To understand kidney problems such as nephritis, it's helpful to start with some background on what the kidneys are, and what they do.
The kidneys are two bean-shaped, fist-sized organs found just under the ribs on the left and right sides of the spine. They remove impurities and extra water from the blood, filtering 120-150 quarts of blood a day, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
Each kidney consists of thousands of structures called nephrons, where the actual blood filtering takes place. In the nephron, a two-step cleaning process separates what the body needs to keep from what it can get rid of.
A filter called the glomerulus catches blood cells and protein, sending water and waste to a second filter, called a tubule. The tubule captures minerals. After that, what remains leaves the body as urine.
Read more: All You Need to Know About Nephritis
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| Nephritis can lead to kidney failure if not treated. There are various ways of preventing kidney damage if someone has symptoms of nephritis. Monitoring blood pressure is important if kidney problems develop. |
Source: medicalnewstoday
