Kidney Disease and Failures: Signs and Symptoms Commonly Ignored

Kidneys are paired organs located retro-peritoneal position in the abdomen. These bean shaped organs are very important in cleaning the blood. Blood enters the kidney and gets ultra filtered to produce waste as urine. As a result of this, clean blood is then allowed back to the circulation. Without kidneys, our blood would be dirty. Here are the symptoms associated with kidney disease.

LOWER BACK PAIN

This is the most consistent sign of Kidney Damage. Sometimes it’s only on one side, which occurs if someone sleeps on only one side & this will be the side the kidney is having more problems with due to gravity. a typical example is waking up in the morning or even in the middle of the night & your lower back, one side or both, aches. You go to urinate & it may or may not come easily. Then your back loosens up a bit & feel much better. This is an early warning sign of kidney damage & is much more treatable if addressed quickly.

RASHES, ITCHING & DRYNESS

Kidneys help remove wastes from the bloodstream, so when they fail, the build-up of wastes in your blood can cause rashes, severe itching & dryness. Avoid treating with topical creams, which does nothing to rectify the actual problem.

CHANGES IN URINARY FUNCTION

Since the kidney makes urine, when they are failing, your urinary patterns may change. Some examples of this change include:

• Urine may be foamy or bubbly.
• You may start getting up more in the night to urinate.
• You may urinate more often or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine.
• You may urinate less often or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark-colored urine.
• You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.
• Your urine may contain blood.

SWELLING IN VARIOUS BODY PARTS (oedema)

Kidneys remove wastes & extra fluid from the body, so when they are not working properly & are unable to perform, extra fluid will build up. This often causes swelling in the face, hands, legs, ankles & feet. At this point, kidney damage has become much more acute & should be addressed immediately.

FATIGUE & WEAKNESS

Our Kidney produces a hormone called erythropoietin, which helps make red blood cells that carry oxygen. When you have kidney disease it lowers the levels of this hormone, which causes decreased red blood cells into your body resulting in anemia. This decreased oxygen delivery to cells causes fatigue & general weakness & should be addressed quickly.

Let us save lives. Many people are succumbing to kidney diseases and failures due to ignoring these symptoms. They only realize when it is late and are left at mercy of expensive dialysis. Those who can’t afford millions for kidney transplant succumb.