How Do You Know If Your Kidneys Are Not Working Properly?

There are a large number of physical signs/symptoms associated with kidney problems. However, most of the times, people attribute such symptoms to any other health condition. Moreover, individuals suffering from kidney problems usually do not tend to face symptoms until and unless their problems reach to the late stages, when kidney failure takes place or when protein contents in human urine remain in excessive amounts. Hence, in order to identify kidney problems at the initial stage, it is essential for every one of us to stay aware with a few common symptoms, which indicate that your kidneys are not working properly.

1. Tiredness, Less Energetic or Difficulty in Concentration

   Severe reduction in the function of kidney/kidneys may result in the formation of various impurities, including toxins in the human blood. This makes people to feel weak or tired and further create difficulty in their concentration. In addition, a few people may experience anemia trouble with kidney disease, which further results in fatigue and weakness.

2. Difficulty in Sleeping During Night

   When kidneys fail to filter waste products properly, toxins remain present in human blood instead of leaving from the body via urine. This may cause difficulty in sleeping. In addition, there is a close connection in between chronic kidney disease and obesity, while the problem of sleep apnea becomes common among individuals suffering from chronic kidney diseases.

3. Itchy and Dry Skin

   Healthy kidneys perform various important tasks to retain good health of humans. Especially, they remove toxins, waste products and additional fluid substances from the body and in turn, help in the formation of red blood cells, while keep bones healthy as well strong. Moreover, healthy kidneys have prime roles to maintain the mineral contents in your blood in right amount. Indeed, itchy and dry skin may be a sign of bone and mineral disease, which accompanies advanced kidney problems i.e. the condition, when kidneys no longer able to maintain the right balance of nutrients and mineral contents in the blood.

4. Feeling to Urinate Frequently

   If you have the feeling of urinating frequently, particularly during the nighttime, it may indicate a sign/symptom of a kidney disease. Reason for this is that damaged kidneys filters increase the urge of urinating frequently. This sometimes may even indicate a sign of enlarged prostate or urine infection problem.

5. Presence of Blood in the Urine

   Healthy kidneys always keep blood cells in the human body while filter out only wastes to create urine. However, damaged kidney filters cause leaking of blood cells into the waste (urine). Other than signaling kidney problem, the presence of blood in urine indicates an infection, a tumor or formation of a kidney stone.

6. Foamy or Excessive Bubbles in Human Urine

   Excessive bubbles in one’s urine, particularly, when individuals require flushing for several times before they move away indicate the presence of protein in the urine. Foam in this case may appear as similar to the foams we see at the time of scrambling eggs, as protein present in urine i.e. albumin is same as the one present in eggs.

7. Persistent Puffiness across the Eyes

   Puffiness across the eyes may be because of the damaged kidneys, which leak a relatively higher amount of protein with the urine instead of retaining it within the body.

8. Swelling of Feet and Ankles

   Decrease in the kidney function may result in the retention of sodium leading to swelling in both ankles and feet.

9. Cramping of Muscles

   Electrolyte imbalances may lead to impaired kidney function. For instance, low levels of calcium and poorly controlled phosphorous may cause cramping of body muscles.

10. Poor Appetite

    Poor appetite is a general symptom of kidney disease. This is because; reduced kidney function may cause building up of toxins in humans.

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