Nephrology: the science of the kidneys
Healthy kidneys detoxify your body round the clock: they cleanse the blood by filtering metabolic waste products (ex. salts, phosphates, sulphates and urea), as well as other foreign toxins.
These substances are then excreted in the urine. The kidneys regulate the entire water / salt balance of the body. They also produce hormones which, among other things, ensure healthy bones and are important for blood production. As humans have two kidneys it is possible - with some restrictions – for a healthy person to live with only one kidney.
Most kidney diseases are chronic
In chronic kidney disease, one or more functions are impaired. A distinction is made between congenital (from birth) and acquired kidney diseases. The latter can be caused by diseases of the blood vessels, as well as by high blood pressure, diabetes or autoimmune diseases. Acute kidney diseases are less common. They occur mainly as a result of severe fluid loss, serious infections, or as a side effect of medication.