Symptoms of Kidney Failure
Loss of appetite, vomiting, and nausea.
Tiredness and weakness.
Abnormally dark or cola-colored urine (tea-colored).
Little or no urination.
Swelling in the ankles, feet, face, hands, lower back, and abdomen (fluid retention).
Thirstiness (polydipsia), insomnia(lack of sleep), skin rash, itching.
Confusion or irritability.
Dry skin with age spots; sometimes there is an unexplained fever with chills; high blood pressure (hypertension); fatigue (weakness).
People at risk for chronic renal failure:
older adults who have or heart disease or hypertension; people who have had a type of kidney disease called glomerulonephritis or another form of nephritis; people who drink large amounts of alcohol or have diabetes.
Kidney failure is one most common problems in humans and animals. As kidneys can’t filter blood, they can not remove toxins from the body. They are responsible for removing urea, and other wastes from the blood that result in a disorder called renal failure.
Symptoms of kidney problems:
swollen ankles and legs as urinating less as the kidneys are not able to discharge toxins from the blood all toxins accumulate in the body, causing swelling and weight loss.
– tiredness, shortness of breath
– increased infections, e.g., colds or flu
– muscle aches and joint pain
– change in appetite or thirst, including a craving for certain foods such as ice cream, which is harder to digest than typical food. Also, they may develop a liking for carbonated drinks and feel bloated after eating oily or fatty foods even though they don’t usually eat much fat/oil/grease, etc…
– skin problems such as itching skin, acne rosacea (acne on cheeks & nose), rashes & prickly heat (usually on arms or legs)
– bleeding (or spotting), especially after using the toilet. Sometimes you may experience blood clots and small hard lumps in the urine stream.
– some people report a metallic taste in their mouths and bad breath. Drinking alcohol can also cause these symptoms. It is toxic and poisonous and so more concentrated than regular food and drinks, and more toxins accumulate in the body as kidneys use up less water to dilute toxins from the blood.
– infertility or repeated miscarriages may be a sign of kidney problems.
– cellulite or fatty deposits on legs, thighs, and back. this is due to toxins that affect the whole body, including your skin texture and blood circulation. Fat takes up more space than muscle, so it makes sense that women with less muscle tone will have a bigger build than women who exercise a lot.
What can cause damage to your kidneys:
lack of potassium in your diet or too much calcium. Low carb & high protein diet, vegetarians who do not eat cheese, milk, or eggs have a higher risk of kidney problems. Potassium is constantly lost from the body when you urinate due to its electrolyte properties, so we must top up with at least three bananas per day.
Antipsychotic medication such as Olanzapine causes kidney damage with long-term use. Always tell your doctor if you have any previous history of renal disease before taking new medication.
Diabetes – most people know this already, but being a person with diabetes can cause kidney damage with constant uncontrolled blood glucose levels for a long time affecting the kidneys mucosa (inside lining) causing an inflammatory response.
High blood pressure :
uncontrolled blood pressure can ‘stretch’ the wall of your kidneys, causing damage to the nephrons that filter our blood, loss of protein from the body, and the build-up of fluid and toxins.
High cholesterol or eating a lot of fatty food diets – being overweight will put more strain on the kidneys, especially if you have a sedentary job, e.g., desk jobs where you sit for long hours without exercising, so this raises blood glucose levels too even though it’s not diabetes, kidney damage may occur with years of overworking your kidneys until they fail.
Smoking cigarettes or chewing tobacco damages your kidneys as it reduces oxygen flow to the cells, thus creating an acidic environment. Nicotine from cigarettes causes blood vessels to tighten up, restricting flow which is why smokers have cold hands and feet. It also reduces the amount of oxygen to your brain and your other organs, including kidneys leading to a whole host of health problems.
Consumption of too much alcohol can cause permanent kidney damage, especially if you drink heavily for years, including nonalcoholic beer & hard liquor. Don’t consume more than one glass per day for women or two glasses per day for men maximum.
Drinking excessive amounts of water will dilute your potassium levels as it moves into the cells removing vital electrolytes needed by our body, e.g., sodium chloride (salt) from our bloodstream, which in turn will signal the kidneys to hold on to more fluid which will increase blood pressure, the heart has to work harder, therefore, tiring out more quickly.
what is the first sign of kidney problems:
– blood in your urine is a clear sign of kidney damage. Make sure to go get yourself checked at the doctor if this persists.
– pain when urinating.
– loss of appetite or constantly feeling nauseous and throwing up.
– swelling in hands and feet (fluid retention).
– weight fluctuations (fluid retention). what’s worse is that people ignore these signs thinking it’s just part of the process only to find out later down the line they have late-stage chronic kidney disease, which can never be cured completely but reduce renal function significantly, making them reliant upon regular dialysis (treatments). Eventually, a transplant for survival; however, there are procedures you can take to slow down the progression of renal disease.
Liver damage is caused by drug-induced liver injury. The most common drugs are:
-acetaminophen (paracetamol) – found in over-the-counter medications such as Tylenol and Panadol, which can be toxic to your liver if taken excessively, e.g., overdose or too high of dosage daily over long periods causing permanent scarring on the liver tissue leading to tumors or cancerous growths.
Liver failure may occur with too many acetaminophen overdoses requiring immediate medical attention and life support until your body usually functions again once all toxicity has been cleared from your system. Without a functioning liver, we die within two weeks. Our other organs, including kidneys, would fail first before we die.
Types of kidney disease:
Chronic kidney disease :
Chronic kidney disease is a slowly progressive disorder that over time causes permanent damage to our kidneys, making us reliant upon dialysis (treatments) and eventually dialysis or transplant for survival.
-acute kidney injury – acute kidney injury or AKI is an abrupt loss of kidney function due to either centered on the kidneys themselves, e.g., swelling in the blood vessels causing the blockage, cancerous tumors growing on/in any part of your kidneys which will interfere with its function or caused by some other organs shutting down, i.e., liver failure leading to renal shutdown as it cannot filter toxins from your bloodstream thus building up fluid retention which damages your kidneys further, however, some treatments can be done to slow down the progression of renal disease especially if diagnosed early on.
The most common causes for either type of kidney disease are:
Diabetes :
overtime high blood sugar levels kill off cells in your kidneys, causing them to malfunction or swell with fluid retention, thus putting added pressure on your other organs, including your heart which is why people with diabetes have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease stroke, and even death.
Hypertension:
Elevated blood pressure damages tiny capillaries in the glomeruli (filters), causing them to leak protein into the urine; hence it’s better known as proteinuria.
Hereditary genetic defects:
passed down through generations, e.g., polycystic kidney disease, sickle cell anemia (causes blood cells to crystallize and become lodged in your body’s organs such as kidneys, heart, spine, etc. causing blockages which lead to compromised function of that organ), thin basement membrane disease (smooth lining inside the walls of arteries including capillaries is damaged).
Autoimmune diseases :
when your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy organs/tissues, e.g., lupus and Goodpasture’s syndrome (attacks your lungs and kidneys, respectively).
Medical treatments:
some medications we take for various conditions can harm our kidneys over time or directly damage them by disrupting their proteins, making it harder for us to flush toxins from our bloodstream. Symptoms include swelling in hands and feet, pain in the lower back (kidneys), fatigue, itchy skin, nausea/vomiting/diarrhea, loss of appetite, trouble breathing, or shortness of breath.
Chronic kidney disease symptoms:
-fatigue – a constant struggle to stay awake.
-swelling in the hands and feet – fluid retention which may go up into your eyes, causing them to swell shut when sleeping at night, or water in your lungs making it difficult to breathe.
-increased thirst – due to not being able to flush out toxins from our bloodstream, we become dehydrated, which makes us thirsty all the time.
Frequent urination but small amounts at a time – kidneys can hold onto water when they function correctly; however, they lose too much every time you go because of a lack of their ability.
Itchy skin and unexplained weight gain are caused by excess potassium levels building up in our system, which causes heart abnormalities as it disrupts the electrical impulses that control our heartbeats.
-pain in your sides, groin, or pelvis – kidneys are located on each side of your back close to your ribs and below your waistline. If you experience pain here, it’s most likely due to kidney stones (crystals) building up, which causes inflammation and possible infection.