About your kidneys
Your kidneys play a big part in keeping you healthy. They help clean your blood, balance fluids in your body, and support many other important processes. Even though they’re small, your kidneys do a lot of hard work every day to help your body stay in balance and function properly.
What Are the Kidneys?
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about the size of your fist. Most adults have two kidneys, with one on each side of their lower back. They’re part of the urinary system and help get rid of waste through urine.
Each kidney contains millions of tiny filters called nephrons. These filters clean your blood by removing waste and extra fluid, which your body then gets rid of as urine. They also keep our blood chemically balanced, putting back good things like vitamins, glucose, hormones and other important substances into the blood.
Where Are the Kidneys Located?
Your kidneys sit just below your rib cage, one on each side of your spine, and are well protected by your back muscles and lower ribs.
In some people, the position of the kidneys can be slightly different due to body shape, size, or certain medical conditions. But generally, they stay in the same area of the body, tucked safely inside your lower back.
The Role of the Kidneys
The kidneys’ most important jobs include:
Removing waste products from the blood that the body doesn’t need.
Keeping the amount of water in the body constant. These excess fluids and the waste products then become urine.
They also produce essential hormones and chemicals which:
Help to control blood pressure.
Keep our blood in a neutral ‘non-acid’ state.
Create red cells from our bone marrow.
‘Activate’ the Vitamin D we get from sunlight and diet to help keep our bones and muscles healthy.
Our kidneys must maintain all of these delicate balances for our bodies to work properly.
How Kidneys Interact with Other Organs
Your kidneys work closely with other organs to keep your body healthy:
- Heart: The kidneys help control blood pressure and the amount of fluid in your blood, which affects your heart.
- Liver: The liver breaks down bad waste in the body, and the kidneys help remove these from the body.
- Blood and bones: The kidneys make hormones that affect bones, blood pressure, and red blood cell production.
- Bladder and urinary system: The kidneys send urine to the bladder, which stores it until it leaves the body. Together, they remove waste and help control water levels.
Why Are Healthy Kidneys Important?
When your kidneys aren’t working well, waste builds up in your body. This can lead to tiredness, swelling, high blood pressure, weak bones, and serious health problems. Poor kidney function can also affect your heart, blood vessels, and other body systems.
Healthy kidneys help your whole body work better. That’s why it’s important to look after them through a good diet, exercise, regular check-ups, and avoiding things that can cause harm – like smoking or too much salt.
