Can you function with one kidney

A kidney has been removed due to health problems. A person donates a kidney. What precautions should people take if they have one kidney? However, there are special precautions that should be taken by someone living with a single kidney: Blood pressure - People with one kidney may be at risk for high blood pressure. What happens if the kidney starts to fail? Summary Many people with one kidney can live essentially the same as those with two.

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Additional Resources Get connected to a variety of kidney care information and helpful resources. Remember Me. Don't have an account? Join the myDaVita community to connect with others, get kidney diet tools and more. Register for Free. This disrupts the fluid and electrolyte balance in your body, and you become dehydrated. Eventually it may cause permanent damage. Your liver is also important for maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance. Liver damage from excessive alcohol interferes with this balance, making it even harder for your kidneys to work correctly.

Alcohol has this effect whether you have one or two kidneys, but it may lead to kidney failure more quickly when you only have one functioning kidney. Dialysis performs the function of your kidney by filtering your blood and removing waste and extra fluid. According to the National Kidney Foundation, dialysis should be started only if your kidneys have lost 85 to 90 percent of their function.

You should see your healthcare provider at least once a year to evaluate your single kidney. If a problem develops, you should be checked more often.

High blood pressure can be a sign of kidney dysfunction. It can also damage the blood vessels in your kidney, which can make kidney dysfunction worse. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Health, almost , people in the United States have a functioning transplanted kidney.

A kidney transplant is only done when you have no functioning kidneys. If your solitary kidney gets injured or sick and stops working, you might be eligible for a transplant.

No matter how many kidneys you started with, you only receive one kidney in a transplant. The transplanted kidney usually gets bigger and works harder over time.

Eventually, your transplanted kidney will function almost as well as two kidneys. Most people with a single kidney lead normal, healthy lives. Whether you have one kidney or two, a healthy lifestyle is important to keep them functioning well. This includes eating a healthy diet, getting regular exercise, maintaining a healthy weight, limiting alcohol, staying hydrated, and seeing your healthcare provider at least once a year.

Avoiding contact sports and other activities that could cause an injury is one of the most important things you can do to keep your single kidney functioning well. Kidneys perform essential functions in your body, filtering waste and producing hormones.

Read more on how to maintain good kidney health. The kidneys filter waste from the blood and remove it from the body…. Learn about positive lifestyle changes that may improve your glomerular filtration rate GFR and slow the loss of kidney function for people with…. After the new kidney is put into the recipient, both the donor and recipient only have one kidney that works properly.

Both the donor and the recipient can live long happy lives with only one kidney. They just have to take extra care that they eat healthily and exercise to stay fit.

One person living in Australia has been using a transplanted kidney for 45 years! However, it is good to know that we have a few spare parts that we can live without. You may one day save a life. Read more: Curious Kids: why are burps so loud? Hello, curious kids! Ask an adult to send your question to curiouskids theconversation. Please tell us your name, age and which city you live in. Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth.

Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. Become an author Sign up as a reader Sign in. Brooke Huuskes , La Trobe University.