10 Symptoms of a Kidney Problem

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You might think symptoms of kidney problems would be obvious. After all, the kidneys are among the most important organs in the body, carrying out crucial functions that enable us to live each day.

But symptoms of kidney problems can be subtle — which is why these conditions can be so dangerous.

“Kidney disease is one of the silent diseases that can lead to severe long-term disability or even death if left untreated. It’s the forgotten pandemic,” says Dr. Abdul Ali Abdellatif, practicing transplant and general nephrologist and dialysis medical director at Houston Medical Clear Lake Hospital in Texas. Abdellatif is also an adjunct assistant professor of medicine in Baylor College of Medicine’s division of nephrology.

Dr. Alice Wei, officer of the Chief Medical Office at Strive Health, a kidney care company, adds that it’s common for people to inquire about the symptoms of kidney disease. But, “the unfortunate reality is that most often there are no symptoms — or that the symptoms are so ambiguous and vague that they are discounted,” she says. “It’s not until the person seeks medical care for some other issue, or has reached extreme progression of their disease, that they come to know that they have kidney disease.”

“That’s part of the reason why kidney disease is such a big problem in our country and also worldwide — because of the fact that there aren’t many symptoms to alert a person earlier that there’s something wrong,” Wei adds.

With that in mind, Wei stresses the importance of screening at-risk groups for kidney disease, regardless of symptoms.

It’s important to know your risk for kidney disease, stay on top of early screening, and respond to signs and symptoms if and when they arise. Here’s what to know about the warning signs of kidney problems.

[See: Kidney Cancer Symptoms.]

Risk Factors for Kidney Disease

Major risk factors for chronic kidney disease include:

— Diabetes.

— High blood pressure.

— Obesity.

— Age.

Diabetes

“Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease in this country,” Abdellatif says. High levels of blood sugar

can damage the kidneys, although it rarely causes obvious symptoms of kidney problems early on.

High blood pressure

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is one of the biggest risk factors for kidney disease — and it’s the second-most common cause of end-stage kidney failure in the U.S.

In addition to being a cause of kidney problems, high blood pressure can be a result as well. Kidney disease is one of the most common causes of hypertension.

“The kidneys regulate how much salt should stay in our circulation. If they’re unable (to do that) and salt stays in the blood, it can increase blood pressure,” Abdellatif says. “Or if the kidney has damage, it can activate production of hormones that lead to high blood pressure.”

Obesity

Obesity can increase someone’s risk for diabetes and/or high blood pressure, which can then increase their risks for kidney disease. But obesity can also increase risks alone: “In other words, obesity itself, independent of those two diseases is also a risk factor for kidney disease,” Wei says.

Age

Anyone over the age of 65 should receive regular screenings for kidney disease, Wei says.

[Read: How to Prevent Kidney Stones and Improve Kidney Health: Foods to Eat and Avoid]

How Your Kidneys Work

The two bean-shaped kidneys are part of the urinary tract system. They are located under your ribs, on either side of the backbone.

The kidneys have a number of jobs. Among them, the kidneys:

Clean the blood. The kidneys filter about 200 quarts of blood each day, removing toxins, acid, chemicals and extra fluid. The waste (urine) is sent down the ureters to the bladder, where it’s stored until it exits the body through the urethra.

Regulate blood pressure. The kidneys control fluid levels in the body, and they produce hormones that make blood vessels narrow.

Maintain bone health. The kidneys make the active form of vitamin D, and they balance calcium and phosphorus in the body, which make bones strong.

Regulate red blood cell production. The kidneys produce hormones that alert bones to produce red blood cells, which deliver oxygen throughout the body.

[READ: When to Worry About Creatinine Levels.]

9 Symptoms of Kidney Disease

If you’re experiencing signs of kidney disease, you should see a doctor immediately. This is a serious condition that needs to be properly managed.

Some symptoms of kidney disease that should not be ignored include:

1. Swelling

Swelling in the face, hands, feet or legs could be signs of severe kidney disease. “It could be related to the kidneys’ inability to get rid of extra fluids or salt in the body, or maybe the kidney is leaking protein that makes the body swell up,” Abdellatif says.

This symptom can be present in children too, with some cases starting subtly around the eyes in a way that looks similar to allergies. If it spreads around the body, it can be concerning, says Dr. Jeffrey Saland, a pediatric nephrologist and the chief of pediatric nephrology and hypertension at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital in New York.

Most cases of mild swelling are not going be related to kidney disease, especially around the eye, he says. But if there’s swelling in other parts of the body, whether it’s the belly or the ankles, it could indicate something more severe.

2. Changes in urine appearance or frequency

Urine that appears brown or red, indicating that it contains blood, can be a sign of chronic kidney disease, or CKD.

“When the kidney gets damaged by any insult, including kidney disease, kidney stones, cancer, cysts or inflammation, that makes the kidneys get weak and allows blood to leak,” Abdellatif explains.

Urine that appears frothy or foamy is a risk factor, as this can indicate that the kidney is leaking protein.

Urinating significantly less than usual is also a red flag, Saland adds. Frequent urination can also be cause for concern, and urinary tract infections should also be looked into.

3. Fatigue

Advanced kidney disease can keep the kidneys from producing erythropoietin, the hormone that regulates red blood cell production. That can lead to anemia, a condition characterized by a lack of red blood cells, which can cause you to feel fatigued. Shortness of breath is also a symptom to look into.

4. Sudden muscle twitching

People with advanced, or end-stage, kidney disease may experience muscle twitching throughout the body. Loss of kidney function can lead to toxin buildup in the blood circulation, damaging muscles and causing twitches, pins and needles sensations in arms and legs, or numbness.

Kidney damage can also lead to electrolyte imbalances that can impact muscles.

5. Confusion

Advanced kidney disease may impact cognition and cause you to feel confused. This can result from of a buildup of toxins that affect the brain.

6. Gout

Excess uric acid can cause painful swelling in the joints, especially the big toe. Gout can be a sign of a kidney problem, due to the kidneys’ impaired ability to get rid of uric acid from the blood stream, Abdellatif says.

7. Pale skin

People with kidney disease can lose color in their skin. These changes might not seem noticeable at first but can creep up, Wei says.

8. Sleep disturbances

Kidney disease can impact your ability to sleep soundly through the night.

9. Loss of appetite

Kidney disease can mess with your hunger cues and impair your appetite.

Kidney Stones and Kidney Disease

One common kidney problem that you may have heard of, or experienced yourself, is a kidney stone. Kidney stones are often painful buildups of minerals like calcium, oxalate and phosphate that can sit in the kidneys or in the urinary tract. Kidney stones take a toll on the kidneys and can increase your risk for developing kidney disease.

Kidney stones can cause extreme or sudden pain in the body, usually in the lower back or side. If you think you are experiencing a kidney stone, it’s best to see a nephrologist or a urologist. These specialists can conduct a stone analysis to tell you what type of kidney stone you are experiencing and how to best treat it. Kidney stones can also cause UTIs, which can damage the kidneys if untreated.

Fortunately, depending on the type of kidney stone, you may be able to decrease your risks of kidney stones by staying hydrated and following a balanced diet.

Common Kidney Problems in Children

Children with kidney conditions experience many of the same symptoms as adults, but they can experience other warning signs too.

Saland says that kidney conditions can at times go unnoticed in children because they might not feel or express pain in the same way as adults. One reason for this is because young children may have a congenital kidney condition, which has been impacting them since birth, he says. The child may not respond differently to their condition because they haven’t known a life without it.

It’s also important to note that kids might not have any pain from kidney stones, though these can be excruciating in adults, Saland says — adding that it’s less understood why this is.

According to Saland, these are the most common kidney conditions in children:

Congenital kidney conditions

Congenital kidney conditions — which can be detected at or before birth — can stem from malformations in the kidneys, bladder or ureter, Saland says.

Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis refers to a type of inflammation of the kidney; but for the medical community, “we always have to use the longest, most complicated word,” Saland says.

Swelling in the body and changes to the urine can be warning signs of this condition. Unlike a congenital condition, inflammation in glomerulonephritis is caused by actions in the immune system and not from the structure of the kidney. Acute cases tend to be short term and can be resolved with treatment.

Other kidney conditions

Nephrotic syndrome, a condition where a person excretes too much protein into their urine, may also occur in children. Warning signs for this are changes in urine and severe swelling in the body.

Due to the variety of kidney conditions out there and the differences in how children respond to symptoms, kidney conditions in children may be hard to notice outside of a doctor’s office. Saland recommends seeking medical attention if you notice your child is experiencing or displaying any signs of kidney disease.

Screening for Kidney Disease

Various chronic diseases and age impact your risks for chronic kidney disease. Wei encourages people in at-risk categories to be vigilant about seeing their doctor for a kidney disease screening. This is in line with current recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which say to test for CKD regularly in people who have diabetes, high blood pressure or other risk factors for CKD.

If you or your child has one or more symptoms of kidney problems, talk to your primary care doctor or your child’s pediatrician. If something needs to be investigated, you may be referred to a nephrologist.

An evaluation would include:

— Physical exam.

— Thorough medical history.

— Blood test to check kidney function.

— Urine test (urinalysis) to look for signs of kidney damage.

Your doctor may also order a kidney ultrasound or biopsy to get more information.

In some cases, treating a kidney-related problem, such as a urinary tract infection that ascended into the kidneys, could be a simple matter of taking an antibiotic. If it’s a kidney stone, you may need to let it pass and then change your diet to limit foods with a lot of oxalate (such as spinach).

More serious conditions, such as advanced kidney disease, will also require a lifestyle change, along with regular doctor visits and more advanced treatments.

But don’t let the fear of a diagnosis keep you from seeking help. There are many advanced doctors and technologies out there to provide you with care.

More from U.S. News

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A Patient’s Guide to Kidney Disease

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10 Symptoms of a Kidney Problem originally appeared on usnews.com

Update 02/01/24: This story was published at an earlier date and has been updated with new information.

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