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Many kidney diseases commonly arise over a term of years. It mainly takes a long time for signs and symptoms of kidney problems to grow to the point where you know that you have kidney trouble. But once a certain amount of kidney injury has occurred, kidney function deteriorates, and kidney failure becomes a danger. are unnoticed, the kidneys could fail altogether, which is a life threatening medical emergency.

Typical signs and symptoms of kidney problems involve the following:

* urinary problems that can feel similar to a bladder infection: a burning sensation during urination, along with the feeling that you need to urinate repeatedly and urgently, even though very little urine is produced,

* urine that appears dark and cloudy,

* there may be swelling in parts of the body, notably the feet,

* a higher than normal temeperature,

* lower back or flank pain, particularly if you also have kidney stones,

* exhaustion, loss of vigor and muscle weakness,

* little hunger,

* memory troubles and an failure to think intelligibly.

Of course, some kidney problem symptoms are similar to other medical conditions, so go to see your physician for an accurate diagnosis.

A condition known as nephrotoxicity occurs when the body is exposed to a poison or drugs that weaken the kidneys. When kidney damage occurs, toxins and waste products intensify in the blood. Blood electrolytes like potassium and magnesium are elevated, and creatinine in the blood will also be increased.

Several health problems usually cause damage to the kidneys and kidney failure. Diabetes and hypertension are among the most serious reasons someone has kidney trouble. Many individuals appreciate they have these diseases but they may not grasp that they are at a much higher risk for kidney disease at the same time. Once again, kidney damage characteristically occurs in stages over years and in both kidneys. Since there are no overt symptoms of kidney problems in the beginning, you don’t even realize it’s occurring to you.

If you are at this time suffering from diabetes, kidney disease can be prevented by keeping your blood sugar in the range where it should be.

Hypertension or high blood pressure is also risky to the kidneys.. When you have high blood pressure, the kidneys do not filter fluids and toxins blood very efficiently, so maintaining healthful blood pressure levels are fundamental for preventing kidney damage.

Most people don’t think about kidney problems until they have one. So it’s important to learn to recognize signs and symptoms of kidney problems so you can take quick action, with the help of your medical professional, if signs of kidney trouble begin to crop up.

Are You looking for additional information on signs and symptoms of kidney problems? Click on Kidney Health Problems.

Neal Kennedy is a former radio and TV reporter with a special interest in medical topics.

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There are several factors that are taken into consideration when medical researchers calculate the kidney cancer survival rate. These factors, of course, include characteristics of the cancer itself. But factors involving the individual patient are important too..

Factors that are connected to kidney cancer itself include the type, stage, grade and the location. A cancer that is localized within the kidney is less dangerous than one that has spread to other parts of the body (a process known as metastasis), and therefore treatment is more likely to be successful. As far as patient-related factors are concerned, researchers must take age, ability to undergo treatment, and general state of health into consideration in coming up with their numbers.

Statistics compiled by researchers who have examined data using these factors have produced a general kidney cancer survival rate chart. The data below takes only one type of cancer into consideration, but it’s by far the most common type. It is known as renal cell carcinoma.

The kidney cancer survival rate is usually shown as a percentage of patients who have similar types of kidney cancer at similar stages.

It should be noted, of course, that every case is different and there’s no way to accurately predict how long someone with kidney cancer will live after treatment. The survival rate is a broad-based number based on thousands of cases.

As is the case with most other diseases, the kidney cancer survival rate is measured in five year periods. In other words, a certain percentage of patients found to have kidney cancer will survive for a minimum of five years after their diagnosis.

There are a number of categories in which kidney cancer survival rates can be shown.. The statistics below measure the survival rate of individuals who have been diagnosed with kidney cancer versus the general population. Data was taken from a research study done in 1995-2001.

During this interval, the overall survival rate for kidney cancer patients was 64.6 percent.

The data was also broken into categories that specified race and gender.

* 64.7 percent of Caucasian males survived for at least five years
* The percentage of Caucasian women who lived at least five years was similar: 64.5
* African American men had a slightly lower survival rate at 61.8 percent.
* The highest survival rate was in the category of African American women at 65.9 percent

Knowing the stage of the kidney cancer is also important. The stage is the measure of how far the cancer has progressed and whether or not it has spread to other tissues or organs in the body.

Approximately 53 percent of kidney cancer cases are found before cancer cells have spread beyond the kidneys.

One case of every five that is diagnosed (20 percent) is discovered after cancer cells have reached the lymph nodes or other areas close to the kidneys.

Slightly more than one in five cases - 22 percent - are diagnosed when cancer cells have reached distant tissues or organs.

Stages were unclear in the rest of the kidney cancer cases that were included in the study..

You won’t be surprised to learn that the sooner the cancer was diagnosed, the longer the patient was likely to survive.

* 9 out of 10 patients who were diagnosed when cancer was confined to the kidneys survived at least five years.
* 60 percent of those whose cancer had spread to the immediate area around the kidneys reached the five year survival mark.
* When the cancer had spread to distant tissues and organs, slightly less than 1 patient in 10 survived five years.
* Information on stages was unclear, unknown or undiagnosed for the rest of the patients in the study.

The highest percentage of kidney cancer occurs in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, along with Northern Europe. Kidney cancer occurs least often in China, Thailand and the Philippines. Kidney cancer accounts for approximately three percent of all adult cancer cases diagnosed annually in the U.S.

Two smokers develop kidney cancer for every non-smoker who gets the disease. The risk for renal pelvis cancer is even greater for smokers at 4 to 1.

Related topics: kidney cancer survival and kidney cancer statistics.

Neal Kennedy is a retired radio and television talk show host. To read more of his articles, click on The Human Kidney

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Kidney problem symptoms are alike in many ways. Sometimes it takes a series of kidney tests to determine whether you have a kidney infection or kidney stones. But there are some differences too.

In certain instances, kidney problems symptoms can be “silent.” An individual may never know a kidney problem is developing until a significant amount of kidney damage has occurred. This is not unusual in cases of chronic kidney failure.

On the other hand, symptoms for kidney problems like acute kidney failure or kidney stones came on fast - and strong. These conditions usually feature intense, even searing back or abdominal pain.

This article will focus on listing and briefly describing the most common kidney problem symptoms. Your doctor is the best judge of the possible kidney problems these symptoms represent.

Kidney disease is a generic name for any condition that causes damage to the nephrons, which are the tiny filters that remove waste and toxins from the blood. Two of the primary symptoms of kidney disease are dark, cloudy, or blood-tinged urine and pain while urinating. Individuals afflicted with forms of kidney disease usually feel the need to urinate often, but their trips to the bathroom are frequently non-productive. Your blood pressure is likely to go up when you have kidney disease, and you’ll probably become tired easily. Muscle weakness is common too.

A kidney infection is an extremely dangerous kidney condition that begins when germs (often E. coli) invade the urinary system and migrate to the kidneys. There are two basic types: chronic and acute. When you have an acute kidney infection, you’re likely to have cloudy, discolored urine that carries an unpleasant odor. Back pain, chills, fever, fatigue and muscle weakness are also typical.

Kidney failure is what happens at the end stage of kidney disease or a kidney infection. Kidney function deteriorates as your kidneys are no longer able to filter wastes and toxins from the blood. As fluids begin to accumulate, someone with kidney failure will notice generalized swelling. Shortness of breath is common, as is fatigue, lethargy and overall weakness. As waste products build up, symptoms of this extremely serious kidney problem become more pronounced and may include loss of appetite, profound lethargy and decreased mental function and ability to think clearly. When you have complete kidney failure, there are only two ways you can survive: kidney transplantation or kidney dialysis.

A kidney stone is called a stone because that’s exactly what it looks like - a pebble-like mass that forms in the kidneys from solid crystals. These crystals separate from your urine and form structures that can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a golf ball. Severe back pain is the most prominent symptom of a kidney stone. The pain usually occurs in the back or “flank” area, but it may radiate to the abdomen or even the genital area. As with other kidney problem symptoms, you’ll feel the need to visit the bathroom often, only to find that very little urine actually passes. Urine is frequently cloudy or tinged with blood. Nausea and vomiting are also common when you have kidney stones.

Kidney cancer is characterized by some of the same kidney problem symptoms mentioned above. Someone with kidney cancer may also experience anemia, elevated blood pressure or hypertension, decreased appetite, night sweats and unexplained weight loss.

Kidney cysts are abnormal growths that sometimes form on the kidneys. They consist of air, fluid or calcium. Calcium cysts can cause considerable pain. Often, you don’t even know your have them until symptoms appear (which may be years after they actually start to form). Cloudy or blood-tinged urine is one of the symptoms that’s most prominent. Pain caused by kidney cysts usually appears in the back or abdomen. Some individuals who have this kidney problem never experience symptoms of any kind.

Kidney damage that occurs as a result of some type of physical trauma can be as dangerous as kidney disease. Typically, a kidney can become damaged during sports competition or as the result of an auto accident. Symptoms of kidney problems caused by tissue damage are a swollen abdomen, back and abdominal pain, and discolored urine. Someone with kidney damage is also likely to experience an increased heart rate, pale skin, nausea, vomiting and cognitive impairment.

Kidney problem symptoms should be taken seriously. When symptoms appear, don’t hesitate to get medical attention.

Click on symptoms for kidney problems and kidney disease to learn more about kidney problems. Neal Kennedy is a former radio and television reporter with a special interest in health and fitness topics.

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Having Kidney stones iss been one of the problems that creeps up on you without you knowing it and gives you a hard time knowing exactly what could be causing you pain and discomfort when this happens. You should understand that there are certain medical professionals who can help in diagnosing and treating such problems. You will find that it becomes easier to deal with the problem when you take advantage of these people. You need to visit SouthernCaliforniaUrologist.com if you feel that you may be suffering from kidney stones and need help.

They can help you in identifying whether you are suffering from kidney stones or not. There are a lot of symptoms caused by having kidney stones so you might not know that you are already suffering from this problem. It is all too common to mistake these symptoms for other problems. Your regular medical doctor may even make the mistake of misdiagnosing the problem. You will need a specialist if the problem are indeed kidney stones to better help you in dealing with them before they become worse. And this is always a good thing because a lot of pain and discomfort can be easily avoided.

When it comes to having kidney stones, acute pain in the back and in your side is one of the first signs you may experience. If you are not properly diagnosed by someone who is well versed, it would just be easy to commit a mistake for taking this pain for something else. This is why going to SouthernCaliforniaUrologist.com is definitely something you will want to do to make sure this misdiagnosing does not happen. The pain can be really uncomfortable when you suffer from acute pain in the back or in the lower side area.However, the severity of the pain could be the same as the level of the problem. And this is something that only a good professional will be able to help you get over properly.

If you feel you might have kidney stones then having them treated right away is very important. The longer you let the problem fester the worse it might become. You must make sure that it is treated by someone who knows what they are doing like the professional services from SouthernCaliforniaUrologist.com. This is to be sure you receive the proper aid and help to cure your kidney stones. You do not want any kinds of infection brought by unchecked kidney stones, do you? If you don’t, then prioritize seeking for the proper treatment. Urologic Oncology

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There can be dozens of possible causes of back pain. Typically, there’s nerve damage in the spine, or an injury to the interconnected network of muscles, tendons and ligaments in the back. But sometimes neither of these possible causes are responsible for your discomfort.

Your discomfort may actually be the result of a kidney problem. Some people say that pain from a kidney stone or kidney infection is the worst pain they’ve ever felt.

So, what symptoms and signs will tell you that there’s a kidney problem instead of a nerve or muscle injury?

Your first clue - and one of your best - is the location of your pain. The most intense pain is likely to occur in the area between the bottom of your rib cage and the top of your hips. It is likely to happen more toward your sides and away from your spinal column.

Many times, pain from kidney disorders is described as “acute.” In other words, it comes on fast and it comes on strong.

Kidney stones are among the most common causes of back pain caused by kidney problems. Pain often occurs as these pebble-like masses move out of the kidneys and down the ureters toward the bladder. Sometimes a kidney stone will become lodged in a ureter, which obstructs the flow of urine from a kidney to the bladder. This is likely to cause severe pain.

Another typical symptom of a kidney problem is discoloration of your urine. If it’s darker than normal, you may have a kidney or bladder issue.

Generally speaking, most people with kidney or bladder disorders feel the need to urinate more often than usual. However, when they try, they often find that not much urine is actually produced.

Individuals with kidney stones or a kidney infection often feel a stinging or burning sensation during urination too.

Medical intervention isn’t always necessary when you have a kidney stone. Sometimes stones pass out of the body on their own during urination. This is more likely to occur if you drink a lot of water. Your back pain will stop when this happens.

Fortunately, while kidney stones can cause a great deal of pain, they’re not considered a threat to life.

However, the same cannot be said for a kidney infection, which can lead to kidney failure. Kidney failure can be fatal. Therefore, if you even suspect your back pain is coming from a kidney infection, it’s best to call a doctor right away.

Are you interested in additional articles on similar topics? Click on renal failure. Neal Kennedy is a former radio and television journalist with a special interest in topics related to health and fitness. You can read more of his articles about kidney health at http://www.kidney-problem.org.

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Kidney failure is an extremely serious kidney problem. Without treatment, it can be fatal. If your kidneys fail, there are basically only two options for survival: kidney transplantation, or kidney dialysis treatments several times a week for the rest of your life.

Symptoms of kidney failure are rarely obvious or easily identifiable before the disease has progressed to the later stages.

A change in your body chemistry may be the first symptom that kidney failure is in progress as your electrolyte readings become abnormal. Kidney function also begins to deteriorate. Two of the major jobs performed by the kidneys - eliminating excess fluids and filtering out toxins - start to degrade.

Another important function of the kidneys is to aid in the production of red blood cells. As impairment increases, fewer red blood cells are produced.

The longer these problems go untreated, the more the patient is likely to experience the following symptoms of kidney failure:

* a sense of lethargy,
* weakness,
* dyspnea, or shortness of breath,
* generalized swelling.

When kidney failure symptoms are not identified and treated, serious consequences are possible:

Not enough red blood cells - As a result muscles and tissues will get an inadequate supply of oxygen. This leads to weakness and a general feeling of fatigue.

Improper potassium excretion - When the kidneys do not filter out and dispose of potassium, there can be potentially fatal problems involving heart rhythm.

Metabolic acidosis - Your body isn’t making enough bicarbonate, which means there’s an increase in acid levels in your body. The increased acidity affects oxygen and enzyme metabolism, which can result in kidney failure.

Uremia - Urea is a waste produced that results from the digestion of protein. Our kidneys filter it from our blood and it is passed out of the body in urine. Rising urea levels in the blood can affect muscle, brain and heart function. Clearer symptoms of kidney failure begin to present themselves, including

* loss of appetite
* low energy, even high levels of fatigue,
* decreased mental and cognitive abilities.

By the time these symptoms begin to appear, the kidneys are severely damaged and coma is a possibility.

At advanced stages of kidney failure, the body cannot cope with rising acid levels, which causes rapid breathing an increase in blood pressure due to excess fluid, possibly leading to congestive heart failure.

Medical intervention is critical at this point if the patient is to survive.

To get additional information on topics related to this article, click on Kidney Failure and Its Symptoms. George McKenzie is a retired TV anchor, medical reporter and radio talk show host. He has a special interest in kidney-related issues, and frequently contributes articles to Kidney Problems and You, a resource website about kidney health and wellness.

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A possibly-fatal kidney problem or other organ damage may result from using certain imported skin bleaching creams and skin lightening lotions, according to a recent investigation published in the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

The Tribune conducted an independent investigation of about fifty skin bleaching products and discovered that some contained what the newspaper called “toxic” amounts of mercury. The results were published in mid-May, 2010.

The products are marketed as a way of lightening age spots and freckles.

Mercury can be hazardous to humans because it can cause big trouble for a variety of organs including the heart, lungs, and brain. Kidney problems, possibly including failure of the kidneys, are one of the biggest threats.

Once kidney failure occurs, treatment possibilities become limited. There are only two means of saving your life: these include kidney transplant or dialysis.

Dangerous mercury levels can enter the body after being placed on the skin. The degree of danger varies according to body weight and a variety of other factors. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers more than one gram of mercury per kilogram (2.2 pounds) to be excessive. Doses above the maximum limit can put humans at risk for life-threatening disorders. Small doses can accumulate over the course of months or even years, creating long term problems.

Mercury can result in eye problems, blurred vision and trouble walking. It can cause organs to malfunction, and in some cases, end in death. Mercury is especially dangerous for the fetuses of pregnant women, infants and small children.

Mercury has been illegal for use in skin care products since 1990 when it was banned by the FDA. The Tribune’s investigation revealed that products are easy to find nonetheless. The FDA told the Tribune that it has only about 500 inspectors who can investigate imported products, making it possible for some products to avoid testing .

50 skin lightening creams were sent to to an independent lab for testing. Half a dozen were found to include mercury levels that exceeded legal limits in the U.S. Five had levels of 6,000 parts per million of mercury, which is sufficient to cause kidney problems .

The products came to the U.S. from Lebanon, China, India, Pakistan and Taiwan

One dermatologist in the Chicago area, Dr. Jonith Breadon, admitted to being “shocked and speechless” that products with so much mercury in them are easy to get.

Retailers who had the products in stock and promised to remove them. Two companies that were distributing the products say they will no longer do so.

Skin lighteners have become extremely popular in the United States in the past few years. Sales have been high among certain ethnic groups. Sales are expected to go above 75 million annually by 2015.

Among the other lotions and creams tested by the Tribune, the greatest levels of mercury were found in a product called Stillman’s Skin Bleach Cream. Other products wereTop-Gel MCA Extra Pearl Cream, Creme Diana CTR, Ling Ji Su, Lulanjina, and Shabright Clear and Bright Skin Formula.

Some common skin lightening creams tested by the Tribune did not include mercury at all.

Read more about these kidney problems and others by visiting http://www.kidney-problem.org.

A number of doctors who talked to the Tribune said that anyone who wants a safe skin lightening cream can get one by prescription. They also recommended that such products should be used only for lightening freckles and age spots, not to bleach skin that is normally dark.

Lern more about other kidney problems and related topics by visiting http://www.kidney-problem.org.

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When medical professionals use the term “nephrectomy,” they’re referring to an operation in which part or all of a kidney is removed. The term “nephrectomy surgery” is often used to describe the same operation. When the kidney becomes irreparably diseased or damaged and can no longer function as it should, it may become necessary to remove all or part of it through nephrectomy surgery.

One of the most important functions of a kidney is to filter waste from the blood. It produces urine to eliminate this waste from the body.

A nephrectomy is done as a treatment for one of several possible kidney problems. Kidney cancer and kidney failure are two of the primary reasons for a nephrectomy.

A complete or radical nephrectomy means the whole kidney is removed. When only a part of the kidney is taken out, it’s called a partial nephrectomy. A “donor nephrectomy” is a procedure in which one person donates a healthy kidney to another person with a diseased kidney as part of a kidney transplant operation.

There are two common ways a nephrectomy procedure can be performed and they are listed below:

1. Laparoscopic Nephrectomy - This relatively new and innovative procedure allows the surgeon to avoid making a large incision. Instead, he or she makes a series of small incisions. These incisions are used to insert a miniature tube-like camera and the other instruments necessary to the procedure. The surgeon looks at an TV screen while manipulating the instruments to remove all or part of the kidney.

2. Open Nephrectomy - This is the “traditional” method of removing a kidney. Tissue is taken out through a large open incision.

The condition of the kidney and how much tissue needs to be removed will determine what type of nephrectomy is the better option.

You’re probably wondering what factors determine how much kidney tissue needs to be removed.

It depends on several different things. The first thing the surgeon will consider will be how much of the kidney is damaged or affected by disease. The doctor will also consider whether the damage is located in more than one kidney or not. In the case of a cancerous tumor, he or she will want to know if it has spread to nearby tissues or to the other kidney.

There are a number of tests that can be used to help get the answers your doctor needs to do the procedure, including:

Ultrasound - The doctor creates a computer-enhanced picture of the kidney and surrounding tissues uses sound waves.

Computerized Tomography - Also known as CT, this uses specialized X-Ray technology to produce images of a thin cross-sectional view of the soft tissues within the kidney.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging - You’ve probably heard of this as an “MRI.” This technology employs radio waves and a magnetic field to produce a 3D, computer-enhanced image your doctor can use to evaluate the level of disease or damage in an organ.

Your doctor will decide on the best type of surgery for your situation after examining the tests.

Recovery time is not the same for everyone. It varies depending on the overall condition of your health and the kind of procedure you’ve had.

When you’ve had a nephrectomy, certain post-surgical complications are possible. These could include chronic kidney disease and high blood pressure. Still, in most cases, a person who has had a nephrectomy can live a happy, healthy life with the remaining kidney tissue - even though overall kidney function will be less than normal.

You can get additional information on this and related similar topics by clicking removing a kidney, nephrectomy or kidney problems.

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