The Kidneys

Our kidneys can be found on the left and right side of our spine in the lower half of our abdomen underneath our ribcage. The right kidney is slightly lower than the left, as it has to make room for our liver.

Each kidney is shaped like a kidney bean and is similar in size to that of a fist. When comparing them to the other organs, they are among the smaller ones found within the body.

Although they may be small in size, they have one of the larger roles within the body and are one of the five vital organs needed to survive. It is possible to live without one of the two, but losing both is a different story.

The kidneys serve as the bodies filtration system.
They help maintain blood volume and mineral content found within our bloodstream.

Each kidney contains up to a million of small units called nephrons, which contain a filtering unit called a glomerulus. It is here where the blood is filtered, and the remaining fluid is passed along to the attached tubule.

Once the remaining fluid passes through the tubule, a blood vessel running alongside of the tubule reabsorbs any water, nutrients, and or minerals that the body needs in that moment.

Happy, healthy kidneys are able to filter up to about a half cup of blood per minute and about 150 quarts of blood per day. This blood, after going through the kidneys filtration process, will have its extra water and waste removed before merging back with the bloodstream, with the final product being urine, which is only about 1 to 2 quarts.

The kidneys main job is to filter and remove any extra fluid or waste from our bodies. They are also in charge of maintaining a healthy balance of water and electrolytes (sodium and potassium for example), removing acid from cellular waste and secreting a number of essential hormones that help control blood pressure, produce red blood cells, and keep bones healthy.

The kidneys serve as the bodies blood filtration units and are easy targets once issues arise with blood circulation and its’ vessels.

When the Stress Response is active, blood pressure rises, which can become a huge problem for the kidneys. Given their size and functions, higher blood pressure can put the kidneys under more stress than they are used to which can lead to an array of issues.

Research has found that those with higher blood pressure are more prone to develop kidney disease, which is a condition in which the kidneys have been damaged to the point of being unable to properly filter the blood flowing through them. Overtime, this can lead to kidney failure. For those who already have blood vessel ailments and or kidney disease, their bodies reaction to stress can become more dangerous than those without.

Although the direct connection between kidney damage and stress is still being examined, scientists have come to the agreement that stress has the ability to negatively impact kidney health and could ultimately increase ones chances for developing kidney disease down the line.

A journal published within the National Library of Medicine dove deeper into looking at the correlation between stress and the kidneys. With the development of chronic kidney disease increasing over the past 2 decades, researchers have started looking into what role stress may play in this alarming trend. No study to date has developed a comprehensive relationship between stress and chronic kidney disease, but this is due to stressors being nearly impossible to recreate within a lab setting. With that said, recent studies have begun examining the relationship between acute stress and chronic kidney disease risk factors, which have shown some biological pathways proving a connection between the two.

As research continues, it would be no surprise to see stress be officially labeled as one of the precursors to Chronic Kidney Disease. The only issue with trying to pursue this relationship more in-depth lies within the complexities of not only stress, but the individuals experiencing it. Stress has many different forms, and is viewed differently case by case. Regardless, there is enough evidence for one to understand that stress is a threat when it comes to our kidneys and their overall health.