National Kidney Month

Deep within our torso lay two little bean shaped (or are the beans them shaped?) organs that do a big job, and are in fact vital to our continued health. Introducing, the Kidney!

It filters 53 gallons of blood a day, keeps your blood pressure in check, and even assists with the production of red blood cells. While these useful little organs spend their day happily performing their function, as many as 26 million Americans may already be suffering from kidney disease and may not even know it.

National Kidney Month reminds you that you need to take care of these amazing little filters, your life may very well depend on it!

History of National Kidney Month

National Kidney Month was established by the National Kidney Foundation to help spread awareness of Kidney disease and ways it could be tested for and prevented. With so many Americans in danger of contracting kidney disease from high blood pressure, diabetes, or a family history of the same. Kidney disease is so prevalent that it’s the 9th leading cause of death in the United States, and over 95,000 people are waiting every day to get kidney transplant, surviving each day on dialysis.

Kidneys are most commonly associated with the creation of urine, but they do so much more than that. While yes they help to break down and excrete waste into the bladder, they also are vital in reabsorption of certain nutrients, include the ever important amino acids. They also serve a vital role in making sure that your bodies pH balance is maintained to help prevent ketosis, and produce hormones that are important in several functions of the body. Blood cell production, absorption of calcium, and regulating aldosterone levels are all important roles the kidney plays. These bean shaped organs do much much more than they’re given credit for, and National Kidney Month is your chance to give them the care they deserve.

How to celebrate National Kidney Month

National Kidney Month is recognized as an opportunity to get people interested in the health of their kidneys. As such, it’s the perfect time to participate in one of the free screenings that show up all over the country. The National Kidney Foundation has a listing of locations and information on their website. You can also pop on over to www.kidney.org and participate in one of their ‘are you at risk’ quizzes to help find out if you NEED, or just should get to a clinic to be tested. These are just a few of the things that pop up each National Kidney Month that can help you extend your life and the health of your kidneys.