The excretory system includes every aspect of removing toxins, salt, excess water and metabolic by-products from the body. The intestines and colon remove solid waste as feces and the kidneys remove the waste filtered from the blood through the ureters and bladder as urine. The respiratory system works in conjunction with the excretory system to remove carbon dioxide and the skin removes excess salt through sweating. All of the excretory system is susceptible to disease.
Glomerular Diseases
The glomeruli are the microscopic clusters of blood vessels within each kidney that filter the blood and process the residue into urine while keeping the protein and blood cells in the circulating bloodstream. The Cleveland Clinic reports that there are about 1 million glomeruli in each kidney. Damage to the glomeruli causes an excess of protein in the urine, blood in the urine and swelling in parts of the body such as the legs and fingers. Excretory diseases from damaged glomeruli include glomerulonephritis, or inflammation of the filtering system within the kidney, and glomerulosclerosis, or scarring of the blood vessels in the kidney. Causes of glomerular diseases include sclerotic diseases such as lupus and diabetes, autoimmune diseases and infections.
Gout
Gout is an arthritic disease that occurs when there is an excess of uric acid, or hyperuricemia, in the blood. Causes of hyperuricemia are too much uric acid produced, too little excreted or a combination. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that reduced excretion of uric acid is the most common cause of gout and it accounts for 80 to 90 percent of hyperuricemia. When the kidneys are unable to filter the uric acid adequately, the excess uric acid crystals build up in the tissues and fluids of the body, causing pain in swollen joints, impaired kidney function and kidney stones. Gout treatment includes medications for inflammation and pain control. In addition, diet may be changed to reduce uric acid.
Necrotizing Enterocolitis
Necrotizing enterocolitis, or death of intestinal tissue, is a disease that primarily affects premature or sick newborns and has a death rate of about 25 percent, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Dead intestinal tissue prohibits processing of the nutritional intake of the infant. In some cases, complete blockage may occur. Symptoms include blood in the stool, feeding intolerance, abdominal distention and vomiting.
Diverticulitis
Diverticulitis is an inflammation or infection that affects the colon, particularly the sigmoid, or the last portion of the large intestine. Symptoms include pain, tenderness in the colon area and fever. Complications of diverticulitis include intestinal muscle scarring and thickening, which can prevent the passing of solid fecal excrement.
Pulmonary Fibrosis
When the lungs cannot fully expand, the cleansing work of the lungs is compromised. The lungs are where the oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange takes place to remove toxic carbon dioxide from the body. Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung tissue disease that interferes with the ability of the lungs to take in oxygen and excrete carbon dioxide.
Sweat Gland Disease
The skin, the largest organ of the body, regulates body temperature and contains sweat glands in the middle layer. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, sweat consists of salt, water and other chemicals excreted from the body. Anhidrosis, or too little sweating, is a condition that can cause the body to overheat. Hyperhidrosis, or too much sweating, can cause dehydration. Causes of sweat gland abnormalities include cancer, anxiety, stroke and menopause.
References
- Cleveland Clinic: How Kidneys Filter
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Cause of Gout
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Definition and Prognosis For Necrotizing Enterocolitis
- Merck Manuals: Diverticulitis Treatment
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Sweat Excretes Wastes Through Skin
