10 SIGNS OF KIDNEY DISEASE!
According to the Ministry of Health, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Malaysia increased from 9.1% to 15.5% (2011-2018). One of the causes is the late detection of kidney disease. CKD has no or minimal symptoms until it reaches late stages that are stages 4 and 5.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) cannot be cured， but you can take action to protect and prevent your kidneys from more damage. The sooner you know you have kidney disease, the better you can maintain the function of your kidney for it to last longer. That’s why it is important for you to know the signs of kidney disease.
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Fatigue, lack of energy, or difficulty to concentrate
A big decline in kidney function can result in an accumulation of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can make people exhausted, weak, and find it difficult to concentrate. Anemia, which can cause weakness and exhaustion, is another symptom of kidney illness.
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Insomnia
When the kidneys cannot filter properly, toxins stay in the blood instead of leaving the body through urine. This can make it difficult to fall asleep. Compared with the general population, patients with chronic kidney disease are more likely to have sleep apnea.
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Dry and itchy skin
A healthy kidney is responsible for many important tasks. They remove waste and excess fluid from your body, help produce red blood cells, help keep bones strong, and work hard to maintain the right amount of minerals in the blood. Dry and itchy skin may be a sign of mineral and bone disease which is usually accompanied by advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys can no longer maintain the correct balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood.
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Increase in the urge to urinate
If you feel that you need to urinate more frequently, especially at night, this may be a sign of kidney disease. When kidney function decrease, it causes an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this may also be a sign of male urinary tract infection or an enlarged prostate.
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Blood in the urine
Healthy kidneys usually retain blood cells in the body when filtering waste products in the blood to produce urine, but when the kidney’s filter is damaged, these blood cells will start to “leak” into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine may also indicate tumors, kidney stones, or infections.
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Foamy Urine
Excessive bubbles in the urine, especially those that need you to flush a few times to disappear, indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambled eggs, because the common protein albumin in the urine is the same as the protein in eggs.
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Persistent puffiness around the eyes
Protein in the urine is an early sign of damage to the kidney filter, causing the protein to leak into the urine. Puffiness around the eyes may be due to your kidneys leaking a lot of protein in the urine instead of keeping it in the body.
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Swollen ankles and feet
Decreased kidney function can cause sodium retention, leading to swelling of the feet and ankles. Swelling of the lower limbs can be a sign of heart disease, liver disease, and chronic leg vein problems as well.
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Poor appetite
This is a very common symptom, but the accumulation of toxins caused by decreased kidney function may be one of the reasons.
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Muscles cramp
Electrolyte imbalance may be caused by impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus can cause muscle cramps.
Written by DOC2US Editorial Team.
REFERENCES:
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Managing Chronic Kidney Disease | NIDDK. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Accessed October 11, 2021. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/managing
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10 Signs You May Have Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation. Published December 17, 2020. Accessed October 11, 2021. https://www.kidney.org/news/ekidney/august14/10_Signs_You_May_Have_Kidney_Disease