Australian Indigenous HealthPlain Language
From the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Background information of kidney
disease among Indigenous people
What are kidneys?
Contents
Kidneys are important organs that get rid of waste from our blood
and keep the water in our body balanced [1]. This waste leaves the
body as urine (also known as wee).
What are kidneys?�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
Most people have two kidneys, which are located on the right
and left side at the back of the abdomen (the middle part of the
body) just below the chest and rib cage. Each kidney is about 11.5
centimetres long, 5-7.5 centimetres broad and 5 centimetres thick,
and weighs about 150 grams [1, 2].
Why do kidneys stop working?������������������������������������������������������������ 2
What do kidneys do?��������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
How do kidneys work?����������������������������������������������������������������������������� 1
How can we keep kidneys healthy?��������������������������������������������������� 2
What type of kidney health problems are there?������������������������ 2
Renal Disorders�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
Urinary tract problems������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 2
References����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������� 3
What do kidneys do?
The kidneys do many things to keep us alive and healthy [1].
•
They carry away waste from the blood and get rid of it in urine.
•
They adjust the amount of fluid in our bodies.
•
They help control blood pressure by making a chemical called
renin (which raises blood pressure) [1].
•
They send out other chemicals to help keep the body balanced.
How do kidneys work?
The kidneys clean all blood in the body every two minutes. They
do this by filtering the blood with small groups of blood vessels
(known as a glomerulus - which is from the Greek word for filter
- the plural is glomeruli) [1]. There are about 1 million glomeruli
in each kidney. Blood is filtered in the glomerulus, and water and
wastes are passed out as urine. Urine collects in the middle of each
kidney (an area called the renal pelvis) [3]. The kidneys make more
urine when there is too much fluid in the body, and less urine when
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More detailed information about kidney disease in Indigenous
people can be found at:
http://www.healthinfonet.ecu.edu.au/kidney_review
and (b) glomerulonephritis.
the body needs fluids (for example when you are dehydrated) [1].
The water passing from the body as urine passes through the
ureters (two thin-walled tubes of around 30 centimetres in length)
into the bladder (a muscular container with a capacity of around
500 millilitres) [2]. This urine is stored in the bladder and then
leaves the body through the urethra (a small passage from the
bladder to the outside of the body) [3].
Why do kidneys stop working?
Our kidneys may stop working for a number of reasons [1];
•
high blood pressure (also known as hypertension), which
causes blood vessels in the kidneys to get skinny and hard so
the kidneys don’t get enough blood,
•
infections, which spread through the blood and make the
kidneys sick,
•
having diabetes (see diabetes section) for many years, and
•
genetics - some people are more likely to have problems with
their kidneys because of something that’s inherited (other
people in their family may have similar problems).
How can we keep kidneys
healthy?
Things we can do to keep our kidneys healthy [4];
•
keep our homes clean and free from germs,
•
keep our stress levels low (try to be calm, not get too excited
or angry),
•
have regular exercise,
•
eat plenty of fresh, healthy food and limit the amount of fatty
and take-away food we eat,
•
limit the amount of alcohol and tobacco we use, and
•
drink lots of clean water.
What type of kidney health
problems are there?
As you know, there are two main parts of the body involved in
filtering blood and waste and in the passing of urine - the kidneys
and the urinary tract (ureters). These parts make up what is known
as the urinary system.
2problems that damage the urinary tract (for example; urinary
tract infection).
Renal Disorders
End-stage renal disease (ESRD)
Chronic renal failure is the slow loss of kidney function that
gradually gets worse over several years until the kidneys stop
working for good. This is also known as end-stage renal disease
(ESRD) [2]. People with ESRD need dialysis (a medical procedure
that does the work of the kidneys) or a transplant (a new healthy
kidney put into the body). If left untreated, ESRD leads to death.
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis is a sickness that causes damage to the
glomerulus [5, 6]. Damaged glomeruli let protein and red blood
cells leak into the urine, and may stop waste from being properly
filtered out of the body [1]. This can lead to fluid build-up in the
body causing swelling in parts of the body (for example, face,
hands, ankles and feet). Sicknesses related to glomerulonephritis
include; acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis ( APSGN) (an
inflammation of the glomeruli following an infection, such as one
in the throat).
Urinary tract problems
Urinary tract infection (UTI)
A urinary tract infection (UTI) is an infection or sickness in the
upper or lower part of the urinary tract [1]. Usually, a UTI is caused
by bacteria (tiny germs that can be killed with antibiotic medicine).
Bacteria can enter the urethra and travel to the bladder, but they
usually get flushed out with urine without causing an infection.
Sometimes, however, the bacteria multiply and cause an infection.
Women are more likely to get this infection than men, and older
people are more likely than younger people.
Some people with a UTI do not show signs of having it. The signs
for lower UTI are;
•
frequent urination,
•
painful urination, and
•
tenderness in the lower pelvic area [6].
The signs for an upper UTI infection are;
There are two types of problems (or disorders) of the urinary
system;
•
fever,
•
back or loin pain, and
1 problems that damage the kidneys (known as renal disorders for example; (a) renal failure or end-stage renal disease (ESRD)
•
chills [5, 6].
2
Copyright © 2008 Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet
Having a UTI is not always a serious problem, but having it often,
having it for a long period of time and/or having it at the same
time as other sicknesses (such as diabetes) can lead to more serious
kidney damage.
References
1.
National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse
(2009) The kidneys and how they work. Retrieved 2009 from http://
kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/pdf/yourkidneys.pdf
2.
Thomas CL, ed. (1997) Taber’s cyclopedic medical dictionary.
Philadelphia, PA: FA Davis
3.
Dictionarycom (2007) Dictionary.com. Retrieved from http://
dictionary.reference.com/
4.
Centre for Disease Control (2010) Northern Territory guidelines for
acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. Casuarina: Department
of Health and Community Services, Northern Territory Government
5.
Braunwald E, Fauci AS, Kasper DL, Hauser SL, Longo DL, Jameson
JL, eds. (2001) Harrison’s principles of internal medicine. New York:
McGraw-Hill
6.
Kumar PJ, Clark ML, eds. (1994) Clinical medicine: a textbook for
medical students and doctors. London: Bailliere Tindall
3
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