Credit: iStock Your kidneys are like your body's personal clean-up crew. They work tirelessly to filter about 50 gallons of blood every day, getting rid of waste and extra water. An essential part of this filtering job happens in tiny structures inside your kidneys called glomeruli. Think of them as miniature strainers with delicate walls … Continue reading Peeking Inside the Kidney: What a Biopsy Can Tell Us About Your Health
Kidney Disease
Antihistamines: Beyond Allergy Relief?
Credit: iStock Allergies are one of the most common chronic conditions in the world—in the U.S., as many as 50 million people have them. Many people regularly take antihistamine medications to relieve allergy symptoms that may include itching, skin rashes, runny nose and wheezing. Antihistamines block the effects of histamine, which is a very strong … Continue reading Antihistamines: Beyond Allergy Relief?
Childhood Stress + Immune Overactivity = High Blood Pressure in Adulthood?
About 35 million adults in the U.S. may develop high blood pressure because of negative events that happened to them during childhood. Researchers are exploring how an event you experience when you’re a kid can cause high blood pressure as an adult. About 35 million children in the U.S. experience early-life stress (ELS). ELS is … Continue reading Childhood Stress + Immune Overactivity = High Blood Pressure in Adulthood?
Out in the Sun? Think about Your Kidneys!
When your body gets overheated, it responds in several ways as it races to cool you back down and prevent serious health problems. Heat stress is when your internal body temperature rises above the normal range of 97 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. This triggers physiological responses geared toward maintaining normal body temperature. Our internal body … Continue reading Out in the Sun? Think about Your Kidneys!
Desperately Seeking Kidneys: New Future for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease?
The kidneys are an important pair of organs responsible for filtering water and waste out of the blood to produce urine. They help regulate blood pressure and produce hormones that the body needs to function properly. Kidney disease is often considered a silent disease because there are usually no detectable symptoms in the early stages. … Continue reading Desperately Seeking Kidneys: New Future for the Treatment of Chronic Kidney Disease?