Health Tips

10 Signs of Kidney Disease! 

According to the Ministry of Health, the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) in Malaysia increased from 9.1% to 15.5% (2011-2018). One of the causes is the late detection of kidney disease. CKD has no or minimal symptoms until it reaches late stages that are stages 4 and 5.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) cannot be cured， but you can take action to protect and prevent your kidneys from more damage. The sooner you know you have kidney disease, the better you can maintain the function of your kidney for it to last longer. That’s why it is important for you to know the signs of kidney disease. 

1. Fatigue, lack of energy, or difficulty to concentrate 

A big decline in kidney function can result in an accumulation of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can make people exhausted, weak, and find it difficult to concentrate. Anemia, which can cause weakness and exhaustion, is another symptom of kidney illness. 

2. Insomnia 

When the kidneys cannot filter properly, toxins stay in the blood instead of leaving the body through urine. This can make it difficult to fall asleep. Compared with the general population, patients with chronic kidney disease are more likely to have sleep apnea.

3. Dry and itchy skin 

A healthy kidney is responsible for many important tasks. They remove waste and excess fluid from your body, help produce red blood cells, help keep bones strong, and work hard to maintain the right amount of minerals in the blood. Dry and itchy skin may be a sign of mineral and bone disease which is usually accompanied by advanced kidney disease, when the kidneys can no longer maintain the correct balance of minerals and nutrients in the blood. 

4. Increase in the urge to urinate

If you feel that you need to urinate more frequently, especially at night, this may be a sign of kidney disease. When kidney function decrease, it causes an increase in the urge to urinate. Sometimes this may also be a sign of male urinary tract infection or an enlarged prostate.

5. Blood in the urine

Healthy kidneys usually retain blood cells in the body when filtering waste products in the blood to produce urine, but when the kidney's filter is damaged, these blood cells will start to "leak" into the urine. In addition to signaling kidney disease, blood in the urine may also indicate tumors, kidney stones, or infections. 

6. Foamy Urine 

Excessive bubbles in the urine, especially those that need you to flush a few times to disappear, indicate protein in the urine. This foam may look like the foam you see when scrambled eggs, because the common protein albumin in the urine is the same as the protein in eggs. 

7. Persistent puffiness around the eyes 

Protein in the urine is an early sign of damage to the kidney filter, causing the protein to leak into the urine. Puffiness around the eyes may be due to your kidneys leaking a lot of protein in the urine instead of keeping it in the body.

8. Swollen ankles and feet

Decreased kidney function can cause sodium retention, leading to swelling of the feet and ankles. Swelling of the lower limbs can be a sign of heart disease, liver disease, and chronic leg vein problems as well. 

9. Poor appetite

This is a very common symptom, but the accumulation of toxins caused by decreased kidney function may be one of the reasons.

10. Muscles cramp 

Electrolyte imbalance may be caused by impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus can cause muscle cramps.

A WORD FROM DOC2US

If you have any questions related to kidney disease, you can consult our professional doctors and healthcare professionals on DOC2US. DOC2US is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere. For better communication, you can even send our online doctor images or voice messages related to your medical inquiry.

Download DOC2US app on Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery; or use our web chat at https://web.doc2us.com/

Note: DOC2US is not for medical emergencies. In the event of urgent medical conditions, please call 999.

Disclaimer: As a service to our users and general public, DOC2US provides health education contents. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.

Specific references have been linked in its relevant part of the article. 

REFERENCES:

1. Managing Chronic Kidney Disease | NIDDK. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Accessed October 11, 2021. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/managing

2. 10 Signs You May Have Kidney Disease. National Kidney Foundation. Published December 17, 2020. Accessed October 11, 2021. https://www.kidney.org/news/ekidney/august14/10_Signs_You_May_Have_Kidney_Disease

    

Cover photo credit: Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplas

Written by

Ms. Tracy Yen