidney stones are...

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 61 percent of adults drink alcohol, and 21 percent of regular alcohol consumers had more than five drinks on at least one day during 2007. We hear...

Gadolinium is a rare earth element used intravenously as an imaging agent to improve contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Because it is highly toxic, gadolinium is coated with or bound...

The four types of kidney stones are calcium (often mulberry shaped), uric acid (football shaped and reddish-brown or tan), struvite (maple syrup colored and faceted) and cystine. The best...

Potassium citrate raises the pH of urine. In other words, it raises the alkalinity of urine and reduces the acidity. Potassium citrate attaches to calcium in the urine, which prevents calcium from...

Kidney stones are solid concretions in the kidneys that causepain and discomfort. They are formed from dissolved urinary minerals, and they usually pass out of the body through the urine. This...

Kidney stones are one of the most common and most painful urological disorders. The majority of the time they are passed without a doctor's direct supervision, but exceptions would be made if you...

Vesicoureteral reflux is a medical condition where urine flows back out of your bladder into the tubes meant only to transport waste into your kidneys known as ureters. Treatment for...

According to Medline Plus, kidney stones are solid crystal masses that form in the kidneys. These stones can be in both the ureter and the kidneys at the same time. These stones generally form...

As a diabetic patient with kidney damage, you need special attention to diet in order to remain as healthy as possible. Already familiar with a good diabetic diet, now you must make dietary...

The kidneys are a very important organ in the body. Their primary function is to cleanse the blood of toxins and prevent infections and diseases. The best way to stop an impending infection is...

According to the Mayo Clinic, kidney stones are salt and mineral deposits that result in the formation of stone-like objects in the urinary tract system. Kidney stones can become large and are...

Dialysis treatment can be essential for kidney patients, but it can also be extremely costly. The American Kidney Fund and the National Kidney Foundation both offer patients financial assistance...

According to UMMC (University of Maryland Medical Center) there are approximately 12 million people in the United States that have early renal disease (kidney disease). According to Mayo Clinic,...

Eveyrone who has passed a kidney stone at least once in his or her life knows how painful it is. While nothing can make the pain go completely away, you can reduce it by hastening the process. ...

Pancreatitis and renal failure are common but potentially dangerous conditions that can affect dogs of all ages. Pancreatitis occurs when the pancreas is inflamed, which can be caused by many...

A tenuous relationship seems to exist between kidney stones, a painful condition caused by crystal development in the kidneys, and fluorosis, an ailment resulting from excess fluoride. One form...

Widely used in plastics, counter-tops, adhesives, whiteboards and dishware, melamine is a organic base chemical most commonly found in the form of white crystals rich in nitrogen.

A person with kidney disease or chronic renal insufficiency can use the low-protein renal diet to control protein intake. Following this diet involves careful research and planning to determine...

Kidney cysts are caused by polycystic kidney disease (PKD), a disease that can cause pain and discomfort in sufferers, particularly in the back or sides. Although PKD is a progressive, incurable...

Kidney stones form from excessive uric acid formation found in urine. They are hard masses of calcium deposits varying in sizes from two to three millimeters. They cause an obstruction of the...

Renal dialysis, or kidney dialysis, uses a hemodialysis machine to treat patients with kidney failure. Dialysis is performed on a patient's blood to remove wastes, fluids and salts, and return the...

Your kidneys are essential to your survival. Among other things, the kidneys remove waste products and drugs from the body, help regulate blood pressure and the production of red blood cells, as...

Impaired kidney function can be caused by a number or underlying diseases and conditions and can be treated through a combination of diet, medication and lifestyle choices. The severity of kidney...

Polycystic kidney disease results when cysts form in the kidneys, eventually enlarging the kidneys and reducing kidney function, often leading to kidney failure. The truth is that there is...

Kidney stones cause severe pain for millions of people. Stones are formed when lack of fluids causes urine to become overly concentrated and minerals in the urine form a stone. The stone blocks...

The kidney plays a key role in the body's normal function including cleaning toxins and fluids from the blood. Kidney dialysis is a man-made machine designed to perform the functions of the...

Excessive amounts of protein in the diet have long been regarded by some as dangerous to the kidneys in a typically healthy person. However, a renal patient (a person with kidney ailments) who...

Anyone who suspects a kidney problem should be tested for possible kidney disease. Reoccurring infections in the kidneys or urinary tract may be a sign of chronic kidney disease in an otherwise...

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic condition characterized by the development of noncancerous, fluid-filled sacs (cysts) in the kidneys and elsewhere in the body. Abdominal pain and...

Renal failure, or kidney failure, can be acute or chronic. Acute renal failure is a sudden inability of kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine. Chronic renal failure is a slow loss of...

Your body produces a substance called creatine to store energy. When the creatine metabolizes it produces a waste know as creatinine. When the creatinine is released, it is carried into the...

Nephrologists are medical specialists that treat diseases affecting the kidneys. Several drug products are used by nephrologists to treat the symptoms of kidney conditions and improve the quality...

Kidney damage is most often the result of another medical condition. The extent you can repair this damage will depend on the underlying cause, the particular type of kidney problems you have, and...

According to information from the Mayo Clinic, kidney stones are deposits formed from minerals, such as calcium. Kidney stones are one of the most painful conditions in medicine, as they must be...

Cystic renal disease is a group of conditions in which multiple cysts grow on the kidneys. Examples of cystic renal diseases include multicystic renal dysplasia, recessive polycystic kidney...

Kidney stones are an extremely painful condition in which certain minerals harden within the kidneys and form a "stone" like substance. This stone is of a much larger diameter than the kidneys can...

Chronic renal insufficiency is a slow loss of kidney function which continues to get worse. You may not have symptoms in early stages of the disease but when it worsens you may experience fatigue,...

Creatine is a naturally occurring catalyst found in the muscle tissue of vertebrates. It works to release energy. The National Institutes of Health identifies creatinine as a byproduct of this...

Dialysis is a treatment that is given to patients experiencing kidney failure. The procedure is used to help filter wastes and other materials from the blood, a function the kidneys are...

Individuals with reduced kidney function should adhere to a special, restricted diet to slow the progression of kidney disease and preserve existing kidney function. Although existing kidney...

Acute renal failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly cease functioning. Since your kidneys filter waste from your body, renal failure puts you at risk for a build-up of these harmful substances....

Potassium is a mineral that is responsible for proper nerve and muscle function in the body. The kidneys control the potassium levels in the body and remove excess amounts of this mineral. If you...

Artificial kidney is a colloquial name for a hemodialysis machine. In someone who has suffered kidney failure, an artificial kidney filters the blood, preforming the function that the patient's...

Kidney failure is a serious medical condition in which the kidneys no longer are able to perform their job of cleaning the blood and making urine from the waste products. Though there are many...

Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is a disease that causes benign, fluid-filled cysts to form on the kidneys. The condition can be mild and cause no problems or can be severe enough to cause...