Glossary & Terminology
Nephrology Terminology
Here are some of the more common terms used during the care of your kidneys.
Nephrology
Nephrology is the branch of medical science that deals with the kidneys – specifically the normal kidney function, kidney diseases, and the prevention and treatment of those diseases. Here are the most common terms used in the care of your kidneys.
Anemia (Low blood count):
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues.
Healthy red blood cells last between 90 and 120 days. Parts of your body then remove old blood cells. A hormone called erythropoietin made in your kidneys signals your bone marrow to make more red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. It gives red blood cells their red color. People with anemia do not have enough hemoglobin.
Healthy red blood cells last between 90 and 120 days. Parts of your body then remove old blood cells. A hormone called erythropoietin made in your kidneys signals your bone marrow to make more red blood cells.
Hemoglobin is the oxygen-carrying protein inside red blood cells. It gives red blood cells their red color. People with anemia do not have enough hemoglobin.
Chronic Kidney Disease:
Chronic kidney disease is the slow loss of kidney function over time. The main function of the kidneys is to remove wastes and excess water from the body.
Diabetes:
Diabetes is a lifelong (chronic) disease in which there are high levels of sugar in the blood.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both. People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their body cannot move sugar into fat, liver, and muscle cells to be stored for energy.
There are three major types of diabetes:
• Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. In this disease, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown.
• Type 2 diabetes makes up most of diabetes cases. It most often occurs in adulthood, but teens and young adults are now being diagnosed with it because of high obesity rates. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it.
• Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.
Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar. Diabetes can be caused by too little insulin, resistance to insulin, or both. People with diabetes have high blood sugar because their body cannot move sugar into fat, liver, and muscle cells to be stored for energy.
There are three major types of diabetes:
• Type 1 diabetes can occur at any age, but it is most often diagnosed in children, teens, or young adults. In this disease, the body makes little or no insulin. Daily injections of insulin are needed. The exact cause is unknown.
• Type 2 diabetes makes up most of diabetes cases. It most often occurs in adulthood, but teens and young adults are now being diagnosed with it because of high obesity rates. Many people with type 2 diabetes do not know they have it.
• Gestational diabetes is high blood sugar that develops at any time during pregnancy in a woman who does not have diabetes.
Dialysis:
Dialysis Methods
• Hemodialysis: Chronic kidney disease and acute renal failure cause the kidneys to lose their ability to filter and remove waste and extra fluid from the body. Hemodialysis is a process that uses a man-made membrane (dialyzer) to remove wastes, such as urea, from the blood. Hemodialysis may also be used to restore the proper balance of electrolytes in the blood and eliminate extra fluid from the body.
• Peritoneal Dialysis: Peritoneal dialysis uses a membrane inside your body (peritoneal membrane) as a filter to clear wastes and extra fluid from your body and to return electrolyte levels to normal. Peritoneal dialysis can often be done at night, while you are sleeping. You will need to have a catheter placed in your belly (a dialysis access) before you begin dialysis.
There are different types of peritoneal dialysis:
• Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). During CAPD, the dialysate solution stays in your belly for about 4 to 6 hours. After this time, the solution is drained out of your belly. Your belly is then refilled with fresh solution. You need to change the solution about 4 times a day. This is the most commonly used form of peritoneal dialysis.
• Continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). During CCPD, a machine automatically fills and drains the dialysate from your belly. This process takes about 10 to 12 hours, so you can perform CCPD at night while you sleep.
• Hemodialysis: Chronic kidney disease and acute renal failure cause the kidneys to lose their ability to filter and remove waste and extra fluid from the body. Hemodialysis is a process that uses a man-made membrane (dialyzer) to remove wastes, such as urea, from the blood. Hemodialysis may also be used to restore the proper balance of electrolytes in the blood and eliminate extra fluid from the body.
• Peritoneal Dialysis: Peritoneal dialysis uses a membrane inside your body (peritoneal membrane) as a filter to clear wastes and extra fluid from your body and to return electrolyte levels to normal. Peritoneal dialysis can often be done at night, while you are sleeping. You will need to have a catheter placed in your belly (a dialysis access) before you begin dialysis.
There are different types of peritoneal dialysis:
• Continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). During CAPD, the dialysate solution stays in your belly for about 4 to 6 hours. After this time, the solution is drained out of your belly. Your belly is then refilled with fresh solution. You need to change the solution about 4 times a day. This is the most commonly used form of peritoneal dialysis.
• Continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis (CCPD). During CCPD, a machine automatically fills and drains the dialysate from your belly. This process takes about 10 to 12 hours, so you can perform CCPD at night while you sleep.
eGFR (Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate):
Your kidneys filter your blood by removing waste and extra water to make urine. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) shows how well the kidneys are filtering.
Hypertension (High Blood Pressure):
Hypertension is the term used to describe high blood pressure.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body. Blood pressure readings are usually given as two numbers — for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One or both of these numbers can be too high.
The top number is called the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher, but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension.
Blood pressure is a measurement of the force against the walls of your arteries as your heart pumps blood through your body. Blood pressure readings are usually given as two numbers — for example, 120 over 80 (written as 120/80 mmHg). One or both of these numbers can be too high.
The top number is called the systolic blood pressure, and the bottom number is called the diastolic blood pressure. Normal blood pressure is when your blood pressure is lower than 120/80 mmHg most of the time.
High blood pressure (hypertension) is when your blood pressure is 140/90 mmHg or above most of the time.
If your blood pressure numbers are 120/80 or higher, but below 140/90, it is called pre-hypertension.
Nephritis (Inflammation of kidneys):
Nephritis is inflammation of the kidney(s). The two most common causes of nephritis are infections or an auto-immune process.
Nephritis has the effect of damaging and closing up the microscopic filters in the kidney. This means that in addition to various toxic waste products, the inflamed kidney filters out important proteins (larger molecules) from the blood.
Therefore the characteristic symptom of nephritis is proteinuria – meaning the excessive removal of protein from the blood and its excretion in urine.
Nephritis has the effect of damaging and closing up the microscopic filters in the kidney. This means that in addition to various toxic waste products, the inflamed kidney filters out important proteins (larger molecules) from the blood.
Therefore the characteristic symptom of nephritis is proteinuria – meaning the excessive removal of protein from the blood and its excretion in urine.
Proteinuria:
Proteinuria-also called albuminuria or urine albumin-is a condition in which urine contains an abnormal amount of protein. Albumin is the main protein in the blood. Proteins are the building blocks for all body parts, including muscles, bones, hair, and nails. Proteins in the blood also perform a number of important functions. They protect the body from infection, help blood clot, and keep the right amount of fluid circulating throughout the body.
As blood passes through healthy kidneys, they filter out the waste products and leave in the things the body needs, like albumin and other proteins. Most proteins are too big to pass through the kidneys’ filters into the urine. However, proteins from the blood can leak into the urine when the filters of the kidney, called glomeruli, are damaged.
Proteinuria is a sign of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can result from diabetes, high blood pressure, and diseases that cause inflammation in the kidneys.
As blood passes through healthy kidneys, they filter out the waste products and leave in the things the body needs, like albumin and other proteins. Most proteins are too big to pass through the kidneys’ filters into the urine. However, proteins from the blood can leak into the urine when the filters of the kidney, called glomeruli, are damaged.
Proteinuria is a sign of chronic kidney disease (CKD), which can result from diabetes, high blood pressure, and diseases that cause inflammation in the kidneys.
Renal Failure (Kidney Failure):
Renal failure is the loss of the ability of the kidneys to remove waste and concentrate urine without losing electrolytes.
In renal failure, the kidneys undergo cellular death and are unable to filter wastes, produce urine, and maintain fluid balances. This dysfunction causes a buildup of toxins in the body which can affect the blood, brain, and heart, as well as other complications. Renal failure is very serious and even deadly if left untreated.
There are two types of renal failure: acute and chronic.
• Acute renal failure occurs suddenly and is usually initiated by underlying causes, for example, dehydration, infection, serious injury to the kidney, or the chronic use of over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen). Acute renal failure is often reversible with no lasting damage.
• Chronic renal failure is more serious than acute renal failure because symptoms may not appear until the kidneys are extremely damaged. Chronic renal failure can be caused by other long-term diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Chronic renal failure can worsen over time, especially when the problem has gone undiagnosed and treatment is delayed.
In renal failure, the kidneys undergo cellular death and are unable to filter wastes, produce urine, and maintain fluid balances. This dysfunction causes a buildup of toxins in the body which can affect the blood, brain, and heart, as well as other complications. Renal failure is very serious and even deadly if left untreated.
There are two types of renal failure: acute and chronic.
• Acute renal failure occurs suddenly and is usually initiated by underlying causes, for example, dehydration, infection, serious injury to the kidney, or the chronic use of over-the-counter pain medications like Tylenol (acetaminophen) or Advil (ibuprofen). Acute renal failure is often reversible with no lasting damage.
• Chronic renal failure is more serious than acute renal failure because symptoms may not appear until the kidneys are extremely damaged. Chronic renal failure can be caused by other long-term diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Chronic renal failure can worsen over time, especially when the problem has gone undiagnosed and treatment is delayed.