Do you have any idea how incredible the job your kidneys perform? The kidney is one of the most essential organs in the human body which filters excess water and harmful toxins from the blood. Let me tell you some exciting facts about kidneys first.
Your kidney filters approx 45-50 gallons of blood per day which is equivalent to about 180 liters.
The basic and functional units of kidneys are called nephrons. Each kidney consists of 1-2 million nephrons. They remove harmful toxins from your blood and keep you alive.
Kidneys can activate vitamin D in the body.
They reabsorb and redistribute 99% of the blood volume in the body and leave only 1% of the filtered blood to become urine.
It is very important to maintain good kidney health for the overall well-being of your body. kidneys act as a filter system of your body. It keeps your body in a state of chemical balance. It plays a vital role in the regulation of your blood pressure and the make-up of the blood. You can't live without proper renal function. Kidney problems can lead to various health disorders which might become fatal.
Here are 15 symptoms of kidney disease that one should not ignore:
1. Fatigue (Feeling exhausted all the time)
This symptom of kidney disease occurs when your kidneys fail due to which they do not make enough erythropoietin hormone.
This hormone helps in the formation of red blood cells in the body. These cells carry oxygen in the body. As the number of red blood cells decreases, less oxygen will be carried to the different organs of your body due to which they tire very quickly. This condition is also called anemia.
2. Shortness of breath
It may be due lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells in the body. Due to this cells do not get proper oxygen and causing shortness of breath. Another reason could be fluid can build up in the lungs leading to shortness of breath.
3. Itching
Kidneys are responsible for removing waste from the bloodstream. When the kidneys fail, waste and toxic substances get deposited in the body leading to severe itching.
4. Swelling in hands or feet
This symptom of kidney disease occurs when the kidneys do not work properly. The extra fluid does not get removed from the body and builds up in the cells causing swelling in the hands, feet and legs.
5. Back or flank pain
Kidney pain is felt in your sides or back. as the kidneys are located on either side of the spine in the back.
6. Feeling cold
Anaemia can make you feel cold all the time, even when it is warm outside. In this symptom of kidney disease, enough heat is not produced in the body due to a deficiency of red blood cells.
7. Swollen face
Due to kidney failure, extra fluid is not removed from the body, This fluid builds up in different parts of the body including the face causing swelling in the face.
8. Food tastes like metal
In this symptom of kidney, disease person experiences a peculiar metallic taste in his mouth. As the function of your kidney declines, waste build up in your body, this is called uremia. It may also cause bad breath and you don't feel like eating anything which ultimately leads to loss of appetite.
9. Ammonia breath
This symptom of kidney disease occurs due to uremia. Uremia is a condition in which waste builds up in the blood causing bad breath.
10. Nausea and vomiting
This symptom of kidney disease is very common. Loss of kidney function can cause electrolyte problems leading to nausea and vomiting.
11. Blood in urine
In normal conditions when your kidneys are healthy they keep up blood cells in the body when filtering the waste from the body to form urine. But when the kidneys do not function properly or gets fail, these blood cells can start to leak out into the urine. It might be a signal of kidney disease.
12. Foamy urine
In this symptom of kidney disease, excessive bubbles are seen in the urine which does not happen in normal conditions. It indicates above normal protein in the urine.
13. Cramping of muscles
As you know calcium and phosphorus are very important for our muscles and bones. Impaired kidney function results in electrolyte imbalance causing muscle cramping.
14. Frequent urination
Frequent urination is a very common symptom of kidney disease. When the kidneys filter is damaged, it can increase in the urge to urinate, especially at night.
15. Pressure while urinating
You may feel pressure or difficulty while urinating. This symptom of kidney disease may also be an indicator of kidney disease.
So these were some common symptoms of kidney disease. I hope you find them useful. If you are facing any of these symptoms then please get yourself checked by the doctor. Health should not be compromised.