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Goodpasture's Syndrome is an uncommon autoimmune disease that affects both the kidneys and the lungs. An autoimmune disease means that the immune system, which usually protects the body from infection, attacks healthy parts of the body by mistake. What causes the disease? The body's immune system...

What is membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis? Many diseases can affect your kidney function by attacking and damaging the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units inside your kidney where blood is cleaned. The conditions that affect your glomeruli are called glomerular diseases. Glomerular diseases...

Starfruit (carambola or Averrhoa Starfruit) is a fruit found in tropical areas.  It is originally from Asia. The fruit gets its name because it is shaped like a star when sliced. It can be yellow or greenish and has a taste ranging from bitter to sweet.  Studies show that eating starfruit...

What is extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy? Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy is a technique for treating stones in the kidney and ureter that does not require surgery. Instead, high energy shock waves are passed through the body and used to break stones into pieces as small as grains of...

People with kidney disease or kidney failure are at risk for heart disease.  In fact, it is very common. These ten tips can help you lower your risk for getting heart disease —or help keep heart disease from getting worse.  Tip 1:  Control Blood Sugar If You Have Diabetes ...

Many analgesics should not be used if there is decreased kidney function, because they reduce the blood flow to the kidney. Also, long term use with higher doses may harm normal kidneys. It is important to realize that, while helpful, these medicines are not completely without risk, and they should...

How serious a health problem is smoking? According to the National Institutes of Health: Smoking is the most important preventable cause of premature death in the U.S. Smoking is responsible for one out of every five deaths in the U.S. What health problems are related to smoking? According to the...

The information on this page has been designed to help patients by raising awareness about the link between high potassium, chronic kidney disease, and congestive heart failure. Understanding the Dangers of High Potassium: An educational Infographic A recent survey of 488 adults...

What is hematuria? Hematuria means that red blood cells are in the urine. Urine does not normally contain red blood cells because the filters in the kidney prevent blood from entering the urine. In hematuria, the filters or other parts of the urinary tract allow blood to leak into the urine....

What is C3G? C3G stands for complement 3 glomerulopathy. The "C3" refers to a blood protein that plays a key role in normal immunity and in the development of this disease. More on this later. The "G" is for glomerulopathy, meaning damage to the glomeruli in the kidney. Glomeruli filter your blood...

I’ve heard different terms for not receiving dialysis. What do they mean? You may have heard of stopping or not starting dialysis. This is also called “conservative care” or “medical management.” This type of care can meet different goals depending on your specific needs and overall health....

You may think that following a plant-based diet means you are a vegetarian. Not true. So what is the difference? What is a vegetarian diet? In simple terms, a vegetarian does not eat any meat, fish, or poultry. People usually choose to be vegetarians for religious, cultural, or ethical reasons....

A Guide for Children with Kidney Disease, Kidney Failure, or a Kidney Transplant Click on the thumbnail to download a schedule of childhood vaccinations. Why does my child need a vaccination? Vaccinations are often called “shots” (given as an injection with a needle), but vaccinations can also be...

At least 10 million Americans suffer from incontinence, which means that they are not able to control the times when they urinate. In some cases, the loss of urine is so small that people are hardly aware of it. In other cases, the amount of leakage is quite large. Only about 10 percent of people...

Are you considering giving one of your kidneys to someone in need? A good living donor candidate is healthy, well-informed, and makes a voluntary decision to donate. If you are a potential living donor, you will be starting an amazing journey. But before you can donate, the transplant center must...

If you get your dialysis at an outpatient dialysis clinic, have you been asked if you would like to learn how to insert (cannulate) your own needles for hemodialysis?   The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) policies state “Patients have the right to know and participate in their care and...

Diagnostic tests such as MRIs, CT scans and angiograms are routinely used because they provide important information about many diseases or injuries and can help in diagnosis and treatment. In many cases, the use of a contrast dye is necessary to enhance these tests, but sometimes these dyes can...

What is interstitial cystitis? Interstitial cystitis (IC) is a disorder in which the bladder (the organ that stores urine before it is passed out of the body) is overly sensitive, and usual causes for this, such as infection, cannot be found. The major symptoms are: pain in the pelvic area urgent...

Complement 3 glomerulopathy (C3G) is a rare kidney disease that has two forms: dense deposit disease (DDD) and C3 glomerulonephritis (C3GN). Each is caused by genetic or acquired problems in controlling the body’s complement system, which helps fight infections. Genetic problems can be inherited or...

There are no medicines that specifically treat C3G. Instead, current treatments aim to keep blood pressure, proteinuria (protein in the urine) and blood cholesterol levels low, and to control the immune system (the body's defense against infections).   The term C3G includes two conditions -...

Every drug you put into your body passes through your kidneys. If the drug is not taken following your healthcare provider's instructions, or if it is an illegal substance, it can cause injury to the kidneys. Pain Medications Your kidneys could be damaged if you take large amounts of over-the-...

What do you know about metabolic acidosis and chronic kidney disease? This short quiz can help you understand why people with CKD have increased risk for metabolic acidosis, and why and how metabolic acidosis makes kidney disease worse. Take a short quiz...