Kidneys clean our entire blood of harmful substances and regulate the water balance and blood pressure about 300 times a day. There are many diseases that can cause the kidneys to work poorly for a short time. If the kidneys cause problems, it is often recognized late. But what are the symptoms of kidney problems?
The cause of this kidney failure lies within the kidney. Examples include damage to the tubules due to long-term lack of oxygen or toxic damage from medication or severe inflammation. In about 60 percent of the cases, there is a greatly reduced blood flow to the kidneys due to circulatory shock in the event of accidents or operations, blood clots in the renal arteries, or medication.
The other damages to the kidney can be caused by diabetes and arteriosclerosis, which may cause other problems in the body like heart disease. All diseases that can lead to kidney failure should be treated as early and as well as possible. Optimal therapies for diabetes and high blood pressure are particularly important.
Chronic kidney disease often only becomes noticeable when complications arise, or the kidneys fail. The body starts excreting too little water, and waste products slowly start accumulating within the body.
Early Symptoms of Kidney Problems
It is important to note that not every symptom always has to be a sign of a serious illness. But it can indicate that something is wrong with the body. If you notice the following symptoms, you should always have them clarified by a doctor instead of making a self-diagnosis.
Symptoms of kidney problems that are noticeable and can affect almost the entire body are:
Changed Color of Urine
Certain foods, such as beetroot, can affect the color of urine and stool. However, if the urine changes color permanently, this can be a sign of a kidney problem and should be clarified.
The Severe Smell of Urine
Sometimes this symptom arises because of our eating habits like everyone who has eaten broccoli or cauliflower may have foul-smelling urine. However, if that is not the case, you can consider the kidneys working at a lower capacity and bad smell of urine as a symptom of kidney problems.
Noticeably Low Amounts of Urine
If the amount of urine clearly does not match the liquids ingested, a doctor should definitely be consulted. This symptom may indicate that the kidneys are no longer working properly.
Water Retention
Swollen fingers and ankles can indicate a kidney problem. The feeling of being bloated can also be an indication that there is kidney disease, and therefore fluid is being stored by the body.
Lower Back Pain
Back pain can also be related to kidney disease. The kidneys are located adjacent to the back muscle in the lower back region. If pain occurs in this region, it is important to think of causes other than back problems.
Bad Breath
If it smells strongly of ammonia in the breath, the doctor should be consulted as soon as possible. Bad breath is one of the symptoms of kidney problems.
High Blood Pressure
Beginning kidney failure also announces itself with increasing blood pressure. If more than one symptom applies, high blood pressure should also be examined for the kidneys.
Untreated kidney problems can have numerous effects on the whole body because the kidney fulfills important tasks. Among other things, it also produces hormones.
Suggested Read: High Blood Pressure Symptoms, Causes and Prevention
Possible consequences of renal insufficiency are anemia, high blood pressure, bone problems, emotional disorders due to nerve damage, disorders of the genital organs or impotence, coagulation disorders with the formation of bruises.
You may also get a headache or itching in the body because of the water retention. Therefore you should never ignore these symptoms of kidney problems.