According the National Kidney Foundation, 26 million adults suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) and millions more are at risk.
The human body is equipped with two kidneys located along each side of the lower part of the spine and right below the rib cage. These organs play a large role in the body’s overall health by filtering out toxins and excess fluids.
If you have a family history or would like to monitor your chances of developing CKD, it is important to get a renal panel periodically to determine the health of your kidneys.
Function
Our kidneys help balance our bodies by filtering the blood for toxins and regulating and balancing body fluids. Proper kidney function actively removes drugs and waste products, controls red blood cell production and helps maintain blood pressure and bone health.
Nephrons enable the kidneys to filter through a network of tiny blood vessels called a glomerulus. In a 24 hour period, the kidneys filter about 200 quarts of fluid. Of this fluid, around two quarts are removed from the body as urine and the rest of the filtered fluid is returned to the appropriate systems.
While we are meant to have two of these organs, it is possible to survive with only one kidney if illness results in the removal of one or the other.