How do your kidneys work

The kidneys may be affected by diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Some kidney conditions are inherited run in families. Others are congenital; that is, individuals may be born with an abnormality that can affect their kidneys. The following are some of the most common types and causes of kidney damage.

Diabetes is a disease in which your body does not make enough insulin or cannot use normal amounts of insulin properly. This results in a high blood sugar level, which can cause problems in many parts of your body.

Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease. High blood pressure also known as hypertension is another common cause of kidney disease and other complications such as heart attacks and strokes. High blood pressure occurs when the force of blood against your artery walls increases. When high blood pressure is controlled, the risk of complications such as chronic kidney disease is decreased. Glomerulonephritis is a disease that causes inflammation of the kidney's tiny filtering units called the glomeruli.

Glomerulonephritis may happen suddenly, for example, after a strep throat, and the individual may get well again. However, the disease may develop slowly over several years and it may cause progressive loss of kidney function. Polycystic kidney disease is the most common inherited kidney disease. It is characterized by the formation of kidney cysts that enlarge over time and may cause serious kidney damage and even kidney failure.

Other inherited diseases that affect the kidneys include Alport's Syndrome,primary hyperoxaluria and cystinuria. Kidney stones are very common, and when they pass, they may cause severe pain in your back and side.

There are many possible causes of kidney stones, including an inherited disorder that causes too much calcium to be absorbed from foods and urinary tract infections or obstructions. Sometimes, medications and diet can help to prevent recurrent stone formation. In cases where stones are too large to pass, treatments may be done to remove the stones or break them down into small pieces that can pass out of the body.

If you have already signed into ted. Your name and responses will be shared with TED Ed. Here's how. Want a daily email of lesson plans that span all subjects and age groups? Learn more. How do your kidneys work? After drinking a few glasses of water on a hot day, you might be struck with a sudden Behind that feeling are two bean-shaped organs that work as fine-tuned internal sensors.

Emma Bryce details how the incredible kidneys balance the amount of fluid in your body, detect waste in your blood, and know when to release the vitamins, minerals, and hormones you need to stay alive. Learn More. Additional Resources for you to Explore. Kidneys play a vital role in your body.

Why are kidneys so important? Choose an educator-led or self-guided format. Urine is made as kidneys filter out excess fluid and waste. On a daily basis, your kidneys work to: Release hormones to help regulate blood pressure Control sodium and fluid levels in your body Stimulate production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body Create vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium.

If you're drinking lots of fluids, the extra fluid comes out in your pee, and it will be lighter. Kidneys are always busy. Besides filtering the blood and balancing fluids every second during the day, the kidneys constantly react to hormones that the brain sends them.

Kidneys even make some of their own hormones. For example, the kidneys produce a hormone that tells the body to make red blood cells.

Now you know what the kidneys do and how important they are. Maybe next Valentine's Day, instead of the same old heart, you can give your parents a special card featuring the kidneys! Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD. Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are Kidneys? What Do Kidneys Do?

Page 1 The Path of Pee The waste that is collected combines with water which is also filtered out of the kidneys to make urine pee. Here's a list of all of the parts of the urinary system: the kidneys: filters that take the waste out of the blood and make pee the ureters: tubes that carry the urine from each kidney to the bladder the bladder: a sac that collects the pee the urethra: a tube that carries the pee from the bladder out of the body Keeping a Balance The kidneys also balance the volume of fluids and minerals in the body.