Kidney Failure and Dialysis

Kidney, or renal failure is the loss of the ability of the kidney to eliminate waste and excess material from the bloodstream and to recycle important nutrients back into the blood. Without correctly functioning kidneys, excess fluid and waste products like urea and excess potassium can accumulate to dangerous levels in the body. This process can be acute (suddenly occurring) or chronic (developing overtime). Both types cause damage to the kidneys but are associated with different medical conditions and also have very different disease courses and outcomes. A common treatment for kidney failure is dialysis during which the blood is filtered mechanically to compensate for the nonfunctioning kidneys.

In order to fully grasp the concept of kidney failure it is important to understand what the kidneys do. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located in the back of the upper abdomen, one on each side of the spine. They are part of the urinary system. When we eat, our bodies digest proteins and separate them into different substances that are distributed into the bloodstream. The jobs of the kidney are to sort waste materials that cannot be used, or are harmful, out of the bloodstream in order to eliminate them from the body as urine and also to keep substances that are essential for bodily functions, such as vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, in the bloodstream. The kidneys are like a water filter because they both catch and remove pollutants. When a water filter doesn't work, pollutants, or waste, can remain in the water and can cause sickness when consumed. In the same way, when the kidneys don't work, waste material remains in the bloodstream and can harm the body while electrolytes and other useful products are lost in the urine. The kidneys are also responsible for making certain hormones that keep bones healthy and maintain blood counts.