Most people are not aware of the fact that kidney diseases can be silent killers. They may not show any symptoms for a long time, till the situation becomes critical. Even young people are now prone to it.
It is important to recognize the symptoms of kidney disease to catch them early.
There are many reasons for kidney diseases. The most common causes are Diabetes and hypertension, even an unhealthy lifestyle with a high calorie diet. Certain medicines, lots of soft drinks and sugar consumption can also cause kidney damage, experts say (Martins, 2000).
How Do You know you Are suffering From Kidney Problems?
Change in your urinary function. The first symptoms of kidney disease are changes in the amount and frequency of urination. There may be an increase or decrease in the amount and/or its frequency especially, at night. It may also look more dark coloured. You may feel the urge to urinate, but unable to do so when you get to the restroom.
Difficulty or pain during voiding. Sometimes, you have difficulty or feel pressure or pain while vomiting. Urinary tract infections may cause symptoms such as pain or burning during urination. When these infections spread to the kidneys, they may cause fever and pain in your back.
Blood in the urine. This is a symptom of kidney disease which is a definite cause for concern. There may be other reasons, but, it is advisable to visit your doctor in case you notice it.
Swelling: Kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from the body. When they are unable to do so, this extra fluid will build up causing swelling in your hands, feet, ankles and/ or your face.
Extremely fatigue and generalized weakness. Your kidneys produce hormone called erythropoietin which helps make red blood cells that carry oxygen in kidney disease, lower level of erythropoietin causes decreased red blood cells in your body, resulting in anaema. There is decreased oxygen delivery to cells causing generalized weakness and extreme fatigue(Joe, 1999).
Dizziness and Inability to concentrate. Anaemia associated with kidney disease also, depletes your brain of oxygen which may cause dizziness trouble with concentration and so on.
Skin rashes and itching: kidney failure causes waste to accumulate in your blood.
This can cause severe itching and skin rashes.
Feeling cold all the time. If you have kidney disease, you may even feel cold even when the weather is warm, due to anemia, pyelone phritis kidney infection may cause fever with chills metallic taste and Ammonia breath: Kidney failure increases level of urea in the blood (uraemia). These urea are broken down to ammonia in saliva causing urine-like bad breath called ammonia breath: It is also, usually associated with an unpleasant metallic taste (dysgeusia) in the mouth.
Nausea and vomiting: The build-up of waste products in your blood in kidney disease can also cause nausea and vomiting.
Shortness of breath: kidney disease causes fluid to build up in the lungs, also anemia is a common side –effect of kidney disease, starves your body of oxygen. You may have trouble catching your breath due to these factors mentioned (Joe,1999).
Pain in the back or side: some cases of kidney disease may cause pain, you may feel a severe cramping pain that spreads from lower back into the groin if there is kidney stone in the ureter. Pain may also be related to polycystic kidney disease and inherited kidney disorder, which causes many fluid- filled cysta is the kidney, interstitial cystitis, a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall, causes chronic pain and discomfort.
It is important to discover kidney problems early because, in most cases, the damage in the kidneys can’t be reversed. Kidney diseases can be treated very effectively if diagnosed early.
Obesity –It is already linked to increase heart disease. Obesity is an indirect risk factor for kidney disease. A part from this indirect link studies show that obesity itself is likely to have an independent effect on blood dynamics of the kidneys.
Smoking contributes to kidney disease in many ways, it increases BP, reduces blood flow to the kidneys and narrows down blood vessels in the kidneys. Moreover, people who already have as lightly reduced kidney function tend to accelerate kidney damage by smoking cigarettes. The risk factor is greater in people with diabetes who smoke (Martins, 2000).
Alcoholism- Uncontrollable drinking can lead to renal or kidney failure. Alcohol damages kidney cells by altering their structure and function.
Drug Abuse-Drugs should not be abused. Studies have-shown that inappropriate use of drugs or prescription and over-the counter medicines can head to neprotoxicity. All medicines you take have to go through the filtration of the kidneys. Over dose can cause a lot of damages in the kidneys.
High fever-when a patient comes down with a high fever, he may not be able to drink enough water. Or he may be losing his vital fluids though frequent vomiting. The heavy sweating resulting from the prolonged fever then reduces the amount of water available in the tissues unless he is given water through vein or in some other way, he may die because the cells of the body have been dried out.
A person can tolerate lack of food far longer than a thirst of water. Anything that interferes with the function of kidneys reduce their filtration capacity or make them unable to carry out their function properly can cause kidney disease or failure.
The normal kidney can move up and down, about an inch and as has been noted, the right kidney is lower and more readily felt than the left, such a palpable kidney is entirely normal. When the kidney moves excessively owing to weakness of its supporting structures, it is then known as a ‘wandering” “movable” or “floating” kidney and may be felt low in the abdomen or even in the pelvis.
Kidney disease from enlarged prostate gland –for some unknown reason, the prostate gland frequently enlarges in men more than fifty years of age. This may cause difficulty in starting urination, frequent urination and dribbling due to partial blockage of the urethra. If free flow is not re-established, infection (pyelitis or pyelonephritis) and destruction of kidney tissue may ensus (Joe, 1999).
Ureters and pelvis may be ballooned out with urine (hydroureter and hydronephrosis).
Wastes accumulate in the blood and uremia may result.
If appreciable urinary retention is present, careful drainage of the bladder and surgical removal of the prostate gland or of a portion of it are generally necessary (Mac, 2004).
Usually, the formation of stones is due to deficiency of oxygen and of mineral salts in the blood and to an over –indulgence in meat. Meat eaters especially, meat eaters who drink beer, wine or spirits, the alcohol of which withdraws oxygen from the blood, need an abundance of oxygen for the complete digestion of animal flesh.
Through insufficient oxygen, the constituents of the meat are not sufficiently oxidized into water, carbonic –acid gas, nitrogen and urea and the result of their partial oxidation is uric acid, which , unless a great deal of water is drunk instead of alcoholic drinks, forms into calculus gravel or stones. Plenty of oxygen is required by the spleen for the formation of formic acid, which dissolves stones made of phosphate and oxalate of lime. The spleen is unable to produce the acid if the blood lacks oxygen.
The remedy, therefore, is to breath fresh air at all times to avoid sugar, flesh foods and alcoholic drinks and drink plenty of clean water.
For counseling, the writer will be of help to you.
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