Sound #2: The Squeal of a Banshee, But Under the Hood. 1  What you hear: A loud squealing noise coming from under the hood. 2  Whatâs happening: This is a classic sign of a loose or worn serpentine belt. 3  Cause for concern? Yes, because the serpentine belt powers all of your carâs major systems.
In Depth: Vessels. The kidneys are important to the bodyâs production of urine, but they also play a role in regulating important components of the blood. Blood comes to the kidneys from the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava, the large arteries and veins that are part of the ascending aorta. Oxygenated blood is brought to the kidneys from a small branch called the renal artery.
Your kidneys filter harmful substances from your blood. One of these substances is alcohol. Alcohol can cause changes in the function of the kidneys and make them less able to filter your blood. In addition to filtering blood, your kidneys do many other important jobs. One of these jobs is keeping the right amount of water in your body. Alcohol affects the ability of your kidneys to do this. When alcohol dehydrates (dries out) the body, the drying effect can affect the normal function of cells and organs, including the kidneys. Too much alcohol can also affect your blood pressure. People who drink too much are more likely to have high blood pressure. And medications for high blood pressure can be affected by alcohol. High blood pressure is a common cause of kidney disease. More than two drinks a day can increase your chance of having high blood pressure. Chronic drinking can also cause liver disease. This adds to the kidney's job. The rate of blood flow to your kidneys is usually kept at a certain level, so that your kidneys can filter your blood well. Liver disease impairs this important balancing act. In fact, most patients in the United States who have both liver disease and associated kidney dysfunction are alcohol dependent.