The human excretory system includes kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder, and urethra. A healthy kidney and other parts of the excretory system are important for our overall health. If the kidneys are once damaged, they cannot be reversed back. So, we should take proper care of it.

We have two kidneys which are located on each side of the spine. They are described as filters. But in addition to that, they also help in regulating blood pressure, preventing a body from being anaemic, etc. But what happens if the kidneys or other parts of the excretory system stop working properly? What are the different treatments involved? What are the symptoms and causes of different kidney or excretory system disorders? We should know different disorders related to the excretory system. Scroll down to know all about different disorders of the excretory system.

What do you Mean by Excretory System?

The human excretory system consists of a pair of kidneys, a pair of ureters, a urinary bladder, and a urethra which are involved in the process of excretion. Excretion is the process by which harmful materials are excreted out from the body via different excretory organs.

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Significance of Excretory System

1. The excretory system helps in removing waste material from the body.
2. It helps in maintaining homoeostasis.
3. It maintains the pH of the body.
4. It also helps in maintaining the blood pressure of the body.
5. The kidney produces erythropoietin which stimulates the formation of red blood corpuscles.
6. It helps in regulating salt content in the body. A constant ionic balance is essential for the normal functioning of nerves and muscles.

Fig: Excretory system

What leads to Disorders of the Excretory System?

If the following conditions are not maintained, then it could lead to disorders of the excretory system
1. Normal fluid balance
2. Blood pressure
3. Blood sugar
4. Hygiene

Common Disorders of Excretory System

1. Renal Calculi or Kidney stones
Kidney stones are the crystals of salts that solidify insoluble stones called renal calculi, which can be formed in any part of the urinary tract. It is composed of calcium oxalate, calcium phosphate, and uric acid crystals.
Causes:
Reasons for the formation of kidney stones are:-
1. Excessive intake of calcium
2. Less intake of water
3. Abnormally acidic or alkaline urine
4. Overactivity of the parathyroid glands
These stones may block the kidney tubule, ureter, or urinary bladder and may grow. These blockages can cause severe pain. There could be the release of blood in the urine.

Symptoms:
1. Painful urination
2. Back pain
3. Blood in urine

Treatment:
1. Surgery may be the only solution to remove a stone from a kidney or ureter.
2. A technique called shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) gives an easier way. High-intensity shock waves are released and passed through the body, which can break the stones into smaller pieces like that of green sand, which can be washed out with urine. In this technique, recovery time is minimal as no incision is made. About 1-2 thousand shock waves are needed to break the stones. This treatment takes about 45-60 min.

2. Pyelonephritis
It is an inflammation of the renal pelvis, calyces, and interstitial tissue. It is due to local bacterial or viral infection. Through the ureter and urethra, bacteria reach here and causes inflammation which affects the countercurrent mechanism, and the victim fails to concentrate the urine.
Causes:
Bacterial infection.

Symptoms:
1. Frequent, painful urination.
2. Chills and high fever
3. Back pain
4. Nausea

Treatment:
1. Oral antibiotic treatment for 10-14 days.

3. Kidney Failure
In this kidney failure, the kidney is unable to filter the excretory materials out of the body. It may lead to uremia, salt-water imbalance, less or no erythropoietin secretion, etc. Kidney failure could be due to several reasons.
Causes:
Some of the reasons are:-
1. Diabetes
2. Autoimmune diseases
3. Genetic diseases
4. Tubular injury
5. Acute or chronic disease
6. Long term high dose medications
7. Urinary Tract Infections
8. Excessive dehydration

Symptoms:
1. Less or too much urine secretion
2. Swelling of legs, ankles, and feet due to accumulation of fluids and kidneys are unable to filter the same.
3. Shortening of breath.
4. Seizures
5. Fatigue
6. Loss of appetite
7. Coma

Treatment:
1. Dialysis– It should be started as soon as possible when kidney failure is diagnosed. In this method, an artificial kidney called a hemodialyzer is used to filter the blood, a process called hemodialysis.
2. Kidney Transplantation– Healthy kidney is transplanted from a healthy donor to the recipient suffering from kidney failure.

4. Glomerulonephritis
In this disease, there occurs inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney, which leads to the presence of proteins and RBCs in the urine. In severe cases, glomeruli completely damages, leading to acute or chronic renal failure. It can be an autoimmune condition also.

Causes:
1. Injury in the kidney.
2. The bacterial infection started first in the throat.
3. Problems with the body’s immune system.

Symptoms:
1. Blood in urine
2. Swelling of face
3. Less urination than usual
4. Lack of appetite

Treatment:
1. Medications to treat the bacterial infection
2. Sometimes, an artificial kidney is required to remove extra fluid from the body.
3. Plasmapheresis, a process where proteins can be removed from the blood, can be done.
4. Doctors advise eating less proteins, potassium, and salt.

5. Uremia
It is the presence of an excessive amount of urea in the blood. There occurs decreased excretion of urea in the kidney tubules, which results in a high amount of urea in the blood.
Causes:
1. Bacterial infection (nephritis).
2. Chronic kidney disease.
3. Some mechanical obstruction.

Symptoms:
1. Tiredness
2. Confusion and mental disorientation
3. Nausea
4. Headache
5. Loss of appetite

Treatment:
1. Dialysis- It is the process in which an artificial kidney removes the wastes from the blood.
2. Kidney transplant can also be done.

6. Cystitis
It is the inflammation of the urinary bladder.
Causes:
1. It is caused by a bacterial infection called urinary tract infection.
2. Some medications.

Symptoms:
1. Frequent and painful urination.
2. Urge to urinate.
3. Blood in the urine.
4. Pain in back and abdomen, etc.

7. Diabetes Insipidus
This disease is not related to the common diabetes mellitus. It shares its name because it has the same symptoms as diabetes mellitus.
Causes:
1. In this disease, vasopressin is unable to regulate the water level of the body, which leads to too much urine production. Vasopressin is a hormone secreted by the hypothalamus, stored in the pituitary gland, and released when needed.
2. It is caused when the body does not produce enough ADH, or the kidney does not respond to it in a normal way.

Symptoms:
1. Thirst
2. Frequent urination

Treatments:
1. Increasing the intake of water for mild symptoms.
2. Medications like desmopressin have a stronger effect on kidneys than natural vasopressin.

How to Avoid Disorders of the Excretory System?

Disorders of the excretory system can be prevented by following steps
1. Drinking lots of water to maintain normal fluid balance.
2. Keeping blood pressure and sugar checked.
3. Cleaning the genitals regularly to avoid infections in the urinary tract.
4. Washing hands before and after washing genitals and rectum.
5. Urine should not be held.

Fig: Prevention Tips to Avoid Disorders of the Excretory System

Summary

In this article, we discussed different disorders of kidneys. Some of the disorders that we discussed here are renal calculi or kidney stones, uremia, cystitis, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, and kidney failure. In kidney stones, the formation of stones in the kidneys takes place by the solidification of crystals of salts. In uremia, there is excess urea in the blood. The partial or total inability of kidneys to carry on excretory functions is called renal or kidney failure. Glomerulonephritis is the inflammation of glomeruli. Pyelonephritis is the inflammation of the renal pelvis, calyces, and interstitial tissue. Different disorders of the kidney involve different treatments. We can prevent some disorders of the kidney by proper maintenance of normal fluid balance, blood volume, and blood pressure.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Disorders of Excretory System

Q.1. What are 3 diseases of the excretory system?
Ans: Diseases of the excretory system are as follows:
a. Renal Calculi or Kidney stones
b. Uremia
c. Cystitis

Q.2. Which organ is most important to the excretory system?
Ans: Kidneys are the most important organ of the excretory system.

Q.3. What is the function of the excretory system?
Ans: Excretory system helps to eliminate waste products out from the body.

Q.4. What happens when the kidney fails?
Ans: When the kidney fails to work properly, then it is unable to filter the excretory materials out of the body. It may lead to uremia, salt-water imbalance, less or no erythropoietin secretion, etc.

Q.5. What causes pyelonephritis?
Ans: It is an inflammation of the renal pelvis, calyces, and interstitial tissue. It is due to local bacterial infection. Through the ureter and urethra, bacteria reach here and causes inflammation which affects the countercurrent mechanism, and the victim fails to concentrate the urine.

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