Many people suffer from chronic kidney disease (CKD) without realizing it, as the initial symptoms can be very subtle. It can take years for CKD to progress to kidney failure. Some individuals with chronic kidney disease may live their entire lives without ever reaching kidney failure.
However, for many people at any stage of kidney disease, understanding it is crucial. Recognizing the signs of kidney disease can help you get the best treatment. If you or someone you know has one or more of the symptoms of kidney disease listed below, or if you are concerned about your kidney health, consult a doctor for blood and urine tests. Remember that many symptoms may not be caused by kidney disease. But the only way to determine the cause of your symptoms is to see a doctor.
Image source: internet.
1. Changes in Urination
The kidneys produce urine, so when they fail, there may be changes in urination such as:
- You may need to wake up at night to urinate.
- Your urine may appear foamy or bubbly. You may urinate more often than usual, or have a larger volume of urine that is pale in color.
- You may urinate less than usual, or have a smaller volume of urine that is dark in color.
- Your urine may contain blood.
- You may feel pressure or have difficulty urinating.
Here are descriptions from patients:
“When you go to the bathroom more often, you can’t fully empty your bladder. And then you still feel this pressure down below, it’s really uncomfortable.”
“Urine was the first thing I started to notice. Then I began going to the bathroom more frequently, and when I got there, I couldn’t urinate. You think you need to go, but when you actually get to the bathroom: the result is just two or three drops.”
“I noticed blood in my urine. It was very dark, like grape juice. And when I went to the hospital, they thought I was lying about the color of my urine.”
2. Swelling
Damaged kidneys no longer remove excess fluid, causing fluid to accumulate in your body, leading to swelling in the legs, ankles, feet, face, and hands.
Patient descriptions:
“I remember my ankles were very swollen. They were so large that I couldn’t wear shoes anymore.”
“For my sister, her hair started falling out, she lost weight, but her face was really puffy; everything just kept going like that until she discovered she was ill.”
“One morning at work, my ankles swelled up, really swollen, and I was extremely tired walking to the bus stop. At that point, I knew I had to see a doctor.”
3. Fatigue
Healthy kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin, which tells the body to make red blood cells that carry oxygen.
When the kidneys are damaged (failing), they produce less erythropoietin. Thus, your body has fewer red blood cells to carry oxygen, leading to rapid fatigue in your muscles and brain. This condition is known as anemia and is treatable.
“I suddenly felt extremely tired and completely out of it.”
“I slept a lot. After work, I would come home and go straight to bed.”
“It feels like you are always incredibly tired. Exhausted, and your health seems to drain away even when you do nothing.”
4. Itching/Rash
The kidneys remove waste from the blood. When they fail, the buildup of these waste products in your blood can cause severe itching.
Patient descriptions:
“It wasn’t just a skin itch; it ran along my bones. I had to use a brush to dig into my skin. My back was bleeding from scratching so much.”
“My skin was torn. I was so itchy and scratched a lot.”
Image source: internet
5. Metallic Taste in Mouth/Ammonia Breath
The buildup of waste in the blood (known as uremia) can alter the taste of food and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you no longer enjoy eating meat or that you lose weight because you have no appetite.
“You will feel a metallic taste in your mouth, like you just drank iron.”
“You no longer crave food like you used to.”
“Before I started dialysis, I had lost about 10 pounds.”
6. Nausea and Vomiting
A severe buildup of waste in the blood (uremia) can also cause nausea and vomiting. Loss of appetite can lead to weight loss.
“I had a lot of itching, and I vomited, throwing everything up. I couldn’t keep any food or drink down.”
“When I vomited, I couldn’t eat, and I had a hard time taking my blood pressure medication.”
7. Shortness of Breath
Your shortness of breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways: first, excess fluid in your body accumulates in your lungs. Second, anemia (a shortage of red blood cells carrying oxygen) can leave your body oxygen-starved, causing shortness of breath.
“When I have shortness of breath, it scares me. I think I might faint or something might happen to me, so I often look for a place to sit down for a moment.”
“I can’t sleep at night; I can’t breathe, it’s like I’m drowning. And I can’t walk anywhere anymore. It’s really bad.”
“You go upstairs to clean, and then you run out of breath, or when you work, you become tired and have to stop.”
8. Feeling Cold
Anemia can make you feel cold all the time, even when you are in a warm room.
“I’ve noticed that sometimes, I feel really cold, and then I have chills.”
“Sometimes I get really, really cold. The weather can be warm, but I still feel cold.”
9. Dizziness and Lack of Concentration
Anemia related to kidney failure means your brain is not getting enough oxygen. This can lead to memory problems, causing difficulty concentrating, dizziness, and lightheadedness.
“I remember mentioning to my wife that I couldn’t recall what I had done last week, or maybe just two days ago. I really couldn’t concentrate because I love doing crossword puzzles and reading a lot, but I couldn’t focus.”
“I was always tired and felt dizzy.”
“It got so bad that I was working, and suddenly I felt dizzy. So I thought maybe my blood pressure or diabetes was getting worse. That’s what I thought.”
10. Pain in Legs/Ribs
Some people with kidney disease may experience pain in their back or sides due to affected kidneys. Polycystic kidney disease can cause cysts in the kidneys to fill with fluid and enlarge, and sometimes the liver may also cause pain.
“About two years ago, I was always going to the bathroom, and my lower back was always painful; I wondered why this was happening… doctors diagnosed it as a kidney problem.”
“And then you have to wake up at night, at which point you have pain in your sides and back, and you can’t move.”
“At night, I often have pain in my sides. It’s worse than the pain from heavy lifting.”
