• Know Your Kidney

    In each healthy kidney, there are about a million tiny units, called kidney unit, which can remove excess or unwanted internal impurities. Each kidney unit consists of two parts-glomerulus and kidney tubules. There is a large amount of liquid and soluble substances (such as minerals and wastes) being filtered from the blood to form liquid in the glomerulus, and this process is called "filtration". These filtered liquid then out of the glomerulus and into the kidney tubules, where most of the water is reabsorbed into the blood except for a certain amount of minerals and other substances needed by the body. At the same time, excessive substances and liquid flow into kidney tubules and finally be removed into urine. This is why we say the kidney works like a filter in human body.

    Main functions of the kidney:

    Clean and filter your blood

    Remove excess liquid and translate it into urine

    Balance chemicals and liquids in your body

    Produce hormones to help control your blood pressure, manufacture red blood cells and ensure bone health

    Enemies of the kidney

    Smoking

    High protein diet

    Foods high in cholesterol and saturated fat

    X-ray examination with contrast agent (a kind of medical chemical dyes that to be injected into the body or to be taken). If you need an X-ray examination, please tell your doctor and staff before starting that you have chronic kidney disease so that they can take measures to protect your kidney.

    Some prescription drugs, including antibiotics (please confirm with your doctor)-Please always let your medical team members including your doctor, your dentist, and your outpatient or emergency doctor know that you have chronic kidney disease, which can help them carefully consider whether certain drugs need to be avoided or the dosage need to be changed.

    over-the-counter drugs, known as "non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)", painkillers such as ibuprofen

    Certain supplements

    Symptoms of kidney disease

    With the time passing by, your kidney function gradually loses and you may begin to feel:

    Fatigue (weak)

    Dizziness or nausea

    Feeling tingling in toes and fingers

    Itching with unknown cause

    Swelling or excessive liquid in the body

    And the following conditions occur:

    Changes in urine volume

    Difficulty in falling asleep or insomnia

    altered appetite or metallic taste in the mouth