Early signs of kidney disease may be hard to distinguish until it becomes chronic. Some people tend to deal with kidney disease as it does not interfere with their daily lives, but some people begin to have painful symptoms when kidney disease decides to strike. The kidneys are two bean shaped organs that are found on either side of the spine and just above the waist. Healthy kidneys control and maintain the body’s water balance as well as producing the essential vitamin D for bone health. There are several symptoms that can give you a clue of an unhealthy kidney if you have kidney disease. These are the most common symptoms to look out for.
Urination:
The main job of the kidneys is to produce urine and when there are signs in the urine, there may be signs of kidney problems. Signs of kidney disease due to urine may involve frequent urination, blood in the urine, difficulty in urinating, urinating in very small amounts and feeling of pressure when urinating. You may also experience a burning sensation when urinating with the urine being dark colored.
Swelling:
Swelling in the ankles, legs, feet, face and hands may be a sign of kidney disease as the kidneys can’t remove the extra fluid in the body. When the kidneys fail to remove the excess fluid, swelling occurs.
Tiredness or Fatigue:
When the kidneys begin to fail, fewer red blood cells have trouble getting oxygen to your brain and the muscles of your body, therefore, producing a tired feeling. Your kidneys has a job of producing erythropoietin, which sends a signal to your body to produce more oxygen carrying red blood cells for healthy kidneys. When your kidneys fail to make erythropoietin, you may develop a condition called anemia.
Bad Breath:
Bad breath could be a result of many things, but one of the signs of kidney disease is a metallic taste in the mouth when you eat which can cause bad breath. When uremia, a buildup of waste in the blood occurs, food tends to taste different causing you not want to eat. This in turn may cause you to lose weight due to the fact you have no interest in eating. The same buildup of waste, called uremia that produces bad breath is also the culprit of causing nausea and vomiting. This too, can cause a loss of appetite leading to weight loss.
Leg or Back Pain :
Back and side pain are often indicators that kidney disease is present. Many people will experience back and side pain, often to the extreme, that they almost double over in pain. A kidney disease called, Polycystic, can cause large, fluid-filled cysts on the kidneys.
If you experience any of these symptoms above, it’s best to consult with your doctor for a diagnosis and treatment. Antibiotics are usually give to the patient to help clear up the kidney disease as well as other medication for kidney disease that may be on he brink of kidney failure.
