Kidneys, important body organs responsible for our overall health. From clearing out toxins from our body to regulating our hormones and aiding our body in metabolism, kidneys are responsible for performing a wide range of functions.
However, our kidneys get damaged over time. Some of the kidney damage is due to aging or maybe in your genes, but a part of kidney damage is what we are solely responsible for. Many of our lifestyle habits tend to damage our kidneys and living with a kidney ailment can be quite painful.
Kidney damage will be easier to work on if we can figure it out earlier, told a renowned kidney doctor in Karachi when my father visited him for chronic kidney pain. People who are going through kidney damage don’t see the symptoms until the very last stage of disease arrives.
Signs of Kidney Damage
Before the damage gets worse, our body tries to communicate with us to tell us that there is something wrong with kidney health. Thus, paying heed to those signs and symptoms and can make an informed and timely decision regarding your kidney health.
Some of the important signs of kidney damage include;
1- Fatigue
Fatigue is a common indicator of a kidney health problem. When your kidney’s function is affected, you are more likely to experience unexplained fatigue. The reason behind this fatigue is the buildup of toxins in the body as a poor kidney function and can make you feel tired all the time. Another indicator of kidney problem is anaemia that can make you feel tired all the time alongside other associated symptoms.
2- Sleep trouble
Disturbed or interrupted sleep patterns could be an indicator of underlying health issues. One such underlying health issue can be a problem with kidney function. When your kidney function is affected, there is the accumulation of toxins in the blood which can make it hard to sleep. Moreover, the people who suffer from chronic kidney disease also suffer from sleep apnea.
3- Change in urination frequency
Another common sign of kidney damage that should never be ignored is a change in urination pattern. If your urination frequency is changed and you feel the urge to urinate more often especially at night, there might be some problem with your kidney function. Damaged kidney filters can increase your urge to urinate as well as could also indicate a urinary tract infection.
4- Urine texture is changed
Other than urine frequency, a change in urine texture can also be a significant indicator of a kidney health problem. If your urine texture changes and you see the blood in your urine, you might have a kidney problem.
Blood in the urine can be due to the inability of kidneys to filter urine properly, as a result of which there is the leakage of blood cells in the urine duration urine filtration. Further, foamy urine due to the presence of proteins in the urine could also be an indicator of disturbed kidney function.
5- Dry and itchy skin
An important function of the kidney is to maintain the right concentration of minerals and nutrients in the body. Disturbed kidney function compromises the kidney’s ability to ensure the right mineral and nutrient balance in the body that can change your skin texture. This can make your skin dry and itchy trying to tell about an underlying kidney health problem.
6- Puffiness around the eyes
As already discussed, damaged kidney filters tend to release the proteins in your urine rather than retaining them in your body. This removal of protein in the urine often results in puffiness around your eyes.
7- Poor appetite
A change in your appetite pattern could be another important indicator of a kidney health issue. The buildup of toxins in your blood due to improper kidney function could change your appetite.
8- Cramped muscles
Your kidneys perform the function of maintaining electrolyte balance in your body. When this electrolyte balance is disturbed, your muscles can get cramped. This muscle cramp can be due to the unregulated levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood resulting in muscle cramping.
9- Swollen feet and ankles
Kidney damage can result in the retention of sodium in your body. This sodium retention can make your feet and ankles swollen. This symptom could be overlapping for any disease, so only a physician after the right testing can make the right diagnosis.
