Kidney disease is considered one of the dangerous diseases that everyone fears because, besides deteriorating the quality of life, it also poses a risk of premature death. It involves high treatment costs and requires close care until a kidney transplant is performed. Therefore, if given a choice, taking care to prevent yourself and your close ones from kidney disease is something we all should do. One way to stay informed and receive early treatment is to regularly observe symptoms that are warning signs of kidney disease.
What symptoms are warning signs of kidney disease?
Normally, observing warning signs of kidney disease can be done easily in two ways: by observing abnormal urine characteristics and by observing abnormal physical symptoms. The details are as follows.
Urine characteristics that are warning signs of kidney disease include
- Urine with blood This symptom can be a warning sign of many diseases, such as urinary tract infections, cystitis, urinary tract stones, tumors, kidney inflammation caused by bacterial infection, or autoimmune disorders that cause kidney inflammation and blood in the urine. If not caused by disease, it may be due to severe trauma, such as a strong impact or injury to the back, which can bruise the kidney and cause bleeding.
- Foamy urine This condition indicates protein or albumin leakage in the urine. To observe, after urinating, wait for a while. If the foam is a warning sign of kidney disease, the foam will not disappear and will resemble beer foam stuck to the glass. If the foam disappears after urinating, it is considered normal.
- Low urine output This should be compared to your usual urination habits. If you drink a lot of water but still urinate little, it may be a warning sign of kidney deterioration or urinary tract obstruction.
- Frequent urination Especially at night, if you fall asleep but have to wake up several times during the night to urinate, about 3-4 times or more, it is considered abnormal. Normally, healthy kidneys do not cause waking up to urinate at night but only in the morning.
Abnormal physical symptoms that may be warning signs of kidney disease include
- Very high blood pressure In elderly people with general high blood pressure, most can control it well with medication. However, if high blood pressure is caused by kidney deterioration, it remains high despite medication. In younger people with high blood pressure, it may also indicate kidney deterioration.
- Swelling Swelling caused by kidney disease usually lasts all day, starting in the morning after waking up. The most swollen area is the lower part of the body because fluid flows from higher to lower areas. In some cases, swelling occurs in the eyelids, as this area is flexible and easily accumulates fluid. In men, swelling may also occur in the scrotum. Overall, any skin area that is most flexible is more likely to swell. Swelling caused by kidney disease is usually symmetrical, meaning both sides swell equally, such as both legs. If swelling occurs only on one side, it may be due to localized inflammation or blood clots.
- Back pain, waist pain This can be a warning sign of pyelonephritis, an infection or inflammation of the kidney, or obstruction caused by stones or tumors in the urinary tract. However, kidney deterioration does not cause pain. Most patients with back pain may have pain from bones or muscles unrelated to kidney disease. To differentiate, pain from bones or muscles may be relieved in certain positions, such as lying on the side, but worsens with movement. Pain caused by urinary tract abnormalities, such as stones, tumors, or pyelonephritis, usually persists regardless of position.
What symptoms indicate kidney disease in a critical condition?
The abnormal urine and physical symptoms mentioned above are important warning signs that suggest a person may be at risk of kidney disease. However, if these abnormalities are accompanied by easy fatigue, weakness, pale body, and loss of appetite, these are dangerous signs indicating that the kidneys are in a critical state. Immediate medical consultation for diagnosis and treatment is necessary.
For kidney disease, as with almost all diseases, the earlier the symptoms are noticed and diagnosed, the higher the chance of recovery or rapid symptom relief without much pain or high medical costs.
