What is the urinary tract? The urinary tract is the body’s drainage system for removing urine, which is made up of wastes and extra fluid. For normal urination to occur, all body parts in the urinary tract need to work together, and in the correct order. Kidneys. Two bean-shaped organs, each...
Why are the kidneys important? Your kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. Your kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals—such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium—in your blood. Without this balance, nerves,...
What is a solitary kidney? If you have only one kidney, that kidney is called a solitary kidney. This condition is different from having a solitary functioning kidney, in which you have two kidneys and only one is functioning. How common is a solitary kidney? Globally, an estimated 1 in 2,000 babies1...
What is renal tubular acidosis? Renal tubular acidosis (RTA) occurs when the kidneys do not remove acids from the blood into the urine as they should. The acid level in the blood then becomes too high, a condition called acidosis. Some acid in the blood is normal, but too much...
What are renal artery stenosis (RAS) and renovascular hypertension (RVH)? Renal artery stenosis (RAS) is the narrowing of one or both renal arteries. “Renal” means “kidney” and “stenosis” means “narrowing.” The renal arteries are blood vessels that carry blood to the kidneys from the aorta—the main blood vessel that carries...
Manage your medicines with help from your health care providers At the pharmacy The next time you pick up a prescription or buy an OTC medicine or supplement, ask your pharmacist how the product may affect your kidneys or react with other medicines you take. Fill your prescriptions at only one pharmacy...
How common is nephrotic syndrome? Nephrotic syndrome is a combination of symptoms that can occur due to different causes. Among adults, the syndrome is most often caused by rare kidney diseases. Who is more likely to develop nephrotic syndrome? Nephrotic syndrome can affect children and adults of all ages.1 What causes nephrotic syndrome? Many...
What is Medullary Sponge Kidney? Medullary sponge kidney, also known as Cacchi-Ricci disease, is a birth defect where changes occur in the tubules, or tiny tubes, inside a fetus’ kidneys. In a normal kidney, urine flows through these tubules as the kidney is being formed during a fetus’ growth. In medullary...
What is lupus nephritis? Lupus nephritis is a type of kidney disease caused by systemic lupus erythematosus NIH external link (SLE or lupus). Lupus is an autoimmune disease NIH external link—a disorder in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s own cells and organs. Kidney disease caused by lupus...
What is kidney dysplasia? Kidney dysplasia is a condition in which the internal structures of one or both of a fetus’ kidneys do not develop normally while in the womb. During normal development, two thin tubes of muscle called ureters grow into the kidneys and branch out to form a...
