The kidneys are the most important organs of a living being. With their absence or complete removal without connecting hemodialysis ("artificial kidney") human life is impossible. To answer the question “Is it possible to live with one kidney?”, First of all, you need to understand the functions of this body.
Kidney characteristic
The kidneys are paired organs that secrete unnecessary and harmful metabolic products and toxins from the body. The main function:
- filtration of blood components;
- the release of metabolic by-products from the body;
- urine formation.
But these are not all the tasks that the kidneys perform in the body. Their additional features:
- Direct participation in hematopoiesis.
- Osmoregulation - maintaining the proper level of water and the percentage of salts in the body.
- Ionoregulation - adjustment of the balance of acids and alkalis in blood plasma.
- Metabolism (metabolism) - the formation of vitamins, maintaining the proper level of lipids (fats), carbohydrates and proteins in internal fluids.
- Endocrine function - the production of hormones that are responsible for regulating the total volume of circulating blood, the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow, and the preservation of the right amount of water in the body.
Possible causes of organ failure
According to statistics, 0.05% of people, and this is approximately one in five out of 10 thousand, live with one kidney, not even knowing about it. A person may have a single organ for several reasons:
- Aplasia, organ agenesis - underdevelopment or congenital absence of an organ.
- Dysplasia - the so-called malformation of the kidney tissue, which does not allow the body to carry out its functions.
- Nephrectomy is a forced surgical removal of an organ. This measure is necessary in the presence of large-volume cysts on the kidney, urolithiasis with purulent lesions, the formation of axal stones in the organ, serious developmental abnormalities, malignant tumors, physical trauma, accompanied by softening of the renal tissues.
- A kidney donation to another person.
Diagnosis of the first two cases is carried out by the following methods:
- magnetic resonance angiography;
- CT multispectral;
- CT spiral;
- renal angiography.
Features of the functioning of one organ
Do they live with one kidney? Definitely yes. With the loss of one organ, the other completely assumes its functions, hypertrophies (increases in size), begins to work with a vengeance. Such a phenomenon (restorative, compensatory) is the norm for a living organism.
If you can live with one kidney, is there an opportunity to live with the absence of one? Today it is possible. The way out is the installation of lifelong dialysis ("artificial kidney" system) or transplantation of a donor organ. In the second case, you need to constantly beware of kidney rejection, since lymphocytes perceive it as an “enemy” foreign body that needs to be neutralized, destroyed. Therefore, patients take strong immunosuppressants that suppress the protective functions of their body.
Is it possible to live with one kidney: consequences
The vast majority of patients whose kidney has been removed do not experience serious health problems. Although a person undergoes a number of difficulties at the postoperative and rehabilitation stage, the presence of one organ instead of a paired one does not affect his life expectancy. Therefore, the question "How long do they live without a kidney?" incorrect.
The consequences may be as follows:
- violation of the main renal functions;
- high blood pressure (hypertension);
- the formation in the abdominal region of adhesions, hernia;
- recurrence of tumor formation (if the kidney was removed due to the defeat of its cancer cells).
How they live with one kidney after surgery: patients should periodically visit a nephrologist, take biochemical tests to monitor the functioning of the organ 1-2 times a year. Computed tomography is sometimes recommended. A person becomes fully able-bodied after two months of rehabilitation. A woman with one kidney can normally have delivery and give birth to a healthy baby.
The main rules of a full life
How to live with one kidney fully:
- Follow the diet.
- Turn to healthy lifestyle, completely abandon bad habits - tobacco, alcohol, drugs.
- Pass an annual examination.
- Observe drinking regimen.
- From power loads go to light gymnastics, physical education, long walks.
- Accustom yourself to tempering water procedures.
- Avoid contact with infectious patients (including parasitic diseases).
- Do not self-medicate any body dysfunctions.
- Conduct timely treatment of acute infectious and chronic inflammatory diseases.
- Avoid both prolonged direct sunlight and excessive hypothermia.
- Refuse hard physical labor.
Optimal dietary components
How to live with one kidney in full force? Follow a certain diet. It reduces the load on the only functioning organ and the urinary system as a whole, helps to recover faster.
In the first 24 hours after surgery, the patient is offered to completely refuse nutrition. Two hours after a nephrectomy, mouth rinses and a small amount of water are allowed. Since sometimes the removal of the kidney is accompanied by a violation of the functions of the intestine, appropriate drugs and special nutrition are prescribed to stabilize its functions.
The main conditions of the diet during the rehabilitation period:
- Dairy, dairy products - 2-3 times a week. The restriction is related to the calcium content in this food - its high concentration can cause the formation of sand in the kidney. Allowed low-fat cottage cheese, sour cream, yogurt, cream.
- Fruits and vegetables. These products, both boiled and fresh, should account for 70-80% of all food consumed. They are easily digested, contain an optimal set of vitamins, have a beneficial effect on digestion.
- Lipids. Unrefined cold pressed vegetable oils are acceptable: mustard, sesame, sunflower, olive, corn, linseed.
- Carbohydrates. The patient is advised to refuse from simple types: sugars, sweets, carbonated drinks, bakery products from white flour. Preference for complex carbohydrates: cereal brown bread, cereals, bran, vegetables.
- Squirrels. The amount of consumption of protein foods (meat, fish - only low-fat varieties, eggs) should be reduced to 2-3 meals per week.
- Liquids. In order not to overload the only functioning organ, you should drink no more than 1-1.5 liters of fluid per day. This volume will not overload the kidney and at the same time contribute to the removal of all toxins from the body. Preference with diluted water for vegetable and fruit juices, fruit drinks. Do not abuse strong black and green tea, coffee, meat broths.
- Spice. Salt intake should be minimized.
Starvation, vegetarianism, a raw food diet are undesirable - such a diet can deprive the kidney of a supporting layer of fat, due to which it holds tightly in place.
Nutrition: recommendations
Food should not enter the body hot, not cold, but warm. Products are boiled, baked, stewed. A good option is to purchase a double boiler or a slow cooker. These devices preserve the maximum in the prepared dishes of useful and necessary trace elements, vitamins.
Fresh food is preferred. When storing them, you need to pay attention to its conditions, the rules of freezing. Eat several times a day in small portions at the same time.
Recommended:
- quail eggs;
- skim milk products;
- unsalted hard cheese;
- durum wheat pasta;
- low-fat fish;
- cereals;
- vegetable broths;
- low-fat veal, rabbit meat;
- "white meat" poultry - chicken, turkey;
- honey;
- fruit and berry juices, jellies, mousses, cocktails, compotes;
- bran bread ;
- first courses according to vegetarian recipes, but with the addition of butter;
- lettuce, beets, cucumbers, cauliflower, potatoes.
Unhealthy food
How to live with one kidney without problems? Completely abandon the following products:
- preservation, home and store, including marinades and pickles;
- sausages, sausages, smoked meats, semi-finished products;
- sweets containing white sugar;
- butter baking from white grades of flour;
- sweet sparkling water;
- healing mineral drinks (especially those containing sodium);
- any alcohol - even beer;
- fatty meat and broths from it;
- salty, fried, spicy foods;
- onions, garlic, tomatoes, spinach and mushrooms.
Undesirable: legumes, fish, meat broths, salted cheeses, milk chocolate, sorrel, celery, parsley, radish, radish.
Sport
Speaking about how to live with one kidney correctly, one cannot help but mention sports. Hiking, cycling, cross-country skiing, ice skating, swimming in the pool, horse riding, therapeutic exercises, fitness, morning exercises will definitely benefit. The kidneys "love" the circular rotation of the body, the slopes.
However, it is worthwhile to refrain from power sports, exhausting trainings, professional records. It is also worth paying attention to the athlete's diet. Bodybuilders, bodybuilders are shown increased protein intake, which is unacceptable for a human diet with one kidney. Sports with an increased risk of serious injury to a single organ - boxing, football, basketball are also undesirable.
One kidney and pregnancy
Until recently, pregnancy and childbirth in the presence of one kidney were considered deadly for a woman - there was a risk that the organ could refuse. The level of modern medical care makes it possible to obtain a favorable prognosis of pregnancy, subject to comprehensive health monitoring (patients with one kidney are susceptible to infections), a certain regimen of the day - alternating rest and labor, and a proper diet. Contraindication to pregnancy is only a kidney removal due to cancer.
How many people live with one kidney? No less than having a paired organ. As for any other person, hereditary data, ecology, lifestyle, addiction to bad habits, the presence of other diseases affect life expectancy.