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MCC Daily Tribune

National Kidney Month

March is dedicated to National Kidney Month. The kidneys, two bean-shaped organs located in the back of the abdomen, perform crucial functions to filter out toxins, produce red blood cells, and regulate pH. They filter about half a cup of blood every hour, creating urine from harmful and unnecessary waste.

When kidneys fail to function properly, waste builds up in the blood and leads to a weakened system and a host of problems like anemia, nerve damage, and high blood pressure. Chronic kidney disease(CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 American adults and is the 9th leading cause of death in the U.S.

 

 

HOW TO OBSERVE NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTH

  1. Join the organ donor registry

    Most organ donations come from deceased people. Register to be an organ donor when you die and your healthy organs and tissue can save dozens of lives.

  2. Donate to a kidney non-profit

    Non-profit organizations do the important work of raising awareness about kidney disease, providing resources and assistance to patients, and connecting patients, doctors, and donors.

  3. Be good to your kidneys

    Are you keeping your kidneys healthy? Aim for a lower intake of sodium and sugars, more whole grains and low-fat dairy, and regular exercise to reduce your risk of kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and other diseases.

 

5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT KIDNEYS

  1. You only need one kidney to live

    Although you're born with two kidneys, each of which have about 1.5 million blood-filtering units(nephrons), you only need about 300,000 nephrons to filter your blood properly.

  2. Your kidneys are lopsided

    The right kidney is slightly smaller and sits lower than the left to make room for another important organ, the liver.

  3. You can drink too much water

    This can cause a condition called hyponatremia, which, though not common, can damage the kidneys.

  4. Sausage casing and orange juice cans

    Willem Kolff, who invented the first artificial kidney that led to today's dialysis technology, used sausage casings, orange juice cans, and a washing machine to create a rudimentary blood cleaning mechanism.

  5. Climate change may increase kidney disease

    As parts of the world get warmer, the dehydration that leads to kidney disease is likely to rise among manual laborers.

 

WHY NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTH IS IMPORTANT

  1. It reminds us to be good to our bodies

    Make sure you take care of your body and your vital internal organs so they can continue taking care of you.

  2. It’s a chance to express gratitude for our health

    If you have fully functional kidneys, be grateful! Take a minute to feel gratitude for all the internal organs that do the invisible, daily work of keeping us alive.

  3. It shows that science is awesome

    Just a few decades ago, kidney disease could mean a death sentence. Today, although it’s still a serious and frightening illness, we can often fight off kidney failure with dialysis and organ transplants.

Sarah Benedict
MCC Wellness Council
03/25/2022