Article by:
Amelia Grant
More than 37 million American adults have renal disease, and the majority are unaware of it. There are several physical indications of kidney illness, however, they are commonly misattributed to other conditions. Furthermore, people with renal disease frequently do not detect symptoms until their kidneys fail or there is a lot of protein in their urine. This is one of the reasons that only 10% of persons with chronic renal disease are aware of their condition.
The only way to know for sure if you have kidney disease is to see a nephrologist and undergo all necessary tests. If you have high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of renal failure, or are above the age of 60, you should be examined for kidney disease every year. Make sure to inform your doctor about any symptoms you are experiencing.
1. You're more tired, have less energy, or are having trouble concentrating.
Toxins and contaminants in the blood can accumulate if kidney function declines significantly. This can make people fatigued, weak, and difficult to concentrate. Anemia is another consequence of renal illness that can induce weakness and weariness.
2. You're having trouble sleeping.
Toxins remain in circulation rather than leaving the body through the urine when the kidneys fail to filter effectively. This can make sleeping difficult. Obesity is also linked to chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in persons with chronic kidney disease than in the general population.
3. You have dry and itchy skin.
Healthy kidneys perform a variety of critical functions. They remove wastes and excess fluid from your body, assist in the formation of red blood cells, support bone strength, and act to maintain the proper mineral balance in your blood. Dry and itchy skin can be an indication of mineral and bone disease, which frequently occurs alongside advanced renal disease and occurs when the kidneys are no longer able to maintain the proper balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
4. You need to urinate more often.
If you need to go pee more often, especially at night, you may have renal disease. The desire to urinate increases when the kidney filters are weakened. This could be a sign of a urinary infection or an enlarged prostate in males.
5. You see blood in your urine.
When healthy kidneys filter wastes from the blood to make urine, they normally keep blood cells in the body; but, when the kidney's filters are damaged, these blood cells might begin to "leak" out into the urine. In addition to renal illness, blood in the urine may signal malignancies, kidney stones, or an infection.
6. Your urine is foamy.
Excessive bubbles in the urine, especially those that require multiple flushes before they disappear, suggest protein in the urine. Because the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein found in eggs, this froth may resemble scrambled eggs.
7. You're experiencing persistent puffiness around your eyes.
Protein in the urine is an early symptom that the filters in the kidneys have been damaged, allowing protein to flow into the urine. This puffiness around your eyes could be caused by your kidneys spilling a significant amount of protein in the urine rather than storing it.
8. Your ankles and feet are swollen.
Reduced renal function can cause salt retention, resulting in edema in your feet and ankles. Lower extremity swelling can also be a sign of heart illness, liver disease, or persistent leg vein problems.
9. You have a poor appetite.
This is a very generic symptom, but one of the explanations could be a buildup of toxins caused by impaired kidney function.
10. You have muscle cramps.
Impaired renal function can cause electrolyte abnormalities. Low calcium levels, for example, and poorly managed phosphorus levels may also lead to muscle cramping.
