When you experience issues with your kidneys, you might think they would cause obvious warning signs. After all, kidneys are among the most important organs in the body, carrying out crucial functions that enable us to live each day.
However, in reality, the symptoms of kidney problems are often subtle — which is why kidney disease is especially dangerous.
“The unfortunate reality is that most often there are no symptoms — or that the symptoms are so ambiguous and vague that they are discounted,” says Dr. Alice Wei, officer of the Chief Medical Office at Strive Health, a kidney care company. “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 why it’s important for at-risk groups to screen for kidney disease, regardless of symptoms.
Here’s what to know about the warning signs of kidney problems.
[See: Kidney Cancer Symptoms.]
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 perform a number of functions, including:
— Cleaning 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.
— Regulating blood pressure. The kidneys control fluid levels in the body, and they produce hormones that make blood vessels narrow.
— Maintaining bone health. The kidneys make the active form of vitamin D, and they balance calcium and phosphorus in the body, which make bones strong.
— Regulating red blood cell production. The kidneys produce hormones that alert bones to produce red blood cells, which deliver oxygen throughout the body.
[See: 5 Ways to Reduce Your Risk of Developing Kidney Disease.]
Risk Factors for Kidney Disease
Major risk factors for chronic kidney disease include:
— Diabetes. Diabetes is the most common cause of kidney disease in this country. High levels of blood sugar can damage the kidneys, although it rarely causes obvious symptoms of kidney problems early on.
— High blood pressure. High blood pressure and kidney disease are closely related conditions that can affect each other. On one hand, 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. On the other, kidney disease is one of the most common causes of hypertension.
— Obesity. Obesity can increase someone’s risk for diabetes and/or high blood pressure, which can then increase their risks for kidney disease.
— Age. While kidney disease can develop at any age, the condition is more common as people get older. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the kidney’s ability to filter starts to decline approximately 1% each year. Additionally, conditions that are common among older adults — including diabetes and high blood pressure — can damage kidneys. As a result, anyone over the age of 65 should receive regular screenings for kidney disease.
[READ: When to Worry About Creatinine Levels.]
10 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.
“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.
Some symptoms of kidney disease 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
If you begin experiencing changes in your urine’s appearance or frequency, this could be a sign of a kidney issue.
Urine that appears brown or red, indicating that it contains blood, can be a sign of chronic kidney disease (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.
Changes in how often you urinate, whether you are urinating significantly less or more frequently than normal, can also be cause for concern. As a result, 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.
4. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, may also be a sign of kidney disease for a couple of reasons:
— Fluid buildup. When the kidneys are damaged, they’re unable to work properly to remove excess fluid from the body. This fluid can accumulate in the body, such as the lungs, which can make it harder for people to breathe.
— Anemia. People with kidney disease can become anemic, which reduces the flow of red blood cells carrying oxygen throughout the body. As a result, people may feel short of breath, especially during physical activity or exertion.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Pale skin
People with kidney disease can lose color in their skin. These changes might not seem noticeable at first but can creep up.
9. Sleep disturbances
Kidney disease can impact your ability to sleep soundly through the night.
10. Loss of appetite
Kidney disease can mess with your hunger cues and impair your appetite.
Kidney Stones and Kidney Disease
One common kidney problem is kidney stones, which can take a toll on the kidneys and can increase your risk for developing kidney disease. Kidney stones are buildups of minerals — like calcium, oxalate and phosphate — that can sit in the kidneys or in the urinary tract. These hardened deposits 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.
Kidney conditions can 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.
Some of the most common kidney conditions in children include:
— Congenital kidney conditions. Congenital kidney conditions — which can be detected at or before birth — can stem from malformations in the kidneys, bladder or ureter.
— Glomerulonephritis. Glomerulonephritis refers to a type of inflammation of the kidney. 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. it’s important to seek 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. People who have diabetes, high blood pressure or other risk factors for CKD should test screen for the disease.
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.
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Early Warning Signs of Kidney Problems: What You Need to Know originally appeared on usnews.com
