If your kidneys are damaged and can't filter your blood well, you have kidney disease symptoms. Longstanding and chronic kidney disease leads to renal failure. To know more about kidney disease, read this article to the end!
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| Kidney Disease Symptoms |
Kidney Disease Symptoms: What Are the Early Signs of Kidney Problems?
Doctors point to various signs that might develop in the early and later stages of kidney disease, even if you aren't aware that your kidneys aren't performing correctly.
About 90% of persons with renal illness are entirely unaware that they have it. It's a frightening statistic, but one that bears repeating.
Most people with renal illness don't show symptoms until it's advanced. This is why people who have risk factors for kidney disease, such as being over 60 years old or having a chronic medical condition like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, or an autoimmune disorder like lupus, should get examined for kidney disease regularly. Modest signs might appear in both the early and later phases.
What are the symptoms of renal disease in its early stages?
These symptoms can appear in the first three stages of the renal disease before too much harm has been done to your kidneys. (They can also occur later in the process.)
If you observe any of these symptoms, consult your doctor right away to rule out renal disease.
1. Peeing at night
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| Peeing at night often may be the symptom of a kidney problem |
Excess fluid in your body builds up in your ankles and calves during the day as a result of standing and sitting all day. However, that additional fluid is directed to your kidneys once you go to bed. Your kidneys won't be able to filter that fluid if they are damaged. The effect could be increased nighttime potty trips. If you're waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, it's time to see your doctor.
2. Swelling
When your kidneys are compromised, they can't filter out salt as effectively, resulting in edema or swelling in your ankles, feet, and legs. You can also experience puffiness around your eyes, particularly in the morning, that doesn't go away with regular treatment (think applying cold washcloths or tea bags). Your kidneys are leaking protein into your urine, which means less goes into your blood. A protein deficiency can cause blood vessels to enlarge, which is most noticeable around the eyes.
3. Fatigue
Anemia is one of the first indicators of kidney illness. The hormone erythropoietin (EPO) is produced by healthy kidneys and signals the bone marrow to produce more red blood cells. However, if your kidneys aren't functioning correctly, they won't have enough EPO. You create fewer red blood cells as a result. We typically observe this in the middle stages of kidney disease. Consult your doctor if you experience symptoms of anemia such as dizziness, difficulty concentrating, ashen skin, or chest pain. With a blood test, they can examine your hemoglobin levels, which are part of your red blood cells. In the most severe cases, iron supplementation or red blood cell transplantation is the most common treatment.
If you have anemia, your doctor should do tests to examine your kidney function, such as your glomerular filtration rate (GFR). This is a blood test that determines how efficiently your kidneys filter blood. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Renal Diseases, a GFR of at least 60 is considered normal, whereas less than that suggests kidney disease (NIDDK). When a patient's GFR is in the 30s, you can frequently see anemia. In the late stages of kidney disease, you may have weariness and difficulty concentrating due to a buildup of toxins in your blood due to the abrupt decline in kidney function.
4. Urine that is bloody or frothy
If you notice blood in your pee, it suggests red blood cells are present. This could be due to a urinary tract infection (UTI) or a kidney stone, but it could also signify kidney disease. When your kidneys are healthy, their filters prevent blood from entering your urine. When they're broken, though, little volumes of blood leak through, it's possible that you'll see blood on occasion (it generally looks either red or like tea or cola). However, because blood can sometimes be minute, it can only be detected during a routine urinalysis, in which your doctor examines a sample of your pee under a microscope.
White foam in your pee usually suggests high albumin levels, a protein found in minute amounts in your urine. (Your urine will have the same foamy, egg-white consistency as eggs since it contains the same protein.) One of the first things your kidneys have difficulties filtering out when they become compromised is protein.