March is National Kidney Month so it's the perfect time to learn more about these often-misunderstood organs. Your kidneys sit on each side of the spine underneath the rib cage and look like two bean-shaped organs, each the size of a human fist.
These organs are important not only as filters, but also for balancing the body's natural acid, potassium, and salt contents. Kidneys filter waste and toxins out of the blood.
They are responsible for taking waste out of other fluids in the body as well. Because they filter fluids, they also balance them. As they are filtering, kidneys release hormones into the body that are responsible for regulating blood pressure as well as controlling and stimulating the number of red blood cells that are produced. The process naturally creates Vitamin D and hormones that affect the function of other organs in the body.
Finally, the kidneys help to regulate other chemicals as they are being produced in the body. Because of this, these organs should be well-taken care of and monitored on a routine basis to ensure protection against diseases and other ailments.
Kidneys take between to quarts of blood and produce nearly 2 quarts of urine and waste daily. As natural filters, waste and urine that pass through the kidneys go into the bladder through the ureters. During this process, the muscles that surround the bladder gradually relax allowing the urine to fill the bladder.
Once full, the bladder sends signals that it is time to release the urine from the body. Your kidneys are one of the most complicated systems in your body. Pee leaves the kidneys and travels through the ureters to the bladder. The bladder expands as it fills. When the bladder is full, nerve endings in its wall send messages to the brain.
When a person needs to pee, the bladder walls tighten and a ring-like muscle that guards the exit from the bladder to the urethra, called the sphincter pronounced: SFINK-tur , relaxes. This lets pee go into the urethra and out of the body. Reviewed by: Larissa Hirsch, MD.
Larger text size Large text size Regular text size. What Are the Kidneys and Urinary Tract? What Are the Parts of the Urinary Tract? What Do the Kidneys Do? To help keep your kidneys and urinary tract healthy: Get plenty of exercise. Eat a nutritious diet.
Stay hydrated. For girls: Wipe from front to back after pooping so germs don't get into the urethra. Avoid bubble baths, sitting in the tub after shampoo has been used, and scented soaps.
As the fluid moves, cup-shaped spaces called calyces collect what will become urine. The ureter—a muscular tube connecting to the bladder—finishes the process by pushing the urine through to the bladder, where it then is ready to exit the body. Some of the most common kidney complications include kidney stones, kidney failure and urinary tract infections. The good news is that by following a healthy lifestyle, you can greatly reduce your risk for running into these complications.
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