Exclusive:
After receiving a life-changing kidney transplant from my mother in 2012, I’ve come to appreciate just how vital these often-overlooked organs are in keeping us alive and healthy
All the way back in 2012, I had a kidney transplant. The kidney that I received, which completely changed my life for the better, originally belonged to my mother. Kidneys are one of the very few organs in the human body that can be donated by a living donor. Now, thirteen years later, we are both living completely normal and healthy lives with just one working kidney each – and I think that’s pretty cool.
In fact, kidneys are one of the five major vital organs of the body that we simply could not live without. We all know how important the heart is at the centre of or bodies, how hard the brain works every day just to keep everything inside us running, and the fact that our lungs are constantly providing us with air. But the kidneys often get forgotten about, a silent pair of heroes working quietly in the background to keep everything in order and balance.
The kidneys major role is to filter the blood, removing excess waste products and fluids that we don’t need and maintaining the body’s internal balance. Each of us is usually born with two and they work in tandem, sat just below the ribcage, using millions of tiny filtration systems inside them called nephrons, to remove any unwanted toxins, excess salts or minerals and urea – an excess product formed in protein metabolism. Everything you don’t need, they send to the bladder to be removed in the urine.
They also regulate fluid levels, ensuring that the body does not retain too much water or become dehydrated from a lack of it. Furthermore, the kidneys are responsible for maintaining appropriate electrolyte levels, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are essential for muscle function and nerve signalling. On top of this, they help control blood pressure by adjusting the amount of sodium in the blood and releasing hormones like renin, which helps regulate vascular resistance and fluid balance.
But their long list of jobs isn’t done there. The vital pair of organs also produce hormones that contribute to other bodily processes such as erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates bone marrow to produce red blood cells, helping to prevent anaemia. They also convert vitamin D into its active form, which is crucial for calcium absorption and bone health. Even more amazingly, is that we only need one healthy kidney to survive.
It is clear that the kidneys are doing some heavy lifting when it comes to keeping the body going, which of course means that when they aren’t working properly, it can seriously effect our health. Despite their numerous functions, a person can lose up to 90% of their kidney function without even realising.
When working below normal levels, toxins and fluid build up in the bloody, having the potential to make us really ill. In some extreme cases, like mine, people have to undergo dialysis – a medical treatment that does the job of the kidneys by removing waste and fluid from the blood by taking it outside the body and putting it through a filter.
In a worse case scenario, a person will need a kidney transplant. Without mine, I would still be having dialysis for four hours, three times a week and have a much worse quality of life.
However, the majority of cases of kidney disease never get this serious and can usually be managed with a combination of medication and lifestyle adjustments. But still, 1 in 10 people in the UK suffer from kidney disease which equates to about 7.2 million people of all ages and backgrounds.
Fiona Loud, Policy Director at Kidney Care UK, told the Mirror that looing after your kidneys is actually “pretty straightforward”. She said: “So everything from watching your weight, quitting smoking because it is bad for you heart, your cardiovascular system and particularly bad for you kidneys. Keep your salt intake down to about 6 grams a day maximum. Eat a healthy, balanced diet, keep your alcohol down to less than 14 units a week. “
She also advised: “Stay hydrated and definitely watch your blood pressure as this is a sign of a problem. The message is that kidney disease can be really serious and that is why we want to talk more about the kidneys. In most cases, if you are diagnosed with kidney disease it can be prevented from deteriorating. There are new advances in treatment that will stop more people from advancing into serious chronic kidney disease.”
Fiona, who has also had a kidney transplant, mentioned that people with diabetes are even more susceptible to problems with their kidneys and should be extra vigilant and should encourage their doctors to do regular checks and blood tests. The same goes for people with a family history of kidney disease.
The NHS lists the following as signs to look out for that your kidneys may be struggling: weight loss and poor appetite, swollen ankles, feet, or hands, shortness of breath, tiredness, blood in the urine, frequent urination, especially at night, difficulty sleeping, itchy skin, muscle cramps and feeling sick. If you have any of these symptoms, its best to get it checked out.
I know first hand how important the kidneys are because for a year and a half of my life, I lived without a working one. Now, as they lie all shrivelled up and completely useless yet still inside me, my ‘new’ kidney, which had been in my mum for more that 40 years before it made it to me, does all the work. Remember our forgotten friends this World Kidney Day and raise a big glass of water in their honour.
Kidney Care UK is currently running their Bloody Amazing Kidneys campaign and encourage people to use their kidney health checker if they have any concerns about their own renal health.
