- What is the role of the appendix?
- Why do kidney stones form?
- What is diverticulosis? (Video) (Article)
Friday, January 30, 2015
ARR # 4 Period 5
Below are some links on some conditions that people have asked about in class. Read one (or all if you want!) and then in the space below, leave a comment. You should react to the article AS WELL AS your classmates' comments. Feel free to pose questions that will invigorate the conversation.
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I read the article about kidney stones and it was very interesting to me. I have always known that kidney stones cause a great amount of pain, but I always thought that the pain was from the actual stones themselves. I was very surprised to find out that this is not the case. The pain comes from the stones blocking the urine flow. Pressure builds up in the kidney which causes it to stretch and the stretching irritates nerves bringing pain. I was also surprised by the fact that kidney stones can grow to be as large as a golf ball. I was very curious to find out what causes kidney stones and was surprised to find out that it is mostly from one's diet and from dehydration. One question that I had while reading was why kidney stones occur mostly with men?
ReplyDeleteI am an extremely queasy person when it comes to learning about certain things and I must say that I experienced some discomfort while reading the kidney stone article. Prior to reading this I believed, as did Aoife, that the pain from kidney stones was caused from the actual stone itself. This is not the case, as the pain is instead caused by a backup of urine which causes the kidney to stretch and induces pain. I am particularly. discomforted by the fact that you can "pass a stone" which sounds incredibly painful to me, especially considering that a stone can grow to be the size of a golf ball. Lastly, I did not know that it is more likely for people to develop kidney stones if they have already, and a history with them enhances your likelihood of developing them again. I also had Aoife's question after reading this which is "why [do] kidney stones occur mostly with men?".
ReplyDeleteI read the kidney stone article because I remember Mike Cameron, center fielder for the Red Sox, had kidney stones. I also know that some of my uncles had experienced them before. I had heard of course that were very painful, and prior to reading this article, I knew they were caused by build-up of calcium. I liked this article because it was informative, yet it was not just all straight facts, it also told the story of the New York police officer that unexpectedly experienced a kidney stone. I thought the man's case was interesting because the kidney stone changed his life, and he became a healthier person after passing his kidney stone. Other facts about the stone that I found interesting was that they can be 8 mm, which seems small, until you realize its passing through a 4 mm tube. Also, I was interested by the fact that 80% of the instances happen to a men; like Aoife, I wondered why that was so I did some more research on webmd.com and found that they said the same thing: "Men between the ages of 30 and 50 are most likely to get kidney stones", but they also stated that "women with low estrogen levels have an increased risk for kidney stones," which leads me to believe that estrogen in some way prevents kidney stones. But on the other hand, it could just be because men typically consume more protein and sodium and drink less water.
ReplyDeleteI also read the article regarding Kidney Stones, There are lots of cases of Kidney Stones in my family, It was amazing to learn how big these stone can get and the amount of pain a person could be in bc of one. The article notes how a lack of water and/or dehydration were factors in the development of these stones, It is always emphasized to drink water, and with the information given it should make people more aware and active in making sure that people do drink enough water and eat properly, Jimmy mentioned the ranges and pct's of people who get them, I would still like to know the risks for people of our age range? - RJ
ReplyDeletei agree with Rj it is good to know about something like this and kidney stones i did not even know that kidney stones could get and how they also give you lots of pain too it is good to learn about this i have people that i know that has thing wrong with there kidney so to know about and learn about it was good this was a good thing to read about and get the information on how kidney stones work and why you get the pain you do this was very helpful for me to read about
ReplyDeleteKidney stones are a very scary build up the results from crystallized urine deposits. It also scares me that 1 and 7 men get a kidney stone at one point in their life. In addition, being a Caucasians man I am at an increased risks for them. I agree with aoife and Jill that I thought the pain was from the actual passing of the stone. It shocked me that lack of hydration is a cause of kidney stones. I can only imagine the excruciating pain they cause. I will now go home and drink a tall glass of water. I agree with Papa Young that RayBans can be cheap, especially if an old man curses loudly.-Chris DiMaggio
ReplyDeleteKidney stones are very scary and serious. It causes excruciating pain and it is not hard to acquire. This passage makes me sort of paranoid that I will get kidney stones when I am older due to it likelihood. I never understood kidney stones and I can only imagine the pain people must go through. But I am not so worried because I consume water on a day to day basis. I don't drink soda or juice so the lack of water in my diet is not a problem. I first read about this article due to my fear of creatine messing with my kidneys. The doctor told me to refrain from taking creatine but I car too much about the gains to stop. While on creatine, it is recommended to take at least half a gallon of water. However I already drink at least two gallons of water on a day to day basis.
ReplyDeletecare*
DeleteI read the kidney stone article because I was curious about what they are. Kidney stones are chemical deposits in the urine that, if big enough, can get stuck and block urine flow. It was surprising to me that about 1 million Americans deal with kidney stones every year. After reading this I am very nervous about dealing with kidney stones in the future since they sound extremely painful. It was especially scary that Caucasians are at the highest risk because that means I am at a higher risk to deal with this problem. It was also surprising to me that the article said people need to drink at least 12 glasses of water a day to help prevent kidney stones. This makes me want to drink more water to decrease my chances of developing a kidney stone. I like the question that RJ posed in his response and I am also curious about how likely it is for younger people, like teenagers, to get kidney stones. -Mike Bolstad
ReplyDeleteI think that this information is astounding because the fact that you have to force anything out of your urethra besides urine is disturbing and the pain must hurt a lot. Also I think that the fact that kidney stones can be caused by natural substances such as calcium and oxalate is something people should be aware of. People intake these things everyday and they are under the impression that they are good for them, whcih they are for the most part, but they can also have negative affects on the body. This proves that anything in excess is dangerous for you. I was also taken by suprise that most of the men that get kidney stones are caucasians. I'm not caucasian or of caucasian descent so this doesn't apply to me but still think this is interesting to know. I think Hector should stop using the creatine because hes going to end up with kidney stones and I don't want to seem him hurt because he's my dawg. And I will make sure to keep myself hydrated at all times and carry water bottles everywhere so I can prevent myself from getting kidney stones. - Khaleef Martinez
ReplyDeleteI agree with Mike about how surprised i was when I read that a million Americans deal with kidney stones every year, I did not think it was that many. I know that it is important to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water, but the article about kidney stones made me realize how important it actually is. I never thought that a person should drink twelve glasses of water a day because that seemed pretty excessive to me. Like Aoife, I am also curious as to why it is more common for men to have kidney stones than it is for women?-Fiona
ReplyDeleteI read the article about the appendix and found it intriguing. I think it is interesting that scientists are still developing reasons as to the role the appendix plays. Also, while some people need the appendix to survive while removing it can benefit others. For example, people living in an affluent nation like America can remove their appendix as they can survive without it, but the appendix serves a significant role to people living as it helps support their immune system. The appendix is definitely a mystifying organ that is gradually establishing a role within the study anatomy.
ReplyDeleteHannah Arlauskas
It was very shocking that the appendix was described as an organ that is not needed by everyone. Typically I thought that every organ was very important. It was also shocking that in the kidney stones article that one in every seven males would get a kidney stone and how many need to be removed through surgury. The most shocking part was the fact that the pain that one with a kidney stone gets is from the backup of urine into the kidneys causing them to stretch and not the kidney stone being there.
ReplyDelete-Kristen
I read the article about the appendix because i never considered about the existence of the appendix. What was interesting that i learned about the appendix was that i carries good bacteria in our body to fight off diseases.For me, i never though we could carry diseases that could help us or even less that bacteria was even good at all to help us. However still, even when people still remove it they can carry on a decent life without it. the appendix carries that still mysterious view of being whether necessary or not. its good that we still are studying this as it could help medical research in the future become more advanced.
ReplyDeleteI read the article on kidney stones because it has always been an interest of fear because they are very common for men especially as men get older. While I do consume water in decent amounts on a daily basis, this article makes me want take more precaution in my water consumption as this leads to kidney stones. I have heard various stories of people in my family having kidney stones and so to prevent that was the key takeaway from the article for me personally.
ReplyDeleteFrom this article, I learned about the history of kidney stones and their effects on the human body. I agree with everyone above me that this is a scary illness to acquire. The pain that one would experience is unmanageable and it is possible to imagine what one would go through. However, now I am aware how one could acquire kidney stones; staying hydrated and healthy is one way to prevent it. -Natalia
ReplyDelete