Learn about kidneys and kidney transplants
What are the kidneys?
The kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs, just below your rib cage on each side of your spine. They filter your blood to remove waste and extra fluid, which becomes urine (pee). They also help control your blood pressure and keep your bones healthy.
Why do kidneys stop working?
Kidneys can stop working for many reasons. This can happen suddenly or slowly over many years. Some people do not know their kidneys are damaged until they stop working entirely. This is called kidney failure.
In kidney failure, a person’s kidneys stop working well enough to keep them alive. If this happens, waste builds up to unsafe levels in their body. This can be life-threatening and raise the chances of a heart attack.
What causes kidney failure?
Kidney failure can happen for many reasons:
Acute kidney failure or injury
When someone’s kidneys fail suddenly, it happens over days or weeks. This is called acute kidney failure or injury. It is a medical emergency. Acute kidney failure can be caused by different things, including:
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Conditions that slow blood flow to the kidneys, such as dehydration, infections, low blood pressure, or heart attack
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Damage to the kidneys, such as from infections, medicines, or an autoimmune disease (when a person’s immune system attacks their own body)
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When urine can’t leave the kidney, such as from kidney stones, blood clots in the urinary tract, or bladder, prostate, or cervical cancer
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Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
When someone’s kidneys fail slowly over time, it is called chronic kidney disease (CKD) and leads to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), a long-term condition. In CKD, the kidneys are damaged and lose the ability to filter waste and fluid out of the blood. CKD can be caused by different things, including:
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Diabetes
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High blood pressure
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Polycystic kidney disease (a genetic disease where non-cancerous fluid-filled sacs grow on the kidneys)
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Autoimmune disease (when a person’s immune system attacks their own body)
What are the treatments for kidney failure?
The 2 treatments for kidney failure are dialysis and a kidney transplant:
1. Dialysis
Dialysis uses a machine to filter waste and extra fluid from a person’s blood. This can be time-consuming, tiring, hard on the body, and can have strict diet restrictions. People are often on dialysis as they wait for a kidney transplant.
2. Kidney transplant
With a kidney transplant, doctors take a healthy kidney from a donor and place it into a person whose kidneys have failed (a recipient). People who get a transplant typically live longer and have a better quality of life than those who stay on dialysis.