The kidney is an essential part of the body. It’s located on the lower part back on either side of the spine. The kidney makes sure that your body is free of toxic wastes. In essence, the kidney filters toxins from the blood. The kidney sends the toxins to the bladder, which you excrete from the body. As a result, the kidney regulates blood pressure, production of red blood cells, and maintains electrolyte balance.
Kidney failure takes place when the kidney does not filter waste from the blood properly. It is a serious condition because it may adversely affect your body. In essence, when the body accumulates too much toxins, it may put your life at risk. In case the kidney fails ultimately, the most suitable options would be dialysis or kidney transplant.
Many issues can lead to kidney failure. Some of which include exposure to environmental pollutants, kidney trauma, or severe dehydration. In most cases, people do not realize that their kidney is faulty until it is too late. This is because some of the symptoms can be attributed to other illnesses. You do not have to wait until it is too late. Take a look at these eight symptoms of kidney failure. You can manage some of them to prevent progression of kidney failure.
1. Decreased urinary output
The decreased urinary output is one of the significant symptoms of kidney failure. It is medically known as Oliguria. If you output less than 400 milliliters of urine within 2 hours, then you need to seek medical assistance. In some serious cases, you may output less than 50 milliliters of urine in a day. The condition is medically termed as anuria. Another indicator is that the color of urine becomes darker than normal. In other instances, the blood clots in the urine may also cause blockage in the urinary tract, which may result in reduced urinary output. The symptoms can be dangerous for the body because it means that there is an accumulation of toxins in the body.
When you have kidney failure, your kidney does not remove waste products from the body. Also, the rate of red blood cell production reduces. Eventually, there is a reduced rate of blood supply to the kidneys, which leads to decreased urinary output. When you notice diminished urine accompanied by dizziness and rapid pulse, you should always alert your, doctor, immediately. In such a case, the doctor will take your urine sample to determine any traces of abnormalities. You can handle the reduced rate of urine production by increasing your fluid intake.
2. Swelling
Swelling may occur in the arms, legs, and the hands. In some cases, the kidney itself may swell. When a damaged kidney fails to remove toxins from the blood, some of it accumulates in the kidneys, which causes it to swell. You may also notice your feet and hands swelling because the excess fluid that should have been removed from the body accumulates in the body tissues. Also, when the filtering blood vessels in the kidneys fail to work, it reduces the levels of albumin in the blood. As a result, it causes fluid accumulation in the tissues. Reduce alcohol intake and cigarette smoking. You can also stick to a healthy diet to prevent progression of kidney failure.
3. Nausea
Nausea is usually combined with a loss of appetite. When the kidneys do not purify the blood, it means that it will have elevated blood urea nitrogen level. In this case, the urea enzymes can decompose it into ammonia. As a result, the gastrointestinal mucosa becomes stimulated, which makes you feel nauseated.
You may experience nausea in the mornings mostly. This is because the frequent night urination increases the hemoconcentration of the blood and in the morning you may get nauseated. Nausea is one of the most ignored signs of kidney failure because it is easily mistaken for other conditions. Try taking water to relieve the hemoconcentration and nausea.
4. Fatigue
Do you often feel tired, weak and you have trouble concentrating? Fatigue is one of the signs of kidney failure. Normally, your kidneys produce a hormone known as erythropoietin. Its main function is to help the red blood cells carry oxygen. When the damaged kidneys fail to clean the blood properly, the levels of erythropoietin drop significantly. Lack of enough oxygen in the blood makes you feel weak and dizzy. In more adverse cases, it could lead to anemia.
Try to hydrate and eat small energy giving foods often to give your body energy. You can also reduce your caffeine intake and drink less alcohol to avoid straining the kidneys.
5. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is another indicator of kidney failure. When your kidney fails work properly, it causes accumulation of fluid in the blood. Such build-up is very dangerous to the body because it may affect vital organs in the body. In such a case the fluid build-up affects the lungs. When fluid builds up in the lungs, you will have difficulty in breathing.
Kidney failure may also starve the body of red blood cells. With a decreased level of red blood cells, there is less oxygen in the body. Eventually, you will suffer from shortness of breath. When you have difficulty in breathing, try to rest and catch your breath.
6. Vomiting
You may also vomit as a result of a failing kidney. This illness will make you lose your appetite, feel nauseated and in serious cases, vomit. You can easily mistake the vomiting for other illnesses. A poorly functioning kidney will cause an increase in the blood urea nitrogen levels. Urea is then decomposed into ammonia, which stimulates the gastrointestinal mucosa. As a result, you will feel nauseated and eventually vomit.
You have to take this symptom very seriously because too much vomiting might lead to dehydration. Try consuming a lot of fluids like water, lemonade, or ginger ale to help ease the vomiting.
7. Loss of appetite
Loss of appetite is also among the serious signs of kidney failure. When the kidney fails to remove sufficient toxins from the body, it causes a build-up of waste in the body leading to a condition called uremia. High amounts of the waste make the food to taste bad, leading to loss of appetite. You may feel the taste of iron in the food or in your breath. The problem with this symptom is that you will fail to eat and eventually starve your body of the needed nutrients. As a result, try to hydrate to improve the function of the kidney and eat small healthy meals often to maintain a balance of nutrients.
8. Seizures
Seizures are among the serious signs of kidney failure. They are caused by shifts in the electrical activity of the brain. They make you to shake violently, fall suddenly, and lose bowel or bladder control. The failing kidney causes an increase in the levels of toxic wastes in the body. High amounts of sodium, urea nitrogen, and potassium may cause the brain to function abnormally, and this would lead to seizures.
You need to take extra care in case of seizure because frequent falling may cause serious injuries. You also need to seek medical assistance to avoid further occurrences, wearing a medical identification bracelet is also important so that people can help you in case you get a seizure in a public place.
