Kindneys

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs on either side of your spine, below your ribs and behind your belly. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long, roughly the size of a large fist. The kidneys' job is to filter your blood.

They remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, and keep the right levels of electrolytes. All of the blood in your body passes through them several times a day. Blood comes into the kidney, waste gets removed, and salt, water, and minerals are adjusted, if needed. The filtered blood goes back into the body. Waste gets turned into urine, which collects in the kidney's pelvis -- a funnel-shaped structure that drains down a tube called the ureter to the bladder.

What are signs that something is wrong with my kidneys?

• A change in how much you urinate.
• Pee that is foamy, bloody, discolored, or brown.
• Pain while you pee.
• Swelling in your arms, wrists, legs, ankles, around your eyes, face, or abdomen.
• Restless legs during sleep.
• Joint or bone pain.
• Pain in the mid-back where kidneys are located.
• You're tired all the time.