How The Urinary System Works [Video]

How the urinary system works, especially the kidneys and their functional unit, the nephron.

Copyright: Introductory Medical-Surgical Nursing Tenth Edition, B. Timby and N. Smith
Lippincot Williams and Wilkins

What is Kidney Stone?

You have probably heard of kidney stone and complications its appearance inside the organism might lead to. For those still wondering what is a kidney stone – kidney stone or nephrolithiasis is appearance of hard material inside the kidney. Due to the material's crystallized structure kidney stone will cause sharp and severe pain upon exiting the organism, which is naturally done through the urethra. This medical disorder hits male population as twice as much as female. If not medically treated kidney stone can and will cause severe complications which might lead to fatal epilogue. Drinking between 6 and 8 glasses of water a day or often tea drinking significantly reduces probability of kidney stone's appearance. Fluid intake mechanically averts kidney stone genesis by increasing need to urinate.

What causes kidney stones?

What is Epoetin alfa ?

I have been told by my parents that Epoetin alfa is one of the medicine that my father is taking after his kidney dialysis. This is used to increase the red blood cells. The problem with this medicine is it's cost in Philippines. The Epoetin alfa cost Php 1,150 per usage.

According to wikipedia

Epoetin alfa (rINN) (/ɛˈpoʊ.ɨtɨn/) is human erythropoietin produced in cell culture using recombinant DNA technology. It stimulates erythropoiesis (increases red blood cell levels) and is used to treat anemia, commonly associated with chronic renal failure and cancer chemotherapy. Epoetin is marketed under the trade names Procrit and Epogen. Its annual cost to U.S. patients is $8,447 per patient per year.

For further information about the medicine you may check this site : nlm.nih.gov

The site could give information on the following subject :

• What side effects can this medication cause?
• What storage conditions are needed for this medicine?
• In case of emergency/overdose
• What other information should I know?
• Brand names
• Other names
• Why is this medication prescribed?
• How should this medicine be used?
• Other uses for this medicine
• What special precautions should I follow?
• What special dietary instructions should I follow?
• What should I do if I forget a dose?

You may use the donation link at the side of this blog if you feel you want to help us in our medication for the costly dialysis in Philippines. God Bless You and be informed about your kidney through this blog.

What is Renal Failure?

Renal failure is a medical condition where the normal functionality of the kidneys are lost suddenly. In this condition, the kidneys are incapable of removing waste and concentrating urine thereby leading to the loss of electrolytes from the body. This leads to accumulation of toxins and waste products in the blood. Glomerular filtration rate decreases when the kidneys fail.

There are three forms of renal failure namely acute renal failure, chronic renal failure, and acute-on-chronic renal failure.

Acute renal failure occurs where there is a sudden interruption to the blood flow thereby leading to rapid loss of kidney function. The most common causes of acute renal failure are trauma, complications from surgery such as heart bypass surgery, injuries, drug overdoses, accidental overload such as the onset of crush syndrome, chemical overload of antibiotics and chemotherapeutic agents, bladder tumor, renal calculi, acute glomerulonephritis, acute tubular injury, enlarged prostate, fluid depletion, sun stroke, cardiac failure, septic infections, and hemorrhage.

What is Creatinine?

Creatinine is a by product of muscle contractions that is excreted and removed from the body through urine. When creatinine phosphate is broken down as the muscles work, it results in the formation of Creatinine.

Creatinine is hardly reabsorbed back into the body if it is at all. The kidneys are responsible for the filtration of Creatinine from the blood. Creatinine is filtered from the body through glomerular filtration. In the case that a person’s kidneys are not properly functioning, the Creatinine levels in the blood will be high and these levels can be measured. When the kidneys are functioning perfectly Creatinine will be successfully filtered out of the body and excreted in the urine. Therefore the Creatinine levels in the urine are normally high.

Thanks God There is PhilHealth ( Philippine Health Insurance) Benefits

Nobody knows when sickness will happen in one’s life. And it is good that my father is a member of Phil Health for a long time, and thanks God, in times like this, We can benefit from Phil Health. My father will benefit from Phil Health for a certain number of dialysis in a year. I have been informed by my parents that Phil Health have reduced the payment of my father’s dialysis, which really help us. I have been paying Phil Health for almost 10 years since I became an OFW, and I have never used Phil Health since my wife and children is with me and we have our own health card in the country where I am working. My parents is still not under my beneficiaries since they are less than 60 years old.

You may check through the link the Phil Health procedure :

Availment is subject to conditions as follows :

The following must first be met to avail of your PhilHealth benefits:

• Payment of at least three monthly premiums within the immediate six months prior to confinement.

  For pregnancy-related cases and availment of the new born care package, dialysis (except those undergoing emergency dialysis service during confinement), chemotherapy, radiotherapy and selected surgical procedures, payment of nine (9) monthly premium contributions within the last 12 months shall be required except for those enrolled under the KASAPI program.

• Confinement in an accredited hospital for at least 24 hours (except when availing of outpatient care and special packages) due to an illness or disease requiring hospitalization. Attending physicians must also be PhilHealth-accredited.
• Availment is within the 45 days allowance for room and board.

Good that we are qualified on time that my father has been diagnosed with kidney problem. We just have to procure the medicine that will be used right after the kidney dialysis procedure. My father is scheduled to have two dialysis per week.

How To Take Care The Vascular Access also know as “Fistula”

As mentioned in my previous post, my father will have his minor operation of arteriovenous fistula  on Saturday, February 11, 2012. I have research about “ How to take care the vascular Access (Fistula) “ and here is what I found.

• Make sure that the nurse who will conduct the dialysis will check the access before each treatment.
• Keep the access clean at all times
• Use the access site only for dialysis
• Be careful not to bump or cut your access.
• Don’t let anyone put blood pressure on the side where the fistula is installed
• Don’t wear Jewelry or tight clothes over your access side.
• Don’t sleep with your access arm under your head or body
• Don’t lift heavy or put pressure on your access arm.
• Check the pulse in your access everyday
• Always pray before you sleep (very important)

Here are just some point to remember on taking care of the vascular access. Taking care of this access will mean savings for the treatment.

Image source : Davita.com

What is an arteriovenous fistula?

On Saturday, February 11,2012, My father is scheduled to have an operation for the fistula which will be used on his upcoming dialysis. Here is some information that I found about the fistula. A surgeon creates an AV fistula by connecting an artery directly to a vein, frequently in the forearm.

Connecting the artery to the vein causes more blood to flow into the vein. As a result, the vein grows larger and stronger, making repeated needle insertions for hemodialysis treatments easier. For the surgery, you’ll be given a local anesthetic. In most cases, the procedure can be performed on an outpatient basis. ( Source)

The AV Fistula will be used as an access of the dialysis machine. So this needs to be properly done. According to my parents the AV fistula connection cost an approximately Php 15,000 in Batangas City, Philippines which will done on outpatient basis.

Prior to this my father has passed the operation of venous catheter as a temporary access since the permanent vascular access through fistula has not been made.

What is a Kidney?

What is a Kidney?

The kidneys are two small organs located towards the back of the abdomen, close to the base of the rib cage. There is one at each side, the left kidney being slightly higher than the right. Their function is to remove waste products from the blood and so regulate salts, minerals and fluid levels in the body.

The kidneys are oval structures, red/brown in color with a tube called the ureter that runs down from each kidney to the base of the bladder. The renal aorta, branching from the aorta from the heart, brings oxygenated blood to them and the renal vein takes deoxygenated blood away. There are two main parts to the structure of the inside of the kidney, the inner known as the medulla and the outer known as the cortex.  The renal artery carrying oxygenated blood to the kidney, branches through the medulla and then divides in to many arterioles and capillaries inside the cortex. Here, the tiny capillaries branch further and form coils, with each coil surrounded by structures called the Bowman’s capsule. The Bowman’s capsule is a cup like structure that leads to small tubules that pass back through the cortex of the kidney into the medulla, and finally join the ureter that exits the kidney and leads down to the bladder.

Clean Your Kidney by Using Parsley

This article is being posted in different social media sites:

Years pass by and our kidneys are filtering the blood by removing salt, poison and any unwanted entering our body. With time, the salt accumulates and this needs to undergo cleaning treatments and how are we going to overcome this?

It is very easy, first take a bunch of parsley (MALLI Leaves)and wash it clean

Then cut it in small pieces and put it in a pot and pour clean water and boil it for ten minutes and let it cool down and then filter it and pour in a clean bottle and keep it inside refrigerator to cool.

Drink one glass daily and you will notice all salt and other accumulated poison coming out of your kidney by urination also you will be able to notice the difference which you never felt before.

Parsley is known as best cleaning treatment for kidneys and it is natural!

I think there is no harm in trying. Since the parsley is commonly used in cooking noodles in Philippines.

Philippine Dialysis Center Directory

For all Filipinos Looking for information about the List of Philippine Dialysis Center, I hope this list will help you. We will continue on Updating this list to cover other location in Philippines. So if you know any other Dialysis Center in Philippines, Make a comment and we will update the list.

Capitol Medical Center

Sct. Magbanua St. cor. Panay Ave., Quezon City
Phone 928-1571

Kidney Awareness Campaign Started

I have started yesterday my campaign on internet awareness about kidney as well as my father’s kidney dialysis situation. My first campaign started in my main tech blog asking my readers to be our link builders. When I say link builders, It means that I let my readers share this site into any of there friends or link this site from their blogs. We aim to make a passive income that will support my father’s kidney dialysis in Philippines. Cost of Kidney Dialysis in Philippines ranges from $1,000 to $1,200 dollars on a monthly basis as long as the patient lives and I know by God’s grace, He will give us wisdom on how to raise the said monthly funds. This site will also serve as information resources to all people who would like to keep their kidney healthy. There are some post that might only be related to Philippines and some will be for International Readers. If time comes that earnings of the site exceeds our necessity we will take a move to help others.

Here is our Objectives :

1. To be able to sustain my father’s financial needs for his monthly dialysis.


2. To emotionally and spiritually help those kidney patient


3. To be able to inform the public about the function of kidney and how we can make it 100% functional


4. To help others with the same kidney disease.

So if you came here by chance let me share the help that we need from different people.

1. Contribute any health or kidney related article.


2. You may also include the  http://www.kidneytherapy.com/ in your side bar link using keywords that relates to kidney such as “ Kidney Treatment, Kidney Dialysis Center, Kidney Therapy  and more”


3. You may send Donation through the Donation link via Paypal.


4. By sharing http://www.kidneytherapy.com/or this post to your social media site and more. (Just copy the url above)


5. By Blogging about http://www.kidneytherapy.com/using the keywords as mentioned above.


6. Make us a banner for promotion

This blog is still under process and soon it will be fully operational. So help us propagate this blog.

Help us propagate this information by sharing in your social media site like facebook, blogs, by sending e-mail to your friend and more.

Help in My Father’s Kidney Dialysis by Contributing Articles and/or Being Our Link Builder

Kidney Dialysis Procedure

Image Credit : chemistry.wustl.edu

Kidney dialysis procedure is done on patients with permanent kidney failure which is called as renal failure. Kidneys are the vital organs in a human body which perform several functions. There are two kidneys in human body. They play a vital role in urinary system, electrolyte balance, acid base balance, and maintenance of blood pressure by balancing water and salt level. Kidneys act as a natural filtering system and eliminates waste through urinary bladder. Kidneys eliminate waste by urine production. In urine, body wastes such as ammonium and urea are excreted. They also help in reabsorption of water, amino acids, and glucose from the urine. These bean-shaped organs help in the secretion of essential hormones and enzymes such as erythropoietin, renin, and calcitriol. After the absorption of nutrients from the body, wastes are sent to blood. If the kidneys do not work properly, then these wastes become harmful to health. Kidney dialysis called renal dialysis is often done with the measurement of glomerular filtration rate. Glomerular filtration rate is the estimation of amount of blood passed through glomeruli per minute. This test determines the efficiency of the kidneys. If the glomerular filtration rate is poor, then renal dialysis is recommended. Kidney failure occurs due to the kidneys' loss of filtering capacity due to renal diseases. Nephrons are the part mostly affected in the kidney. Kidney failure may occur due to diabetic kidney disease, hypertension, glomerular disease, congenital kidney disease such as polycystic kidney disease, poison, or trauma. The speed in which the kidney fails depends on acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, and end-stage renal disease. When the kidneys stop working, it results in a disease condition called uremia due to the accumulation of urea in blood.