Symptoms of Kidney Dysfunction

Kidneys are the cleaners of your blood and are vital to your survival and well-being. Sometimes, however, kidneys can become dysfunctional, causing a myriad of symptoms that, if unchecked, can cause serious problems or even death. Knowing what to look for may help you seek guidance from a medical professional who specializes in kidneys.

Early Symptoms

According to the National Institute for Health, initial symptoms include fatigue, feeling ill constantly, headaches, nausea or vomiting, weight loss, itchiness of the skin, and frequent hiccups.

Other Signs

Sometimes kidney dysfunction manifests in non-abdominal ways such as chronic bad breath, emotional agitation, unexplained paleness, discolored fingernails, loss of appetite or weight, and excessive nighttime urination and/or general thirst.

Later Signs

If left untreated, early symptoms may progress into later symptoms which include blood in the stool, decreased alertness or sensation, seizures, muscle cramps, decreased urine flow and easy bruising. At this point your tissues are being damaged by the waste material left in the blood stream by dysfunctional kidneys.

Causes

The most prevalent causes of kidney dysfunction are high blood pressure and diabetes, though a myriad of diseases or conditions may cause some degree of dysfunction. There are two kinds of kidney dysfunction: chronic and acute. Acute can clear up on its own after the contributing factor is addressed (such as lowering blood pressure through diet, exercise, and medication). Chronic kidney dysfunction can not be stopped and will continue to get worse.

Prevention/Solution

Kidney dialysis is one treatment for kidney dysfunction. When a person with kidney failure or dysfunction undergoes dialysis, a machine is used to clean the blood, relieving the symptoms for a short period of time. Dialysis is usually performed on an out-patient basis with regular appointments scheduled by a physician as needed.