If kidney function drops below 15 percent, it is considered kidney failure
Also known as renal failure, kidney failure happens when both your organs lose the ability to adequately filter waste products from the blood. Doctors say it is an acute condition that happens suddor chronically, developing over time. In both cases, it can lead to a buildup of waste and fluid in the body, causing various health problems.
If kidney function drops below 15 per cent, it is considered kidney failure.
However, most people do not know they have kidney failure until they suffer from back pain or urine issues. However, doctors say the only way to know it is to spot the early signs. A few of these include:
Fatigue and tiredness
You may feel unexplained fatigue and tiredness when your kidneys stop filtering properly. Doctors say toxins stay in the blood rather than leaving the body through the urine, making you feel tired and sleepless despite taking adequate rest.
There is also a link between being overweight or obese and chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea is more common in those with kidney disease compared with the general population.
Foamy urine
If you notice excessive bubbles in your urine, especially those that require you to flush several times before they go away, there is an indication of excess protein in your urine. Doctors say this foam may look like the foam you see when scrambling eggs, as the common protein found in urine, albumin, is the same protein that is found in eggs.
When protein begins to leak from your kidneys, it damages the filters, and it is like your kidneys are bleeding protein into the urine.
Breathlessness
Fluid overload reaches your lungs, making every breath a struggle – leading to pulmonary edema. You may also feel like you are drowning from the inside. According to doctors, kidney failure also causes anemia, reducing the body's ability to carry oxygen and further contributing to breathlessness.
Itchy skin everywhere
While your healthy kidneys help remove waste and extra fluid from your body, help make red blood cells, keep bones strong, and work to maintain the right amount of minerals in your blood, they also show signs of unexplained itchiness across your body.
Experts say dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease or when the kidneys are no longer able to keep the right balance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
Muscle cramps
Muscle cramps can be a sign of kidney failure, as when they stop functioning properly, your kidneys are not able to effectively regulate fluid and electrolyte balance. It leads to imbalances that cause muscle cramps and pain.
However, this is accompanied by other symptoms like swelling, changes in urination, fatigue, and nausea.
Poor appetite
is a general sign of kidney failure; it is also one of the earliest ones. Doctors say a buildup of toxins resulting from reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
