Kidney disease is quite a danger to your overall health due to the role your kidneys play in a wide range of important bodily functions. Damage typically develops gradually over a long period of time. Just one kidney may be affected, but generally, damage occurs in both.

Symptoms often don’t appear until it has progressed to a dangerous stage. In fact, kidneys can keep working when only 15 percent of normal function remains, and there will be few symptoms that anything serious is wrong.

The Most Common Causes of Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is more likely to take place in the following situations.

Diabetes In diabetes cases, the human body doesn’t use glucose, or sugar, the way it should. When this happens, glucose begins to act like a toxin, causing the kidneys to work harder. As they strain, the natural filters in the kidneys become more porous. This allows toxins and wastes to stay in the body, creating a cycle of damage that may result in kidney failure. Anyone who has kidney failure must either have dialysis or a kidney transplant. Read the rest of this entry »