We are always so caught up with our lives that we ignore the signs that our bodies send us to slow down and take care of our health. In order to keep ourselves in good shape, we need to be aware of the hints sent by our organs especially kidneys, which if ignored could be dangerous for us. That being said, here are ten signs your kidneys aren’t working properly.
1. Trouble sleeping
When your kidneys are not functioning properly it means the toxins and body wastes are not getting flushed out of the body and it remains in the blood, more toxins in the body impedes proper sleep which in return further increases kidney malfunction.
People who suffer from sleep apnea are more probably suffering from Kidney problems. Continuous snoring means it’s time to visit doctors.
2. Headaches, fatigue and general weakness
Among signs your kidneys aren’t working properly is when kidneys are in top form, they convert Vitamin D in your body to maintain strong bones and produce EPO which is a hormone called Erythropoietin. This hormone creates a lot of red blood cells. So logically when our kidneys are not functioning well it produces less EPO which leads to less red blood cells resulting in less oxygen to our muscles and brains and therefore resulting in constant fatigue and exhaustion.
People with chronic kidney disease also have the problem of Anaemia because it starts developing when kidney function is as low as 20-50% of its optimum functionality. So, if you are getting enough rest and sleep but still feel tired and general weakness, you should visit a doctor.
3. Having dry and itchy skin
Itchy and dry scaly skin means that kidneys are not functioning in their optimum levels. It means it is not removing the toxins and waste from our systems, and not producing enough red blood cells and not maintaining the right balance of minerals in our body. This could also cause bone or kidney-related disease. If you have these skin symptoms hydrated and check with your doctors before taking any medicine to prevent further damage your kidneys.
4. Experiencing bad breath and metallic taste
Among signs your kidneys aren’t working, if you taste your food like metals and have unprecedented bad breath despite the fact that you follow proper dental hygiene, it can only mean one thing; your kidneys are not removing the wastes from your blood. In fact, you have too many toxins in your bloodstream which can make you lose your appetite especially for meat and lead to unhealthy and drastic weight loss.
5. Shortness of breath
There is a direct relation between the shortness of breath and kidney disorders. It is caused by 2 factors, extra fluid moves into the lungs; secondly, anaemia deprives oxygen from reaching the important organs of the bodies like heart and brains resulting in hyperventilation.
Warning- there are various reasons for shortness of breath, kidney failure, asthma, lung cancer or heart failure. So, if you are hyperventilating after even insignificant physical efforts you should get a medical check-up immediately.
6. Swelling in ankles, feet and hands
When kidneys fail to perform their duties properly, they do not remove the extra fluid in the body anymore. This leads to sodium retention which causes swelling in your ankles, feet and hands. Swelling in the lower regions of the body also reflects heart or liver disease or leg vein problems.
Sometimes taking medications, reducing salt intake and removing excess fluid in your body can help but if the swelling still does not reduce, you need to take some serious treatments.
7. Having back pain
If you are feeling back pain which is deep inside the body almost near the ribcage and can be felt throughout the groin area and hips it can be the result of kidney stones or failure. Back and leg pain caused by kidney cysts, which are large fluid-filled sacs formed on the kidneys are called polycystic kidney disease. Back pain caused by the kidney cysts are accompanied by vomiting, nausea, high fever and frequent urination. Whereas normal back pain has no relation with kidneys and no nausea or fever associated with it. If your back pain and high fever persists visit a doctor immediately.
8. Puffy eyes
Puffy eyes are also one of the signs your kidneys aren’t working properly and should not be dismissed as a cosmetic problem and can be fixed with just a bit of makeup. No, it’s the initial sign that your kidneys filter is damaged resulting in loss of protein in the urine which causes the puffiness around your eyes. Its high time to see a doctor especially if you are getting adequate sleep and still you have puffy eyes.
9. High blood pressure
The kidneys consist of small nephrons which filter wastes and extra fluids from the blood. If for some reason your body’s vessels get damaged then the nephrons do not receive enough oxygen and nutrients for the body. That’s why high blood pressure is the second most common cause of kidney failure because our circulation system and kidneys depend on each other. Add more folic acid-enriched items in your food as it produces redder blood cells and prevents anaemia.
10. Changes in urination
One of the signs your kidneys aren’t working are drastic changes in the frequency of urination and colour and odour means something is wrong with the kidneys. The increased need to go to the bathroom during the night. (4- 10 times a day is considered normal.)
Healthy kidneys sometimes filter waste from our blood as well to produce pee. But if the filter is damaged, then the blood cells might start leaking into the urine. Bubbles in the urine which actually needs to be flushed several times before it goes away means extra protein in the urine.
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