Symptoms of Kidney Problems

It is unfortunate that in many cases, people who have a chronic kidney disease do not even know it, as the early signs of the disease can be particularly subtle.  In fact, it can take many years for a chronic kidney disease to turn into kidney failure.  Some people will even continue with their lives with a chronic kidney disease and die with it and not even know it.  Yet, it is important that you recognize the symptoms of this condition, as knowledge will bring treatment with it, and the avoidance of kidney failure and possible death.  If you are worried about kidney problems or are experiencing any of the next symptoms we will discuss, it is very important that you go to the doctor for blood and urine tests.  The only way for you to know for sure is for you to see your doctor. 

Generally your doctor will listen to you and what you have to say about any symptoms of why you believe there may be a problem with your  kidneys.  Then your doctor will have you go through a couple simple tests to see what they will be able to find.  Typically you can figure out if there is a problem with your kidneys through simple blood and urine testing.  Another way that your doctor may check is through and imaging test or by doing a kidney biopsy.

The simplest way for your doctor to figure out what is going on with your kidneys is by doing a simple blood test.  The lab will be look at your blood urea nitrogen and creatinine.  What these two substances will show is how your body is excreting the waste in your body.  Urea breaks down the proteins in your body creatinine is a byproduct of your muscles and how they function.  If your kidneys are not working properly these two substances will be fast indicators of a problem with your kidneys.  There are many other signs but these two will show up the most quickly. 

If your doctor decides to conduct a urine test.  Your kidneys have a primary function which is to filter blood and remove waster from your body.  What they urine test will show them is how well your kidneys are functioning and how well they are removing the waste from your body.  They will determine that your kidneys are not working properly if they find high counts of protein and blood cells in your sample.  

If your doctor decides to do an imaging test this is also easy and useful for your doctor to figure out what exactly may be going on.  They will typically conduct the imaging test by use of an ultrasound.  The ultrasound uses sound waves to bounce of different areas in your body and create an image so your doctor can see the size of your kidneys and if there are any cysts, masses and or kidney stones.  Ultrasounds are great because they can give the doctor a lot of information on how the kidneys look, if they are working properly, if anything is obstructing them or whether or not there are any blockages that they need to worry about.

So if you feel like you are at risk and any of the next symptoms that I will discuss are what you are experiencing do not hesitate to call your doctor and get checked out.  As you can see the testing is minor and you will not be going through any pain.  It is better to be safe rather than sorry. 

• Swelling:  This can be the result of failing kidneys, as failing kidneys are unable to remove extra fluid, and then it begins to build up in your body and cause swelling to occur in your ankles, legs, face, feet, and hands. 
  

• Fatigue:  If you have healthy kidneys, they will produce a hormone known as erythropoietin, which will tell your body to make red blood cells that carry oxygen.  When your kidneys fail, they will make less of this hormone.  When you have less red blood cells to carry the oxygen, your brain and your muscles will begin to become tired very fast.  This is known as a treatable condition called anemia. 
  

• Urination habits change:  Your kidneys are responsible for making urine, so when your kidneys are failing, your urine may change.  You may find yourself getting up at night in order to urinate.  Your urine may appear foamy or bubbly in appearance.  You may find that you are needing to urinate more often, in greater amounts, or that your urine is very pale in color.  You may also find that you are urinating less often, and in this case you may have smaller amounts of urine that is dark in color.  Your urine also may contain blood.  You may also have trouble urinating or you may feel pressure while urinating. 
  

• Ammonia Breath or a Metallic sort of Taste in the Mouth:  When there is a build up of wastes in your blood, known as uremia, it can make your food taste different and cause you to have bad breath.  Additionally, you may find that you do not like to eat meat, and you may notice that you are losing weight because you do not feel like eating. 
  

• Itching and Rash of the Skin:  The kidneys are responsible for removing the wastes from your bloodstream.  When your kidneys fail, the buildup of the wastes in your blood can cause a lot of irritating itching to occur. 
  

• Shortness of Breath:  If you are having trouble catching your breath, this can be related to kidneys.  First, the extra fluid you have in your body can build up in your lungs.  Also, anemia, which is a shortage of the red blood cells that carry oxygen, can leave your body short of oxygen and short of breath as a result.

• Nausea and Vomiting:  When you have a very severe buildup of wastes in your blood, known as uremia, you can have vomiting and nausea.  then a loss of appetite can have the effect of losing weight.

• Feeling Cold:  Some people who have kidney problems complain that they just cannot get warm and feel cold all the time.

• Leg Pain and Pain in the Flank:  Some people who have kidney problems may have pain in their back or side that is related to the kidney that has been affected.  One type of kidney disease, polycystic kidney disease, may cause large cysts that are filled with fluid on the kidneys and sometimes the liver, leading to pain in the patient.

• Trouble Concentrating and Dizziness:  Anemia that is related to kidney failure means that your brain is not able to get enough oxygen.  This can lead to a number of problems, such as trouble remembering things, dizziness, and trouble concentrating. 
  

Kidney Failure

Chronic kidney failure occurs when you have a gradual loss of the kidneys' ability to filter, and this is often the result of diabetes or high blood pressure.  When kidney function has become impaired, then dangerous levels of fluid and wastes can begin to accumulate in your body.  During the early stages of this process, you may have just a few signs and symptoms of the condition.  Many people who have kidney failure do not even realize that they have a problem until it has gotten to the point where their kidney function has been severely decreased.  The main goal of treatment of chronic kidney failure is to either delay or to stop the progression of the disease.  This is normally accomplished through controlling the cause that is underlying the condition.  Chronic kidney failure can progress to the end stage kidney disease, which will be fatal without either a kidney transplant or artificial filtering, known as dialysis.

Often progressive kidney damage is the result of a chronic illness that occurs over a number of years.  Some of the common causes will include diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney diseases, an obstruction to the flow of urine, toxins, and kidney artery stenosis. 

There are also some risk factors involved that can increase your chances of developing kidney failure.  These risk factors include diabetes, sickle cell disease, high blood pressure, atherosclerosis, lupus erythematosus, chronic glomerulonephritis, bladder outlet obstruction, kidney disease at birth, an overexposure to toxins and certain medications, a family history of kidney disease, and being sixty years or older. 

If you experience any of the signs and symptoms of kidney problems, it is vitally important to your health and well being that you contact your doctor.  Some of these symptoms may include unexplained weight loss, vomiting or nausea, headaches, a yellowish-brown cast to your skin, fatigue, changes in your urination patterns or quantity, and dark or cola colored urine.  Even if you do not have any risk factors for kidney failure, you should be sure to see your doctor if you have any symptoms.  Remember that kidney failure can result in death.