Fortunately each kidney represents some 2-1/2 times more function than a person needs. Therefore, if one kidney is lost the remaining kidney is usually strong enough to do the job. Many people are born with only one kidney and live a normal life span.

As the Kidneys began to fail, the waste products mentioned above start collecting in the body and produce harmful effects. If one kidney fails or is removed,the other kidney takes over the entire work of cleaning the blood. You can therefore lead a normal life with one normal kidney. When the Kidneys fail,they affect almost every part of the body. Signs and symptoms of Kidney failure are seen when more than eighty percent of the Kidneys are damaged.

Kidney stones that block or obstruct the flow of urine within the urinary tract may be responsible for infection or even deterioration of renal function.

A kidney stone is a hard mass that occurs when calcium oxalate or other chemicals in the urine form crystals that sticks together. These crystals may grow into stones anging in size from a grain of sand to a golf ball. Some one million Americans, the majority between the ages of 20 and 40, are treated each year for kidney stones. Kidney stones are more common in men, who account for almost four out of five cases.

The Kidney Cars Program is a year round fundraising program of the National Kidney Foundation of Western New York. People can make a charitable donation to the foundation in the form of a used car. Donated cars are towed FREE OF CHARGE from their location and then sold at dealer-only auctions or for parts. Kidney Cars are: used cars, trucks, boats, the occasional tank, we've even taken a private jet or two.

The definition of kidney failure is the point at which the kidneys have failed and where dialysis or a kidney transplant is necessary to maintain life.

Yes. You can have multiple stones in a single kidney. The KUB, below, shows multiple stones in the right kidney (red arrowhead).

Kidney disease is primarily caused by complications from diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also be caused by kidney stones and urinary tract infections and it can be hereditary. In patients with kidney disease, the function of the kidneys decreases eventually resulting in kidney failure, a life-threatening condition where toxic wastes and fluids build up in the body. There is no cure and only two treatments. Patients need dialysis treatments to clean their blood, or a kidney transplant.

A kidney stone occurs when substances in the urine form crystals. Kidney stones can be large or small. Large ones can damage the kidneys; small ones may be able to pass in the urine. Because crystals have sharp edges, passing even small stones can be very painful. Treatment depends on what the stones are made of.

Surgery to remove the kidney is called nephrectomy, which is the most common treatment for kidney cancer. As a tumor on a kidney grows, a person may notice blood in the urine or experience unintentional weight loss or back pain that doesn’t go away. If kidney cancer is detected and treated early, the chances for a full recovery are good.

The first step is to talk with your health care team. Your doctor and the nurses, social worker and dietitian at your dialysis center know your specific medical condition. They can tell you if your medical condition will allow for a transplant. They can also tell you about the transplant process and the pros and cons of a transplant. They may also be able to introduce you to someone who has had a transplant.

There are two options for obtaining a kidney: living and deceased donors. Most transplant candidates are placed on a national waiting list for a deceased donor kidney. However, there are more people on the waiting list than there are available kidneys, which is why an increasing number of transplants are performed with living-donor kidneys today.

Call your local health department. This is the first thing you should do. Health department staff members have the expertise to assess your situation quickly and offer advice on how to cure the problem. Have your septic tank pumped. Frequently, this will help the problem temporarily, especially when it is combined with drastic water conservation. The empty tank can hold several days of waste.

You aren’t required to tell anyone about your disease. However, see question 13. If you need accommodations from your employer it may help to have the support of the ADA. Among your support system it may be helpful to have a few close friends who know what you are going through.

Most stones can be treated with increased fluid intake, changes in diet and medication. About 90 percent of stones will pass by themselves within three to six weeks. Certain types of stones may sometimes be dissolved using medications; however, calcium-containing stones (the most common type in the U.S.) cannot be dissolved.

Treatments that can prevent kidney stones from forming are possible in may cases. Strong evidence suggests that a high fluid intake may decrease the risk of stones. In addition, once the cause of the stone is found, medications or changes in diet may be used to help prevent new stones. The type of medication used is based on blood and urine tests.

There are many different causes of kidney failure in children. Some problems are "congenital or "hereditary, meaning the child was born with them. Some children develop kidney failure because urine "refluxes," or flows back, from the bladder into the kidneys instead of being excreted. This disorder may be associated with urinary tract infections, but may produce no signs or symptoms until severe kidney damage has occurred.

Yes. However, cysts in non-Persian cats are relatively rare, regardless of the cause. So the current theory is that almost all cysts found in Persians and related breeds will be PKD cysts. Dr. Biller will be conducting research to help establish exactly how frequently cysts are found in non-persian cats. This study should help us understand the frequency of non-PKD kidney cysts in Persians, and possibly even provide clues about how they can be differentiated from PKD cysts using ultrasound.

Kidney Health - What you should know.... You can lose most of their kidney function before feeling sick - and by then it's too late. There is no cure. Dialysis or a transplant are the only options once your kidneys fail. If you ticked one or more of these risk factors - you are at increased risk and should ask your doctor for a kidney health check.

Non-directed, living donation is a new form of living donation. It means being a live kidney donor to a complete stranger. Someone donates a kidney and allows it to be given to the most suitable recipient on the transplant waiting list. As this is a very serious decision, you may need to talk about it with your family and friends, doctor, renal transplant nurse, social worker or counsellor. Policies and guidelines are currently being developed in some states of Australia.

Trade in human organs and tissue is illegal in Australia and also ethically unacceptable. Anyone involved would face criminal charges. The illegal buying of organs overseas raises the risks of recipients contacting blood born diseases, complications or even death.

The only other way to maintain life after total kidney failure is a kidney transplant. Kidneys for transplant can come from a cadaver or living-related or living unrelated donors. Living donors are most often parents, siblings, sons or daughters of the person with kidney disease. Only 20 percent of people in Michigan who need a kidney transplant have an eligible related donor.

A test that measures levels of creatine in your urine. Creatine is dependent on weight, age, physical activity and even weather. If you are not drinking sufficient fluids, your creatinine will go up due to dehydration; inactivity breaks down muscle, creating more creatine. A test that measures levels of urea nitrogen in your blood. Urea is the main waste product of protein metabolism. Blood levels of it are referred to as blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and are used to evaluate kidney disease.