Did you know that there are over 35 million people in America living with kidney disease and they don’t know it? Kidney disease has a range of physical signs and symptoms, but as they can be mistaken for other conditions, it’s far more difficult to work out whether you are dealing with kidney disease or not.
Understanding all of the early signs of kidney disease will help you to determine whether this is what you’re dealing with or not, despite the fact that most symptoms of kidney disease don’t appear until the later stages of the disease.
The best thing that you can do if you suspect kidney disease is to speak to your doctor. They will be able to run the appropriate tests to tell you whether you are dealing with early onset kidney disease or not. Some of the signs that you could attribute to it include the following:
Exhaustion
It’s easy to put being tired to one side and blame it on work, children, social commitments or more, but when exhaustion turns to fatigue and you can barely concentrate, a test for your kidneys may be a good next step. When your kidneys are full of toxins and impurities that are leaching into the blood, you can easily feel far more tired and weak. You deserve to concentrate, so make sure that you are being checked for kidney disease.
Insomnia
Did you know that those who are coping with changes in their kidneys can be kept awake at night? The kidneys are supposed to filter the toxins, but if yours are staying toxic, you may find that insomnia is a common side effect.
Itchiness
Your kidneys are doing so much more than filtering the toxins from your blood. They remove the waste from your body, make your bones stronger, create red blood cells and they even work to ensure that your blood is packed with the right minerals. When your blood is lacking in these correct minerals, your skin becomes dry and itchy, and this leads to painful sores and sensitivities in the cold weather.
Puffy Ankles
Did you know that a sign of issues with your kidney function includes a thickening of the ankles and swelling of the feet? Swelling in the feet can be linked to a range of conditions, but if you are suspicious of kidney disease, this needs to be considered!
Frequent Urination
As with bladder infections, frequent need to urinate is a common side effect of kidney disease. The kidney filters become damaged, increasing the urge to urinate. Of course, this may not be related to kidney disease: you could have a bladder infection, or a prostate issue, but that doesn’t matter if you are concerned, see a doctor!
Bloody Urine
Any time you see blood in your urine, you need to speak to your doctor. When the kidneys filter waste from the blood to make urine, the kidney filters are supposed to be intact. When these are damaged, the red blood cells filter into the urine and this needs attention.
These are general signs of kidney disease, so even if you have multiple symptoms, they may not be clear indicators that you are struggling with your kidneys. When questioning your health, see a licensed, practicing physician who can properly diagnose your problems.