Is Your Kidney Okay?
By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
Last Thursday was World Kidney Day. But how much do we really know about the organ? The Korean Society of Nephrology gave The Korea Times some details.
Two kidneys weigh only about 300 grams. They are behind our waist bone. They look like a five-inch long bean about the size of a child's fist.
They receive blood from the heart, usually about a liter per minute, filter waste which leaves the body in the form urine.
They also absorb amino acids and glucose and remove nitrogen, phosphorus and sulfur and balance the water level inside the body to maintain the right osmotic pressure.
About 97.2 percent of kidney patients first visit hospital without any idea about what is wrong with them. According to research, of the 329,581 men and women who visited 39 large hospitals for regular health checks in 2005, 7.7 percent were diagnosed with kidney problems.
Doctors say symptoms become noticeable once the kidneys are only functioning about 50 percent. ``They slowly affect your body,'' Prof. Cho Won-yong of Korea University said. Once the filtering ability drops below 15 percent, one has to go on dialysis for the rest of one's life, he said.
Due to diets high in salt or other seasoning, those suffering renal failure numbered 2,534 in 1986. In 2006 the figure had climbed to 46,730.
Drinking lots of water and corn silk tea and eating lots of vegetables and steamed cereal is recommended. But for people with kidney problems, things are the opposite.
You should not drink too much water ― the amount of yesterday's urine plus 500 cc would be the appropriate amount for a given day. Corn silk tea or pumpkin juice can raise one's blood pressure and cause bodily swelling.
Vegetables contains potassium, which helps nerves and muscles. But with renal problems, one cannot eliminate easily, which could cause an irregular heartbeat.
Eating steamed cereal can also break the balance between phosphorus and calcium and weaken the bones.
How can we notice if there is something wrong with our kidneys?
A. hypertension.
B. eyelids, hands or feet swell often.
C. red or thick urine
D. bubbles around urine
E. frequent need to urination during sleep
F. decreased and difficult urination
G. frequent tiredness
H. low appetite and weight loss
If you experience any of these symptoms, visit a doctor as you may have kidney problems. Those with hypertension or diabetes should take extra care.