If prices are reasonable, would you sell your kidney to a person in struggle of life and death? Receiving a kidney from a donor is legal in almost all countries, however it is not legal to buy one for transplantation. We can live perfectly fine and healthily with only one kidney, but if both kidneys happen to fail, that is when a transplant or dialysis is needed.
Located under your ribcage and on each side of your spine, Kidneys are two organs, shaped as the size of your fist, that are an essential part of the urinary system. Kidneys are responsible for purifying the blood by removing waste products and exerting them through urine. By excreting any excess, the kidney also helps control the fluid and ion levels in the body. They also help make red blood cells.
Application of Science
What are the consequences for living without healthy kidneys?
Although your kidneys are designed to last for your entire life, however there are still some factors that can damage your kidney over time. Kidney failure is when your kidney does not function as it should. It can be caused by many reasons. One of the most common reasons that cause kidney failure to develop is due to diabetes and high blood pressure. It can also be caused by the blockage of arteries that are responsible for bringing blood to the kidneys, called renal artery stenosis. Diseases with the immune system may also cause kidney failure, due to not recognising the kidney as it’s own and attacking it thinking it’s a foreign object. (When is a Kidney Transplant Needed, 2013) 44% cases of kidney failure is caused by diabetes, and nearly 24 million people in the US have diabetes. (Kidney Disease of Diabetes, 2013) When the kidney fails, that is when a transplant or dialysis is needed.
Why do people who have lost their kidney function due to disease or an accident apply to receive a transplant?
Kidney failure has to be treated quickly in order to prevent life threatening consequences. During the treatment of the kidney, it is also important to prevent waste products to build up in your body. Dialysis is usually only short term. (Acute Kidney Failure, 2012)
Why are kidney donors difficult to find?
Although living with one kidney is perfectly fine, if that one kidney fails, waste products including creatinine and urine build up in the blood, therefore you will need a transplant or dialysis. (NKUDIC, 2010) Therefore, donating a kidney to someone else is risky, so in reality, usually only relatives or your loved ones would risk donating a kidney to you.
Dialysis
When your kidney fails, if a kidney transplant is not a possible choice for you, a treatment called dialysis is...