Early Warning Signs of Kidney Disease You Should Never Ignore

Kidney diseases are gradually becoming an epidemic as the rate at which patients come down with these diseases these days are quite alarming. And the age of onset of kidney (besides those with congenital kidney problems) is gradually approaching that of the working class making a lot of young adults susceptible to these diseases.

A lot of people have been forced to spend their life fortunes on renal replacement therapies, such as dialysis, and very expensive drugs while waiting endlessly in line for a kidney transplant which may never materialize before the disease becomes fatal and the ultimate end comes, that’s even without considering the pains and social alienation associated with the disease.

However, you don’t have to wait to come down with a kidney disease before you know that there are some of your habits that damage the kidneys which you should stop right now – this goes to say that prevention is better than cure.

The second part of the management strategy of kidney diseases is early detection and treatment – these are the best tools for slowing or halting the progression of kidney disease.

The kidneys are very vital organs in the body – they don’t only remove toxic wastes from the body, they also remove excess fluids from the body, regulate blood pressures, maintain the levels of vital nutrients such as calcium, potassium, sodium and phosphate; and also produce red blood cells and contribute to bone strength.

Kidney disease occurs when there are certain conditions in the body which leads to damage of the kidneys, which make them ineffective in performing their vital functions.

Below are early warning signs of kidney diseases which you should never ignore:

Feeling more tired than usual – When the kidneys are functioning properly, they produce a hormone, called erythropoietin, which helps produce red blood cells. Red blood cells help transport oxygen throughout the body, which is vital for energy. If the kidneys are not working as they should, they are not able to produce the proper hormones, and the number of red blood cells decline, leading to a reduction in oxygen flow through the body and loss of energy. This may also cause feeling of dizziness, headaches and inability to concentrate.

Changes in urination – This include changes in urine output which may range from urinating more frequently, including waking up during sleep to urinate, to urinating less often. And when you do urinate, there are other things that might be wrong such as a change in urine color, usually turning darker, or passing blood in urine.

High blood pressure –The relationship between high blood pressure and kidney disease is a vicious cycle: high blood pressure causes damage to blood vessels within the kidneys making the kidneys unable to remove to properly remove sodium and fluids from the body. With the buildup of excess sodium and fluids in the body, blood pressure is raised even further, which then causes even more damage to the kidneys. 

Swelling of face, hands and/or feet – When the kidneys are under stress, they are not able to effectively rid the body of fluids and toxins. These fluids and toxins then gradually accumulate in dependent parts of the body which usually manifest as facial swelling and puffy eyes upon awakening, or swelling of the ankles and feet.

Nausea or vomiting – With the build-up of toxins in the body, with the inability of the kidney to get rid of toxins, the body naturally will want to get rid of these toxins by other means: and one of these is by vomiting or feeling of wanting to vomit (nausea).

Severe itching not related to a bite or rash – Another way the body tries to get rid of accumulated toxins in the blood is by pushing them into the skin. These cause severe itching.

Shortness of breath or feeling that you can’t catch your breath – This is due to accumulation of fluid in the lungs, due to the inability of the kidneys to get rid of the excess fluid in the body, which makes breathing very difficult.

Ammonia breath and metallic taste – When the kidneys are not functioning properly, the level of urea in the blood increases. This urea is broken down to ammonia in the saliva causing urine-like bad breath called ammonia breath. It is also usually associated with an unpleasant metallic taste in the mouth and loss of appetite due to a change in the way foods taste.

Pain in the back or sides – Some cases of kidney disease may cause pain. You may feel a severe cramping pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin if there is a kidney stone in the ureter. 

If you have any of these symptoms, please speak to your doctor about the health of your kidneys to reduce your chance of getting severe kidney problems.