What's Up With Kidneys? Part 2 Kidney Structure and Process


This post looks at what makes the kidney, well... the kidney.
If you'd like to know what work the kidneys do, have a look at this post about Kidney Functions.

To get into the kidney's structure...let's have a look back at the urinary system that it forms a part of.

A Super-Brief Overview of the Urinary System


From this image we can see the kidneys lie above a few structures in the urinary system. Namely, the ureters which are like 'spoutings' that take the urine from the kidneys to the bladder or 'tank' .  Last but definitely not least the urinary bladder is joined to the urethra which is like a 'pipe' which we ought to able to control in adulthood in response to the sensation to urinate. The ability to hold or release our urine, we can think of like a 'faucet' connected to the 'pipe' that turns it off and on.

Location, Location

Our kidneys are similar to kidney-beans in shape and colour, they are located above our waist, nearer to our backs than our abdomen, on each side of the spine and they are partially shielded by the two last rib pairs, the eleventh and twelfth. As you can see below because of the space the liver occupies on our right side, it is normal that the right kidney is slightly lower that the left kidney.

Courtesy: philschatz.com
Generally speaking, a typical adult kidney is about the size of a bar of bath soap, 4 to 5 inches long, 2 to 3 inches wide and about 1 inch thick, a kidney can weigh between 4 to 5 ounces. It can filter around 190 litres of blood daily. That's roughly 200 quarts of blood.


How do the Kidneys Filter Blood?

To understand the way the kidneys filter blood, we first have to understand the basic structure.
At its most simple organizational level, the kidney can be divided into the renal cortex, the renal medulla and renal pelvis as shown in the image below.

Courtesy: flickr.com
The Renal Cortex: The word cortex comes from latin, it means rind. This section is the outer region of the kidney.

The Renal Medulla: This is the inner region of the kidney, as you can see each medulla is triangular with the narrow bit pointing towards the renal pelvis, and the wide part towards the renal cortex.

Together the renal cortex and the renal medulla form the Renal Parenchyma. It is in these regions the harder work of the kidney takes place. The renal parenchyma contains about 1 million microscopic structures called nephrons that function as 1 million little filters for our blood.

The Renal Pelvis: This is actually the upper portion of the ureter (the muscular tube through which the urine flows). As you can see the pelvis, is kind of funnel shaped, and it branches out upwards to the renal medulla. These branches are known as calyces.  The renal pelvis narrows downward, continuing as the ureter.

With all this is mind, have a look at the more detailed image of the kidney below.

Courtesy: pitfitness.net

Now lets analyse how all this works...

The kidney filters the blood in the body, in order for it to do that it must have a good blood supply.  This blood supply is represented in the image above by the red shadow as the renal artery.
The most impressive artery in our bodies. the aorta supplies the renal artery of each kidney with blood.  (Read about the aorta and the heart here)


This blood filled with different substances, from waste to salts, and many other elements enters the kidney and is carried to the renal parenchyma, where 1 million nephrons get to work. Each one of these nephrons contain portions which filters the blood and also help to move the formation of the urine along.
At the end of this process, the filtered blood is passed back to the body through the renal vein., and the urine formed from the cleansing process is drained into the renal pelvis, down to the ureters and into the bladder.

To Summarise...

Courtesy: rxlist.com

If you'd like to know all the functions that the kidneys are in charge of be sure to read Part 1 about all the functions our kidneys are in charge of.

I hope this simplified overview helped to put your own kidneys into a clearer perspective.
Be sure to share the info you now know with someone else.
Knowledge is power.
Blessings to you and yours
#wadadlianstrong



©March 2018



What's up with Kidneys? Part 1 Kidney Functions

How much do you really know about your kidneys?

Here's a chance to learn a bit more.


The kidneys form a part of our urinary system, represented below:
Generally speaking, all human beings have two (2) kidneys, 2 ureters, one (1) bladder, and 1 urethra.
The urinary system in its most basic form is not unlike the water system of our homes, with spoutings, tanks, and pipes.

A Super-Brief Overview of the Urinary System

The kidneys (among other functions we'll learn of in a few paragraphs ahead) filters the blood, after this filtering is done urine is left behind. This passes through the left and right ureters and is collected by the bladder till we have that sensation that tells us its time to release it. When we are ready urinate, the urine moves from our bladder through our urethra, and out of our bodies through our genital area.
For males the urethra extends through the length of the penis and is used for both urination and ejaculation, whereas in females, the urethra is a separate structure from the vagina, and is used only for urination.

Now back to the Kidneys...
Courtesy: kidneyhealth.ca


So far we know that the kidneys filter the blood...but what else do they do? Let's talk more about kidney function.

The Work of the Kidneys or Kidney Functions

As far as our urinary system is concerned the kidneys carry the bulk of the work, their tasks include:
  • Regulating the concentration of our blood. Our blood is made up of various elements, these include water, salts, sugars, and blood elements among others. In order to maintain a healthy concentration of all these substances, we depend on the kidneys to filter the blood well. When filtering, kidneys handle two important processes that impact our blood concentration.
The first is the volume of blood in our circulatory system.

When the kidneys filter the blood, they adjust the blood volume by carrying water back to the blood stream, or sending it out with the urine. An increase in our blood volume increases our blood pressure, while a decrease in our blood volume decreases our blood pressure.

The second process is the salts in our blood stream.

Besides water, the kidneys regulate blood salts such as sodium, potassium, calcium, chloride, and phosphate, these like water, can either be conserved in our body when the kidneys are filtering our blood or sent out through our urine.

Courtesy: hdwallpapersfreedownload.com
Let's move on to other tasks our kidneys perform.
  • Regulation of blood pressure.  Besides regulating our blood pressure through the blood voloume, our kidneys also regulate our pressure because of a certain protein it produces known as renin. Increased renin increases our blood pressure.
  • Regulation of the acidity or alkalinity of our blood.  This is also through the filtering process. Our blood contains hydrogen as well as bicarbonate, both of these contribute to the acidity or alkalinity of our blood stream respectively.
  • Hormone production. Did you know our kidneys produce hormones? If you didn't well, now you do. The kidney is indeed a multi-tasker. It produces two hormones, the first is pronounced cal-see-tree-ol. The second hormone  the kidney produces is pronounced eri-throw-po-yetin.
Calcitriol (cal-see-tree-ol) is actually a form of vitamin D. It actively helps us maintain the right amount of calcium in our bodies, and help with bone strength.
Erythropoietin (eri-throw-po-yetin) helps us produce red blood cells. Yes! The kidney is what helps us produce those red blood cells. Care your kidney, care your blood.


  • Regulation of Glucose Levels The kidneys can also regulate the sugar levels in the blood, as they are able to generate glucose and release that into the blood to help contribute to a normal glucose level.

Last but not least, this task of our kidneys is pretty well known, and is commonly spoken of more than some of those listed here. 

  • Waste excretion Our kidneys get rid of waste products in our blood stream that can harm us, or are no longer useful for our body's upkeep. These are found in our urine, you may have heard of ammonia, others include toxins from our environment, drugs, and even from our diet.
That's all for now folks. Look out for part 2 as we look at the structure of our kidneys.
Stay #wadadlianstrong, and share this article about kidney function!
Blessings to you and yours.


©March 2018


Flu Complication Warning Signs



We've recently explored some 268 Flu Tactics in our fight against the flu. The post (268 Flu Tactics) explored various ways we all can keep the flu virus at bay, as well as care for ourselves as much as we can by using mostly lifestyle modifications, to protect ourselves and those around us.

In this post, I would like to explore complications of the flu virus and those persons in our populations who are at high risk for those complications. The flu in adult on average lasts between 3 to 7 days, however in some people it can extend up to 10 days.

Usually the flu runs its course and resolves within the time mentioned above, however there are times where its symptoms hangs on, rebounds or even worsens. It is therefore very important for each Wadadlian to know warning signs of a worsening viral flu infection and its possible complications.

Flu Complication Warning Signs

  • Flu symptoms that improve then return with a high fever and worsened symptoms such as increased cough, aches, chills, headaches, fatigue.
  • Fever greater than 37.6 degrees Celsius or 99 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Chest pain or pressure
  • Abdominal pain
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Severe Vomiting or Diarrhoea
  • Seizures
  • Fainting spells
If during the progress of a flu infection you or a loved one experiences this, it is time to get help and consult your nearest healthcare provider.


Complicated flu infections can progress to illnesses such as pneumonia, muscle inflammation (rhabdomyolysis), meningitis among many others. Please do not ignore your body's cry for help.

Now we know what warning signs to look out for, what about knowing which persons in our community that are at high risk for developing Flu Complications?

Persons at High Risk for Flu Complications

  • 6 month old babies and older children up to 5 years
  • Adults 65 years old and over
  • Pregnant Women
  • New mothers (up to 2 months after birth)
  • Nursing home residents
Persons who suffer from certain medical conditions are also at risk:
  • Persons with the following medical conditions:
  1. Cancer
  2. AIDS/HIV
  3. Diabetes Mellitus
  4. Sickle Cell Disease
  5. Persons who use a regular treatment regimen of steroids
  6. Epilepsy, stroke and other neurological conditions
  7. Kidney Disease
  8. Asthma
  9. Obstructive lung disease
  10. Weight disorders (extreme obesity or anorexic states)

Kindly take these elements into consideration if you or a loved one becomes infected with the flu virus. Remember to review the 268 Flu Tactics but if warning signs appear, do not wait, go to your healthcare provider immediately.


Wishing you all the best, and much blessings
#wadadlianstrong

© 2018



268 Flu Season Tactics



The flu season is upon us...some of us are reading this in bed with body aches, chills, runny noses, eyes, and temperatures. Some of us are worrying about loved ones who just don't seem to be able to get through it, while others of us are sending love to family member and friends... from a distance, trying to show we care but still informing them that though its all love we've been there, done that and aren't keen on experiencing this particular rollercoaster willingly if we can avoid it.

What is the Flu Virus?


The flu or influenza virus that is made up of 3 strains. They are known simply as A, B, and C (rare type). This viral infection targets the body's respiratory system.


The influenza A and B virus are usually in rotation around the winter and autumn months in temperate countries, though some tropical areas may experience their effects all year round.

In recent times one of the most popular strains of influenza A is the H1N1( swine flu), whose warning banners you will encounter throughout the airports of our region. The A virus has other subtypes such as H3N2, and H5N1 (avian flu), among various others.

Most, if not all of us know what symptoms we experience when infected with the flu virus, but here's a summary:

https://www.fix.com/assets/content/15511/detect-flu-symptoms.png
Courtesy www.fix.com

Now we have an idea of what the flu virus is, and how it affects us, let's have a look at tactics we all can use to help reduce our risk of flu infection.

268 Flu Season Tactics

  • Those of us perceived as insensitive for staying away are actually on to something. Less contact with infected persons will obviously mean reduced risk of infection. As a result, if possible this is a relevant plan of action.


If you are caring for someone at home who has the flu be sure not to share eating utensils, and dishes without washing them carefully first. Keep their personal items separate in the home.

Try your best to also disinfect surfaces that are often touched by your sick loved one.


Courtesy www.webmd.com

  • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you are not able to at least have on hand an alcohol based hand sanitizer. Be sure your hands are clean before and after meals, in public areas and restrooms, after touching possibly contaminated surface.
  • Avoid touching your face. This is the easiest way to contaminate yourself with the virus.
  • Exercise. Exercise actually helps to raise the level of your immune system and ward off infection.
  • Health Eating Habits. Remember food is fuel, you can either use it to help your body by boosting your immune system or harm it by feeding it empty calories. Eating a nutritious, balanced diet is key.
  • Keep hydrated. Water aids the body in resisting infection.
  • Keep your stress levels in check. Stress can weaken your immune system, thus making you more vulnerable to infection. 

But what if you are already infected?

Well, here are some rules for you

For those of us who are sick or have children who are sick...and know it...sharing in this case is not equivalent to caring.
  • Kindly. Stay at home. Kindly. Stay away from work or school if you are sick. Kindly. Keep your child or children isolated from other children as much as you can.  This is not only to ensure the efficiency of  body's healing process, but for the good of others in our community. This is caring in action.The flu can be spread via droplets in the air one day before symptoms show, and up to 5 to 7 days after symptoms come about.
  • When coughing or sneezing cover your nose and mouth with a tissue. You should also sneeze or cough into your arm as opposed to your hand. Remember also to dispose of your used tissue paper.
  • Drink lots of fluids, to prevent dehydration. Preferably water and vitamin C rich liquids.
  • Eat easy to digest meals, like warm chicken soups, or vegetable broths.
  • REST. Give your body time to overcome the process.
  • Keep fever medication on hand and a trusty thermometer.
  • If you feel unsure how to handle your symptoms, or if you feel that you or a loved one is getting worse, consult your health care provider immediately.
Most of these suggestion are based on lifestyle modifications, as in Antigua & Barbuda many Wadadlians choose to let the viral illness run its course with symptomatic care, however, when doing so please keep these rules in mind, especially the last one, as the flu like any other illness can have complications.


I hope this gave you some perspective about the flu. If you want to read about how your body warns you your flu may be becoming complication,  check out this post on Flu Complication Warning Signs. Meanwhile stay safe and stay #wadadlianstrong.

Blessings to you and yours.

© 2018

Barbuda Devastation Relief Efforts




On the 22nd Anniversary of Hurricane Luis, Hurricane Irma ravaged our sister island Barbuda, leaving many homeless, and destroying government infrastructure.


courtesy ABS Television
As a result efforts are ongoing to provide ways for Wadadlians home and abroad , and all other persons who feel led, to provide support in renewing our sister isle, and supporting our Barbudan family. Please share this post!
Provided below are trusted sources where financial contributions can be made:

1. Antigua Commercial Bank (ACB)

   
    Account Name: Barbuda Relief and Rebuilding Fund
   Account Number: 100004717

  

2. Caribbean Union Bank (CUB)


    Account Name: Barbuda Relief and Rebuilding Fund
   Account Number: 10001372




3. The ticketing app on behalf of Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross

Download The ticketing app here: https://ticketingevents.co/
Track contributions here: https://ticketingevents.co/helpbarbuda/

While financial contributions will definitely go a long way in reconstructing Barbuda, particular supplies are needed both critically and urgently to aid our displaced brothers and sisters. These are the following:



  
Non-cash donations can be remitted through the following:

The Multipurpose Cultural and Exhibition Centre,
Perry Bay, St. Johns, Antigua 
Contact Telephone: (1- 268) 464-5056
                                                736-3419 /20/21/23

,
Antigua & Barbuda Red Cross Society,
P.O. Box 727,
Old Parham Road,
St. Johns, Antigua
Contact Telephone: (1- 268) 462-0800

National Office of Disaster Services (NODS)
P.O. Box 1399
American Road,
St. Johns, Antigua

Contact Telephone: (Intl) (1- 268) 562-2144

                                                          460-7075

                                   (Local)           462-4206           




Its time to mobilize our nation.
stay # wadadlianstrong



Dealing with Diabetes. Part III. Symptoms and Signs of Type 2 Diabetes.

Now that you've become acquainted with Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors in the last post, let's move on to symptoms....



How would you suspect that someone you know may be suffering from diabetes?
Could you have diabetes type 2?


DIABETES TYPE 2 SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS


Excessive Hunger

Read this carefully...
courtesy youtube.com


Insulin's role is to help the sugar get into our body's cells.
The problem is when you suffer from diabetes there is less than usual, or very little.

Quite literally, you are eating food, but despite it being converted to sugar in the body, your cells can't access it, because there is no insulin to help the sugar inside the body's cells.

The body realizing that it's not receiving any food, and hence no energy, very wisely, will trigger your "hunger sensation" to inform you. 'Listen I need to be fed!!'

So you eat...and you eat,  and you do realise that you are eating more than usual.  
However, the more you eat, still, the hungrier you are, the more your body screams out "I need food!!"

courtesy fivehourdiabetic.com


The caveat is that your sugar level is rising as a result.
The food and energy your body's cells so desperately need is inside you but because there isn't enough insulin, the cells of your body can't access it in for energy.

Its an unfortunate cycle.


Unintended Weight Loss

 courtesy substance.com

In our communities this is usually the first thing you'll hear a villager comment on,

" So and so drap weight so quick me min deya say he/she mussa hab shugah, yuh know dah dey suck yuh dry..."

It does....not exactly in those terms, but you see, the body has to look for an alternative route for energy. I've already explained excessive hunger, we can piggy back off of that explanation.

Despite eating the cells of the body are unable to take in and use sugar due to a lowered amount of insulin, or a lack thereof in the blood.

Weight loss occurs because since the body (despite your best efforts to feed it) cannot get the energy it needs from sugar,  it wisely looks for alternatives.. "Ok, seems as if this human isn't feeding me, let me use something else to get some energy!"

Where does it look to? Fat and muscle. By burning those, the body get some of the energy it requires to keep itself going.

As a result however, all we see is that "so and so" is dropping weight all of a sudden.



Excessive Thirst

Thus the domino effect continues.


So far you have an idea that the excess amount of sugar in the blood is to be blamed for the symptoms. How does that translate into excessive thirst?

Let's get closer to home first. Bear with me.
Think of the black pineapple.


courtesy wes.com


Yes. The Black Pineapple. Trust that I'm going somewhere with this.

Antigua and Barbuda is notoriously drought ridden. The dry conditions of our climate, have been blamed for the concentrated sugary sweetness that is the Antigua black, more rain water according to older villagers would have produced a less sweeter pineapple.

How does this relate to you being thirsty more than usual?

More sugar in the pineapple, less rainwater in the pineapple. More sugar in blood, means less fluid in the blood.  As a result, to wisely compensate, the body now recruits fluid from out of the cells to dilute the sugar that's in the blood. It has to find a way to restore balance.

Can you imagine the predicament of the body's cells?

First, no sugar, no energy. This is despite the body generating hunger pangs to help give them what they need desperately. That was a failed mission, so they had to turn to the muscle and fat for help. Now on top of all that, it seems they now have to send out the fluid inside them into the blood stream because there is too much of the sugar (that they need!) on the outside. 

Imagine that jack.

Now there's a new cry. "Human, I'm dry!! Give me fluid!!"

courtesy www.healthcentral.com


...and thus begins the story of your excessive thirst.

As more fluid is pulled out of the body's cells to compensate for the high sugar on the outside, the thirstier you become, for the louder the body cries for fluid.

Fluid may even be recruited from the lenses of the eyes. This can result in another symptom. Blurred Vision.


Frequent Urination

Of course, the more fluid that you drink, the more you will urinate.

courtesy freemalaysiatoday.com

Also, urine may have a sweet odour.
This is because the kidney aren't able to re-absorb all the sugar out of the urine.


Slow healing cuts and/sores

You will notice that cuts and sores will take an abnormally longer amount of time to heal. This is because the high sugar content and decreased uptake of insulin contributes to a decrease in the body's cell response to tissue injury.

courtesy www.healthtap.com


Frequent infections

As a result of the high sugar levels, cells in  the immune system will not function as they ought.   
Our immune system is in charge of fighting disease and infections. If this barrier malfunctions this means the body is more open to infection.

Some persons may have frequent urinary tract infection, thrush, genital yeast infections, or recurrent skin infections.






If you or a loved one has any of these symptoms or signs with associated risk factors be sure to see your primary care physician.

I hope that this helped someone understand  diabetes a bit better.
Till next time, blessings to you and yours.

Stay #wadadlianstrong

©June 2016

Dealing with Diabetes. Part II. Risk Factors. Type II DM



In the last post we focused on the classification of Diabetes. 
Today we'll talk about risk factors that may predispose you to suffering from this common disease.
Let's focus on Diabetes Type II.
Risk factors for Diabetes Type II can be split into two parts. Risk factors that you can change, and those that you can't. First up, those you can't change, otherwise known as Non-Modifiable Risk Factors

NON-MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS

These are the risk factors you have no power over. These include:

  • Race - Person of African, Asian, Pacific Islander, Hispanic and Native American descent are more likely to suffer from DM type II


  • Family History - if you have relatives that suffer from diabetes, this increases your risk.

  • History of Gestational Diabetes - females who were diagnosed with diabetes during pregnancy are at an increased risk for diabetes mellitus type II.


There are other risk factors however, that may be evident in your life currently, that you can change, these are known as:

MODIFIABLE RISK FACTORS


  • Sedentary Lifestyle
  • Obesity -  being overweight makes your body's cell less receptive to the effects of insulin.

  • Unhealthy Diet


  • Smoking

courtesy quitsmokingcommunity.org



    Other modifiable risk factors include, high cholesterol levels, as well as high blood pressure levels.


    There you have it. Risk Factors of Type 2 Diabetes.

    http://www.diabetes.org/are-you-at-risk/diabetes-risk-test/
    How at risk are you? Here's a risk test from the American Diabetes Association.


    Be sure to take it and to share it. Don't take your risk for shugah lightly.





    Have you read the first post of this series on "Shugah" ? If not click here.
    Next up Symptoms of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus...See you soon
    Stay #wadadlianstrong
    Blessings to you and yours,


    ©June 2016