Kidney Disease Signs And Symptoms

Kidney disease often has no signs and symptoms in its early stages and can easily go undetected in most people until it is in its advanced stages.

However, here are 9 of its key signs and symptoms.

1. Fatigue

One of the obvious symptoms of kidney disease is fatigue. A decrease in red blood cells to carry oxygen makes your muscles and brain get tired quickly and more frequently, which can lead to anemia.

2. Urge to urinate more frequently

You may have the urge to urinate more frequently, especially at night. This is caused by the kidney filters, which are damaged.

3. Loss of appetite

Loss of appetite is another symptom of kidney disease. A build-up of wastes in the blood (called uremia) can make food taste different and cause bad breath.

ALSO READ: All You Should Know About Kidney Disease, The Silent Killer

4. Swollen face, hands, ankles, and feet

Kidney disease causes puffiness around the eyes because the kidneys are releasing a large amount of protein into the urine.

Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body, causing swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, and/or hands.

5. Foamy urine

Kidneys are responsible for urine; hence, excessive bubbles in the urine—especially those that require you to flush several times before they go away—indicate protein in the urine.

6. Dry itchy skin

Kidneys remove wastes from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, the build-up of wastes in your blood can cause severe itching.

7. Lack of concentration

Anemia related to kidney failure means that your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to memory problems or trouble with concentration.

8. Always feeling cold

If you notice you always feel cold even when in a hot or warm environment, that could be an indication that you have kidney disease.

9. Bloody urine

Healthy kidneys typically keep the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine, but when the kidney’s filters have been damaged, these blood cells can start to “leak” out into the urine. Blood in the urine can also be indicative of tumors, kidney stones, or an infection.