Each kidney contains over 1 million tiny filtering units, called glomeruli, which remove waste chemicals and excess water from the blood travelling through them. The urine so formed is channelled to the middle of the kidneys. This whole system, from kidneys to urethra, is known as the urinary tract, and it is subject to several disorders. Infection may reach the kidneys via the bloodstream, or travel up the urinary tract from the opening of the urethra. Infection or inflammation of the kidneys, or even damage caused by external injury, can cause scarring of the filtering tissue, which not only may reduce the efficiency of the kidneys but can ultimately lead to their failure.
Stones can form in one or both kidneys and cause great pain as they pass down the ureters.
This pain is commonly known as renal colic. The structure of the urinary tract is slightly different in men and women, partly because of its close links with the reproductive system. The disorders described in this section apply to both sexes. These links to other web sites have been reviewed, and on the day they were posted, they were deemed informative and appropriate information for our visitors. When you leave the domain of cybernurse.org.uk we cannot guarantee the quality of the site you will access.