The kidneys are bean-shaped organs located behind the abdomen. There is one kidney on each side of the spine, just below the ribcage.
Did you know? Many people can live healthy lives with only one kidney.
The kidneys are an important part of the urinary tract. Their duties include:
- filter the blood
- Get rid of waste and excess water that leaves your body with urine.
- Maintain the correct acid-base balance (pH) in your blood
- electrolyte balance in the body
- Helps regulate blood pressure
What are electrolytes?
Electrolytes are minerals, including sodium and potassium, that support muscle and nerve function.
The kidneys also produce hormones that benefit the body.
- Make red blood cells
- Absorbs calcium and keeps bones strong
Some common conditions that can affect the kidneys include:
- Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
- Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
- Kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma)
- kidney failure
- infection
- cyst
Kidney stones can harm your kidneys if they block urine flow or lead to infection, especially if they occur frequently.
Did you know? Kidney stones are hard deposits that form when salts and minerals, such as calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid, stick together in urine.
There are four types of kidney stones:
- calcium stones
- uric acid stone
- Struvite stones
- cystine stones
Kidney stones occur for a variety of reasons, but in rare cases they may be the first sign of a genetic condition called primary hyperoxaluria.
People with primary hyperoxaluria:
- You were born with the condition (primary).
- Producing too much oxalate (hyperoxaluria)
The kidneys remove oxalates (wastes) from the body. The extra oxalate can combine with calcium to form calcium oxalate crystals, which can become kidney stones.
Getting tested for kidney stones
If a stone has passed or been removed, examining it can help your health care provider determine the type of stone, what caused it, and ways to lower your risk of future stones.
This training material was created with support from Alnylam.
