When the kidneys are not working properly, waste products and excess fluid can build up and the levels of sodium, potassium, phosphate and calcium are not regulated correctly. When these substances gather together, this causes the symptoms of kidney disease, which can include high blood pressure, excessive tiredness, fluid retention, lower back pain, etc.
Chronic Kidney Disease often progress undiagnosed due to lack of prominent signs and symptoms. Kidney is a very powerful organ and by the time there are signs and symptoms, almost fifty percent kidney functioning is lost. Early detection of kidney disease coupled with right diet, physical fitness, lifestyle changes and right medication goes a long way in achieving stability of kidney health and delays kidney disease progression. For early detection of kidney disease,
i) Get blood and urine tests done at least annually especially if one is suffering from diabetes and hypertension, the two leading causes of chronic kidney disease
ii) Observe for the following symptoms which may arise due to kidney disease:
Changes in Urination: Any changes in the frequency, color, or appearance of urine as urine is the waste product secreted by kidney after filtering blood in our body. Some common types of changes include:
- Urinating more frequently during the night or in greater amounts
- Urinating less often or in smaller amounts
- Having foamy or bubbly urine or blood in your urine
- Difficulty urinating
Swelling in body parts: When kidneys start getting affected, kidney is unable to filter out toxins from the body and the extra fluids are retained in body resulting in swelling of eyes, hand, foot, ankle, etc. The first visible swelling appears in the eye bags. The eyes appear to bulge out and there is swelling in face too. Puffiness around eyes are more in the morning which people undermine as oversleep. Puffiness also increases if body undergoes stress, exertion, dehydration. Swelling in foot may cause limited or zero mobility and immense pain. Toes and ankles may be swollen like gout.
Gain or Loss in body weight:-If one is losing weight without even trying, then right nutrition is required to stay healthy as there could be muscle wasting. On the other hand, if one is slowly gaining too much weight, there may be need to reduce calories and increase activity level. A sudden weight gain can also be a problem. If it is accompanied by swelling, shortness of breath and a rise in blood pressure, it may be a sign of too much fluid in the body. Noticeable weight changes must be reported to the doctor as it is not normal.
Skin Rash / Itching: When kidneys are unable to remove waste from the bloodstream, the buildup can cause rashes in the skin and severe itching (pruritus). The skin of arms and legs look scaly and folded like the skin of very old people.
Pain in Leg, Back or Side: Kidney problems can lead to pain in the back, side or even in the leg. There could be muscle cramping too.
Metallic Taste in Mouth/Bad Breath: When waste builds up in the bloodstream, it can cause bad breath, a metallic taste in the mouth, and affect how food tastes. One may also experience appetite problems too.
Nausea, Vomiting and Uneasiness: When waste in the form of fluids buildup in the blood, it may cause uneasiness, trouble in getting sleep, nausea and vomiting, and/ or shortness of breath. Since kidney is unable to manage the pH balance in the body, there is possibility of metabolic acidosis.
Feeling Cold and pale (fekashe bhaab): Healthy kidneys make the hormone known as erythropoietin, which prompts the body to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Kidney disease can interrupt the healthy production of this hormone and cause a decrease in red blood cells, a condition known as anemia. Anemia and kidney disease can result in a variety of symptoms, including constantly feeling cold and shortness of breath.
Shortness of Breath: Kidney disease may cause fluid build up in the lungs, leading to shortness of breath. Shortness of breath may also occur due to lack of oxygen supply due to anemia.
Dizziness and Trouble Concentrating: When you suffer from anemia related to kidney failure, both your body and your brain will be lacking the proper amount of oxygen. The result can be dizziness, trouble with concentration, and memory-related issues.
Fatigue: Fatigue without any apparent reason is the first vital sign of kidney disease progression, which people ignore most of the time. When kidney does not function properly, there is unexplained fatigue. This may be due to lack of oxygen supply. Kidney functioning releases hormones for balancing sodium and potassium in the body, catalyzing vitamin D hormone to absorb calcium, releasing renin enzyme to control hypertension. Since there is a systemic malfunctioning, one experiences, tired and weak muscles, and other symptoms as mentioned above. Such patients, who are otherwise very active, keep on sleeping for long hours even during the day.
If above symptoms show, one must consult a kidney doctor known as nephrologist and get blood tests and urine tests done given in Kidney Function Test. Once the tests are carried out, instead of self-diagnosis and medication, one must visit the doctor again to rule out any possibility of kidney disease. In cases kidney disease is diagnosed, it is important to know which stage you are in. Also, in order to take care of a kidney patient better, one must understand how the kidney functions and role of kidney in human body. Read on other chapters of this website to find out more.
Sometimes, there is sheer reluctance to go to the doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment as in India people generally neglect their health and going to doctor is considered wastage of money. But this attitude must be changed as proper diagnosis will lead to proper treatment and well being while undiagnosed disease will lead to rapid deterioration of health and may even cause death. It is recommended to go for second opinion or even third opinion by other doctors in case something severe is diagnosed.
There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. Unfortunately, till Stage 3 of kidney damage, there are no apparent symptoms and patients lead a healthy life without medicines, with some occasional tiredness, swelling in foot, yellow foamy urine, appetite changes etc which is ignored as aberrations.