17 in every 100 Indians suffer from some form of kidney disease.
“There are a number of physical signs of kidney disease, but people tend to ignore them. Also, those with kidney disease do not experience symptoms until the very late stages, when the kidneys are failing or when there are large amounts of protein in the urine.
Mentioned below are the 10 possible signs you may have kidney disease. If you’re at risk of kidney disease due to hypertension, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure, it is necessary to get tested annually for kidney disease. Make sure to share any symptoms you’re experiencing with your healthcare practitioner.
1 Fatigue: A severe decrease in kidney function can lead to buildup of toxins and impurities in the blood. This can cause people to feel tired and weak. People having kidney disease may experience a complication called Anemia, which can cause weakness and fatigue.
2 Insomnia/ trouble sleeping. When the kidneys are not working properly, toxins stay in the blood and do not leave the body through urine. This can make it difficult to sleep.
3 Skin Rash or Itching. Healthy kidneys perform many important functions. They remove the extra waste fluid from your body, help in production of red blood cells, help to strengthen the bones and maintain the appropriate amount of minerals in your blood. Dry and itchy skin can be a sign of the mineral and bone disease that often accompanies advanced kidney disease.
4 Frequent Urination: If you feel to urinate more often, specially at night, this may be a sign of kidney disease. When the kidney filters are not working properly it increases the need to urinate. However this can also be a sign of urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
5 Presence of blood in urine. Healthy kidneys retain the blood cells in the body when filtering wastes from the blood to create urine, but when the kidneys are damaged, these blood cells can start to "leak" out into the urine. Blood in the urine can indicate kidney disease, tumors & kidney stones.
6 Foamy Urine. Presence of bubbles in the urine, especially those you require you to flush many times indicate protein in the urine.
7 Puffy eyes. Protein in the urine is an early sign of damage to the kidney filters thus allowing protein to leak into the urine. This puffiness around your eyes can be due to your kidneys leaking a large amount of protein in the urine.
8 Swelling. Reduced kidney function can lead to sodium retention, causing swelling in your feet and ankles.
9 Poor appetite. This is a very common symptom, accumulation of toxins due to reduced kidney function can be one of the causes.
10 Cramping muscles. Electrolyte imbalance in the body may be as a result of impaired kidney function. For example, low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus may contribute to muscle cramping.
Source of Information: National Kidney Foundation