8 most easily recognizable signs of weak kidneys

What is weak kidney?

An article on the Tam Anh General Hospital website with expert advice from Dr. Nguyen Huu Nhat said that weak kidneys (chronic kidney disease) is a condition in which one or both kidneys cannot function properly in their main functions such as removing toxins, filtering blood and removing waste from the body through urine.

The disease can occur in anyone, especially the elderly.

If kidney failure is not detected and treated early, it will cause the body to accumulate a lot of waste and cause many serious complications to the patient's health.

10 most recognizable signs of weak kidneys

The most easily recognizable signs of weak kidneys you should pay attention to for early detection and timely medical examination.

Frequent urination at night

Lao Dong newspaper quoted Healthline as saying that normally, at night, the kidney's activity decreases so that the body can rest, and the amount of urine becomes more concentrated and less. However, when the kidney is weak, the ability to concentrate urine decreases, leading to more diluted and abundant urine, causing you to wake up to urinate frequently.

In addition, reduced production of antidiuretic hormone (ADH) also contributes to increased nighttime urination. Damaged kidneys can cause protein loss in the urine, which leads to more water loss, causing nocturia even if you do not drink much water before bed.

Swelling of the feet or face in the early morning

When the kidneys are not functioning properly, water and salt are not filtered out effectively and accumulate in the tissues. When you sleep, water tends to pool in the face and lower limbs, causing you to wake up with puffy eyelids, a slightly puffy face, or heavy legs.

Kidney damage reduces albumin in the blood, leading to fluid leakage into the interstitial tissue, causing edema, especially in soft areas such as the eyelids and feet. Unlike edema caused by the heart or liver, edema caused by the kidneys is usually mild during the day but is more noticeable in the morning. When you press on the edematous area, you will feel it sink in and slowly return.

Insomnia, difficulty sleeping, waking up in the middle of the night

Weak kidneys cause waste products such as urea, creatinine, and uric acid to accumulate in the blood, causing feelings of restlessness, discomfort, and fatigue. This leads to difficulty falling asleep, poor sleep, and frequent waking in the middle of the night.

Imbalances in minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium also affect nerve function, causing cramps, numbness in the limbs, and difficulty sleeping. Decreased erythropoietin hormone due to weak kidneys also leads to anemia, causing chronic fatigue and sleep disorders.

Frequent itching

Health & Life Newspaper quoted Dr. Nguyen Thi Thuy as saying that due to the accumulation of waste in the blood, the skin can be irritated, leading to itching and even rashes.

If you try using creams but your skin does not recover, you need to think about the problem coming from the inside. In that case, you should go to the doctor for the most accurate diagnosis.

Frequent back pain or pain in the lumbar region

The kidneys have the function of filtering and eliminating all toxic substances and impurities from the body through urine. When kidney function is impaired, it will cause an imbalance of electrolytes in the body, causing fluid retention leading to pain in the kidney area or pain across the waist.

Symptoms of shallow breathing, difficulty breathing

This is due to excess fluid accumulating in the lungs and anemia (a lack of oxygen-carrying red blood cells) causing shallow breathing.

Nausea and vomiting

Kidney failure causes symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The reason is that waste products accumulate in the body and need to be eliminated. When the kidneys fail and are unable to function, vomiting often occurs.

Ammonia breath

The kidneys have the function of removing toxic substances from the blood through urine. When a patient has kidney failure, the kidneys will be damaged so they can no longer filter waste and toxic chemicals from the blood, accumulating over time in the body, affecting almost all parts of the body. Bad breath can appear when kidney failure affects the respiratory system./.