Kidney Diseases Dictionary Index
... This dictionary defines words that are often used when people talk or write about kidney diseases. It is designed for people who have kidney diseases and their families and friends. The words are list...

Urinary Tract Infections in Adults
...    The urinary tract Urinary tract infections are a serious health problem affecting millions of people each year. Infections of the urinary tract are common--only respiratory infections occ...

Urinary Tract Infections in Children
... After unexpected wetting, the most common urinary problem among children is infections. An estimated 3 percent of girls and 1 percent of boys have had a urinary tract infection (UTI) by the age of 11....

Your Urinary System and How It Works
... The organs, tubes, muscles, and nerves that work together to create, store, and carry urine are the urinary system. The urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, the bladder, two sphincter mus...

Hematuria (Blood in the Urine)
... Hematuria is the presence of red blood cells (RBCs) in the urine. In microscopic hematuria, the urine appears normal to the naked eye, but examination under a microscope shows a high number of RBCs. G...

Directory of Kidney and Urologic Diseases Organizations
... This directory lists voluntary, governmental, and private organizations. Some of the organizations offer educational materials and other services to patients and the public; others primarily serve hea...

Vesicoureteral Reflux
... Urine normally flows in one direction--down from the kidneys, through tubes called ureters, to the bladder. Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ure...

Pregnancy, Childbirth, and Bladder Control
... Yes. But don't panic. If you lose bladder control after childbirth, the problem often goes away by itself. Your muscles may just need time to recover. If you still have a problem after 6 weeks, ta...

Your Body''s Design for Bladder Control
... Good bladder control sounds simple. Just hold on until you get to the bathroom. It sounds simple. But good bladder control takes teamwork from many organs, muscles, and nerves in your body. Most of yo...

Exercising Your Pelvic Muscles
... Life's events can weaken pelvic muscles. Pregnancy, childbirth, and being overweight can do it. Luckily, when these muscles get weak, you can help make them strong again. Pelvic floor muscles are ...

Cystocele (Fallen Bladder)
... On this page: A cystocele (SIS-tuh-seal) occurs when the wall between a woman's bladder and her vagina weakens and lets the bladder droop into the vagina. This condition may cause discomfort and p...

Smoking and Your Digestive System
... Cigarette smoking causes a variety of life-threatening diseases, including lung cancer, emphysema, and heart disease. An estimated 430,000 deaths each year are directly caused by cigarette smoking. Sm...

Lupus Nephritis
... Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidney caused by systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a disease of the immune system. SLE causes harm to the skin, joints, kidneys, and brain. The causes of SL...

Goodpasture''s Syndrome
... Goodpasture's syndrome is a rare disease that can affect the lungs and kidneys. It is an autoimmune disease, a condition in which the body's own defense system reacts against some part of the ...

Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Transplantation
... If you have advanced and permanent kidney failure, kidney transplantation may be the treatment option that allows you to live much like you lived before your kidneys failed. Since the 1950s, when the ...

Your Kidneys and How They Work
... Your two kidneys are vital organs that perform many functions to keep your blood clean and chemically balanced. Understanding how your kidneys work can help you to keep them healthy. The kidneys remov...

Kidney Failure Glossary
... On this page:      A    B    C    D    E    F    G    H  &nb...

Kidney Biopsy
... A biopsy is a diagnostic test that involves collecting small pieces of tissue, usually through a needle, for examination under a microscope. A kidney biopsy can help find a diagnosis and determine the...

Analgesic Nephropathy (Painkillers and the Kidneys)
... An analgesic (AN-ul-JEE-zik) is any medicine intended to relieve pain. Over-the-counter analgesics (medicines bought without a prescription) include aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, naproxen sodium,...

Anemia in Kidney Disease and Dialysis
... If your blood is low in red blood cells, you have anemia. Red blood cells carry oxygen (O2) to tissues and organs throughout your body and enable them to use the energy from food. Without oxygen, thes...

Glomerular Diseases
... Many diseases affect kidney function by attacking the glomeruli, the tiny units within the kidney where blood is cleaned. Glomerular diseases include many conditions with a variety of genetic and envi...

High Blood Pressure and Kidney Disease
... Your kidneys play a key role in keeping your blood pressure in a healthy range, and blood pressure, in turn, can affect the health of your kidneys. High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can d...

IgA Nephropathy
... IgA nephropathy is a kidney disorder caused by deposits of the protein immunoglobulin A (IgA) inside the glomeruli (filters) within the kidney. These glomeruli (the singular form is glomerulus) normal...

Nephrotic Syndrome in Adults
... Nephrotic syndrome is a condition marked by very high levels of protein in the urine (proteinuria); low levels of protein in the blood; swelling, especially around the eyes, feet, and hands; and high ...

Polycystic Kidney Disease
... Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a genetic disorder characterized by the growth of numerous cysts in the kidneys. The cysts are filled with fluid. PKD cysts can slowly replace much of the mass of th...

Proteinuria
... Proteinuria describes a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount of protein. Proteins are the building blocks for all body parts, including muscles, bones, hair, and nails. Proteins in you...

Pyelonephritis (Kidney Infection) in Adults
... Pyelonephritis is a kidney infection, usually from bacteria that have spread from the bladder. Possible causes of infection include the following: infections in the bladder use of a catheter to drain ...

Renal Osteodystrophy
... The medical term "renal" describes things related to the kidneys. Renal osteodystrophy is a bone disease that occurs when your kidneys fail to maintain the proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in y...

Renal Tubular Acidosis
... Your body's cells use chemical reactions to carry out tasks such as turning food into energy and repairing tissue. These chemical reactions generate acids. But too much acid in the blood (acidosis...

Simple Kidney Cysts
... Simple kidney cysts are abnormal pouches containing fluid. The simple cyst is the most common form. Although its cause is not fully understood, we do know that the simple cyst is not an inherited cond...

What I need to know about Kidney Stones
... Pain in the shaded areas may be caused by kidney stones. If you have a kidney stone, you may already know how painful it can be. Most kidney stones pass out of the body without help from a doctor. But...

Hypoglycemia
... Hypoglycemia, also called low blood sugar, occurs when your blood glucose (blood sugar) level drops too low to provide enough energy for your body's activities. In adults or children older than 10...

Financial Help for Treatment of Kidney Failure
... If you have permanent kidney failure, you may be worried about paying for the expensive treatments you need. In 1972, Congress passed legislation making people of any age with permanent kidney failure...

Medical Tests of Kidney Function
... On this page: Healthy kidneys remove wastes and excess fluid from the blood. Blood tests show whether the kidneys are failing to remove wastes. Urine tests can show how quickly body wastes are being r...

Kidney Failure: Choosing a Treatment That''s Right for You
... Your kidneys filter wastes from your blood and regulate other functions of your body. When your kidneys fail, you need treatment to replace the work of healthy kidneys to survive. Developing kidney fa...

Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Hemodialysis
... Hemodialysis is the most common method used to treat advanced and permanent kidney failure. Since the 1960s, when hemodialysis first became a practical treatment for kidney failure, we've learned ...

Treatment Methods for Kidney Failure: Peritoneal Dialysis
... With peritoneal dialysis (PD), you have some choices in treating advanced and permanent kidney failure. Since the 1980s, when PD first became a practical and widespread treatment for kidney failure, w...

Peritoneal Dialysis Dose and Adequacy
... When kidneys fail, waste products such as urea and creatinine build up in the blood. One way to remove these wastes is a process called peritoneal dialysis (PD). The walls of the abdominal cavity are ...

Diabetic Neuropathies: The Nerve Damage of Diabetes
... Diabetic neuropathies are a family of nerve disorders caused by diabetes. People with diabetes can, over time, have damage to nerves throughout the body. Neuropathies lead to numbness and sometimes pa...

Diabetes Dictionary
... This dictionary defines words that are often used when people talk or write about diabetes. It is designed for people who have diabetes and for their families and friends. The words are listed in alph...

Kidney Disease of Diabetes
... Each year in the United States, nearly 100,000 people are diagnosed with kidney failure, a serious condition in which the kidneys fail to rid the body of wastes. Kidney failure is the final stage of a...

Prevent Diabetes Problems: Keep Your Kidneys Healthy
... On this page: What are diabetes problems? What should I do each day to stay healthy with diabetes? What do my kidneys do? How can I prevent diabetes kidney problems? How can my doctor protect my kidne...

Diabetes Overview
... Almost everyone knows someone who has diabetes. An estimated 18.2 million people in the United States--6.3 percent of the population--have diabetes, a serious, lifelong condition. Of those, 13 million...

Diabetes Insipidus
... Diabetes insipidus (DI) is characterized by excretion of large amounts of dilute urine, which disrupts your body's water regulation. To make up for lost water, you may feel the need to drink large...

Interstitial Cystitis (Bladder disorder)
... (IC) is a chronic bladder condition that can cause pain and other symptoms. People with IC have an inflamed or irritated bladder wall. This can lead to: scarring and stiffening of the bladder; less bl...

Constipation
... The lower digestive tract Constipation is passage of small amounts of hard, dry bowel movements, usually fewer than three times a week. People who are constipated may find it difficult and painful to ...

Your Medicines and Bladder Control
... If so, one cause of your problem may be sitting in your medicine cabinet. Medicines (drugs) can cause people to lose bladder control. Do not stop taking any medicine without talking to your doctor. If...

Bladder Control for Women
... Women of all ages have bladder control problems. Some younger women find they can't hold their urine after having a baby. Others have problems when they stop having periods. Many women over the ag...

Urinary Incontinence in Women
... Urinary incontinence is an inability to hold your urine until you get to a toilet. More than 13 million people in the United States--male and female, young and old--experience incontinence. It is ofte...

Prostate Enlargement: Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
... The prostate is a walnut-sized gland that forms part of the male reproductive system. The gland is made of two lobes, or regions, enclosed by an outer layer of tissue. As the diagrams show, the prosta...

Prostatitis: Disorders of the Prostate
... Prostatitis may account for up to 25 percent of all office visits by young and middle-aged men for complaints involving the genital and urinary systems. The term prostatitis actually encompasses four ...

Urinary Incontinence in Children
... Parents or guardians of children who experience bedwetting at night or "accidents" during the day should treat this problem with understanding and patience. This loss of urinary control is called "uri...

Heartburn, Hiatal Hernia, and Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
... Gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, occurs when the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) does not close properly and stomach contents leak back, or reflux, into the esophagus. The LES is a ring of m...

Talking to Your Health Care Team About Bladder Control
... You may feel embarrassed to talk about such a personal thing. Or, like many women, you may feel ashamed about loss of bladder control. But when you learn it's a medical problem, you know it's ...

What Your Female Patients Want to Know About Bladder Control
... "When my patients become incontinent, a little light goes out of their lives. I like to be part of the dimmer switch that turns the light back on." Elisabeth Brown, R.N. Continence Nurse San Francisco...

Preguntas Frecuentes acerca de Cistitis Intersticial
... La cistitis intersticial (CI) es una condición crónica de la vejiga que puede causar dolor y otros síntomas. Las personas con CI tienen la pared de la vejiga inflamada o irritada. Esta inflamación pue...

Childhood Nephrotic Syndrome
... Childhood nephrotic syndrome can occur at any age but is most common between the ages of 1-1/2 and 8 years. It seems to affect boys more often than girls. A child with the nephrotic syndrome has these...

Growth Failure in Children With Kidney Disease
... The kidneys play an important role in a child's growth. In addition to cleaning waste and extra fluid from the blood, the kidneys produce hormones that help with red blood cell production. The kid...

Hemodialysis Dose and Adequacy
... When kidneys fail, dialysis is necessary to remove waste products such as urea from the blood. By itself, urea is not very toxic, but its level represents the levels of many other waste products that ...

Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
... Hemolytic (HEE-mo-LIT-ik) uremic (yoo-REE-mik) syndrome is a rare condition affecting mostly children under the age of 10. Hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) is characterized by destruction of red blood ...