Kidney Disease Symptoms

The kidneys are responsible for filtering out waste products, secreting hormones and regulating blood chemicals. When the kidney starts to have problems with function the part that is most affected is the filtration system.

Symptoms of kidney disease include:

• Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite.
• Polyuria (urinating more than the usual amount) or frequent urination. This is also a symptom of diabetes.
• High Blood Pressure. This is also a symptom of peripheral vascular disease, diabetes, coronary artery disease or poor lifestyle choices.
• Pain burning or difficulty with urination. This is also a symptom of a bladder or urinary tract infection.
• Blood in the urine.
• Protein excreted in the urine.
• Fluid retention resulting in puffiness around the eyes, feet and hands.
• Lower back pain.
• Fatigue
• Itchy Skin.
• Restless leg syndrome.
• Shortness of breath.
• Extreme fatigue and weakness. This can generally be attributed to anemia and/uremia.
• Anemia is a lack of red blood cells in the body, and can lead a person to feeling very tired, weak and in some cases, sensitive to the cold. Uremia is an accumulation of waste products, such as urea, in the body which can also make you feel sick, extremely itchy and lead to a decrease in appetite. This reduced appetite can lead to the symptoms of fatigue and weakness because of a lack of proper nutrients and fluids for the body.
• Bruising easily and pale skin. The skin becomes tender and lacking in color due to anemia.
• Chest pain. The symptoms of chest pain are generally due to inflammation around the heart, which is called pericarditis.
• Frequent headaches.
• Numbness in the hands or feet. This is called peripheral neuropathy.
• Problems sleeping
• Mental disturbances. These disturbances can be caused by the wastes that are building up in the body.
• Pain in the bones and easily fractured.
• Decrease in libido.

There are many different kidney disease symptoms, and many of the symptoms can be attributed to other causes. It is important to talk with your physician if any of these symptoms are persistent, especially if there is family history or presence of other risk factors that could contribute to kidney disease.