One normal functioning kidney will not affect normal life, but patients need to pay special attention to protect the kidney, once the sole kidney function is damaged it will affect normal life.
Patients with only one kidney usually have one side of the kidney removed due to congenital causes or due to diseases such as kidney cancer, in addition, it may also be due to renal artery stenosis, unilateral renal atrophy, etc., which may also lead to only one side of the kidney left to work normally. Usually, the healthy side of the kidney can basically maintain normal kidney function, which has little effect on life.
However, special attention should be paid to protect the kidneys from drugs, diseases and trauma, because once the sole kidney function is damaged without the protection of the opposite side of the kidney function compensation, it is more likely to cause irreversible damage to the kidney function and seriously affect the body.