For a glossary on caregiving, go to Second Opinion, Caregiver Burnout (Episode 507)

For a glossary on end-of-life planning, go to Second Opinion, End of Life (Episode 313)

Acid-Alkaline Balance
The kidneys are in charge of regulating the pH (a measure of acidity or alkalinity) of the body's fluids and tissues.  A pH of 7 is neutral, a lower pH is acidic, and a higher pH is alkaline.  Your body is able to assimilate minerals and nutrients properly only when its pH is balanced.

Acidosis
Excessive acidity of body fluids resulting from the accumulation of acid or from the depletion of alkaline reserves. In acidosis, the pH of the blood is abnormally low.  Acidosis can be dangerous if untreated.

Acute Renal Failure (ARF)
Sudden and usually temporary loss of kidney function. (Also see chronic kidney disease.)

Advance Directive
Written instructions specifying the type of future medical treatment to be used in the event you become unable to speak for yourself. Advance Directives are state-specific and fall into two categories: Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney.

Anemia
The condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.

Anuria
When the body stops making urine.

Arteriosclerosis
A chronic disease in which thickening, hardening, and loss of elasticity of the arterial walls result in impaired blood circulation. Also called hardening of the arteries. It develops with aging and in hypertension, diabetes, and other conditions and occurs when cholesterol and other lipids are deposited in the artery wall, and inflammation and other degenerative processes cause the vessel to become obstructed.

Asymptomatic
No symptoms; no clear sign of disease present.

Bladder
A part of the urinary tract, the bladder is a hollow, muscular, balloon-shaped organ located in the pelvis that normally holds urine until it is voluntarily released.

Calcium
A mineral found mainly in the hard part of bones, where it is stored.  It is essential for healthy bones and is also important for muscle contraction, heart action, nervous system maintenance, and normal blood clotting.

Caregiver
A person who provides care for the ill so that they may remain in the home.

Chronic Illness
A condition that lasts a year or longer, limits activity, and may require ongoing care.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
A term used widely to describe kidney damage or reduced kidney function (irrespective of the cause) that persists for more than 3 months. Sometimes CKD leads to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a kidney transplant to keep you alive. (Also see Acute renal failure.)

Creatinine
A waste product from meat protein in the diet and from the muscles of the body. Creatinine is removed from blood by the kidneys; as kidney disease progresses, the level of creatine in the blood increases. 

Diabetes Mellitus
Elevations of blood sugar due to deficient insulin production or action.

Dialysis
The process of cleaning wastes from the blood artificially. This job is normally done by the kidneys. If the kidneys fail, the blood must be cleaned artificially with special equipment. The two major forms of dialysis are hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.

Donor
A person who gives a body organ to another person, such as a kidney.  For kidneys, the donor can be living or deceased.

Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care
A document that grants another the power to make decisions concerning medical care in the event you cannot make those decisions yourself. Also called a "health care proxy", the appointed person is authorized to speak for you any time you are unable to make your own medical decisions.

End-stage Kidney Disease (ESKD); End-Stage Kidney Failure (ESKF); and End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
The stage of kidney disease when a person's kidneys have stopped working so treatment is needed to sustain life, such as dialysis or a transplant.

Erythropoietin
A hormone made by the kidneys to help form red blood cells.  Lack of this hormone may lead to anemia.

Fluid Retention
When your body does not get rid of enough liquid (water).  This can cause swollen or puffy ankles, face or hands or shortness of breath.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
A measure of kidney function to determine the stage of kidney disease. It shows how well the kidneys are cleaning the blood. GFR is reported in milliliters per minute.

Haematuria (or blood in the urine)
When red blood cells leak into the urine. It can turn urine a red or dark cola color, which is visible to the eye or may only be found by a urine test, which is called microscopic haematuria.  Blood in the urine is a common sign of urinary tract infections but can be the
first sign of a problem with the kidneys or the bladder.

Hemodialysis
The use of a machine to clean wastes from the blood after the kidneys have failed. The blood travels through tubes to a dialyzer, which removes wastes and extra fluid. The cleaned blood then flows through another set of tubes back into the body.

Hormones
A chemical made by glands in the body. Hormones circulate in the bloodstream and control the actions of certain cells or organs.  The kidneys release some hormones, including erythropoietin and an active form of vitamin D that helps manage calcium for bones.

Hospice Care
An individualized program of support for people within the final stages of a terminal illness and their families. Hospice care may take place in the patient's home or in a hospice facility. The emotional, psychological, and spiritual care also includes the family that continues to receive ongoing support even after the patient dies.  

Hypertension
Another word for high blood pressure. High blood pressure can cause chronic kidney disease and chronic kidney disease can cause high blood pressure.

Impotence
The common, less medically correct term for erectile dysfunction.  Erectile dysfunction is the persistent or total inability to obtain or maintain an erection during sexual stimulation firm enough to being or complete sexual intercourse.

Kidney Biopsy
A diagnostic test where a needle is used to remove a small piece of tissue from a kidney. A biopsy helps to determine the cause of kidney disease.

Kidney Failure
Loss of kidney function. Kidney failure can be temporary (acute) or permanent. (Also see end-stage renal disease, acute renal failure, and chronic kidney disease.)

Kidney Transplant
When a healthy kidney is surgically taken from one person and placed into someone with kidney failure. The kidney can come from a live or deceased donor. It is important to remember that a transplant is a treatment not a cure for kidney disease.

Kidney
One of two bean-shaped organs that filter wastes from the blood. They also help to control blood pressure, produce red blood cells, keep bones strong and maintain the chemical balance of the blood.  The kidneys are located near the middle of the back under the bottom of the rib cage. They create urine, which is delivered to the bladder through tubes called ureters.

Living Will
Written instructions specifying the type of medical care to be used at the end-of-life once the patient is incapacitated.

Nephritis
Inflammation of the kidney.

Nephrologist
A doctor who specializes in kidney function.

Nephron
The tiny parts of the kidney that filter blood to make urine.  There are over one million nephrons in each kidney.

Palliative Care
Care which focuses on providing comfort and relief from suffering with the goal of ensuring the highest quality of life for the terminally ill. Also called "comfort care", palliative care helps the dying person remain at home and a functioning part of the family. Palliative care may also include support for the patient's mental health and spiritual needs.

Peritoneal Dialysis
Cleaning the blood by using the lining of the abdominal cavity as a filter. A cleansing liquid, called dialysis solution, is drained from a bag into the abdomen. Fluids and wastes flow through the lining of the cavity and remain "trapped" in the dialysis solution. The solution is then drained from the abdomen, removing the extra fluids and wastes from the body.

Phosphate
A mineral that, together with calcium, keeps your bones strong and healthy. The kidneys help to control the amount of phosphate in the body.  Too much phosphate causes itching and pain in the joints, such as the knees, elbows and ankles.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD)
A hereditary disease that causes fluid-filled cysts to be formed in the kidney tubules, resulting in the compression and eventual replacement of healthy kidney cells.

Potassium
An essential mineral which helps nerve endings and muscles to work. If your level of potassium is too high or low, it can cause an irregular heartbeat. Very high potassium levels may cause the heart to stop.

Protein
A nutrient that you get from food that builds, repairs and maintains body tissue. It also helps to fight infections and heal wounds.

Proteinuria
When there are abnormal levels of protein in the urine. Usually, protein is not removed when the kidneys filter waste from the blood, but when the kidneys are damaged protein leaks through the damaged filters into the urine, along with the waste. The appearance of protein in the urine may be the first sign of an otherwise silent kidney condition.

Renal insufficiency
Mild kidney disease.

Renal
Having to do with the kidney.

Renin
A chemical made by the kidneys that helps to control blood pressure.

Sodium
A mineral in the body, which is often called "salt". The kidneys help to control the amount of sodium in the body. Sodium helps to control the amount of water in the body.

Transplant
See kidney transplant.

Urea
A waste product, which is made as the body breaks down protein. If you have a kidney problem, too much protein causes too much urea and can lead to:

• Tiredness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Headaches
• A bad taste in the mouth
• Bad breath
• Poor memory and concentration

Uremia
A toxic condition resulting from kidney disease in which there is retention in the bloodstream of waste products normally excreted in the urine.

Ureters
Tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Urethra
The tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Urinary Tract
The system that takes wastes from the blood and carries them out of the body in the form of urine. The urinary tract includes the kidneys, renal pelvises, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Urine
Liquid waste product filtered from the blood by the kidneys, stored in the bladder, and expelled from the body through the urethra by the act of voiding or urinating.

Urologist
A doctor who specializes in diseases of the urinary organs in females and the urinary and sex organs in males.

Vitamin D
A vitamin that is made in your skin after you have been in the sun.  The kidneys change Vitamin D so that your body can use it.