What Are The Symptoms Of Bad Kidneys

Urine Tests For Kidney Disease

Damaged or inflamed kidneys leak substances such as blood or protein into the urine. The preferred test for detecting protein in the urine is a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio test, which shows the amount of albumin in the urine.

A urine ACR test should be done at least once a year if the person has diabetes or high blood pressure, and every two years if the person has any of the other identified risk factors for developing chronic kidney disease.

A urine ACR test is performed by sending a sample of your urine to a laboratory for analysis.

What Tests And Procedures Diagnose Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease usually causes no symptoms in its early stages. Only lab tests can detect any developing problems. Anyone at increased risk for chronic kidney disease should be routinely tested for development of this disease.

• Urine, blood, and imaging tests are used to detect kidney disease, as well as to follow its progress.
• All of these tests have limitations. They are often used together to develop a picture of the nature and extent of the kidney disease.
• In general, this testing can be performed on an outpatient basis.

Urine tests

Urinalysis: Analysis of the urine affords enormous insight into the function of the kidneys. The first step in urinalysis is doing a dipstick test. The dipstick has reagents that check the urine for the presence of various normal and abnormal constituents including protein. Then, the urine is examined under a microscope to look for red and white blood cells, and the presence of casts and crystals .

Only minimal quantities of albumin are present in urine normally. A positive result on a dipstick test for protein is abnormal. More sensitive than a dipstick test for protein is a laboratory estimation of the urine albumin and creatinine in the urine. The ratio of albumin and creatinine in the urine provides a good estimate of albumin excretion per day.

Blood tests

Other tests

How Is Chronic Kidney Disease Diagnosed

If your doctor suspects you have kidney disease, they will talk to you about your health and the health of your family, and run some tests.

Tests that help to diagnose kidney disease include:

• urine tests
• blood tests
• an Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate test
• imaging tests

If these tests show you have kidney damage, you may be referred to a specialist kidney doctor, called a nephrologist. They will try to work out the cause of your chronic kidney disease.

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What Causes Kidney Failure

Kidney failure may occur from an acute situation that injures the kidneys or from chronic diseases that gradually cause the kidneys to stop functioning.

In acute renal failure, kidney function is lost rapidly and can occur from a variety of insults to the body. Since most people have two kidneys, both kidneys must be damaged for complete kidney failure to occur. Fortunately, if only one kidney fails or is diseased it can be removed, and the remaining kidney may continue to have normal kidney function. If both patient’s kidneys are injured or diseased, a donor kidney may be transplanted.

The list of causes of kidney failure is often categorized based on where the injury has occurred.

Prerenal causes causes are due to decreased blood supply to the kidney. Examples of prerenal causes of kidney failure are:

• Hypovolemia due to blood loss

Kidney Failure And Alcohol

If you have kidney failure and drink alcohol, your kidneys will be forced to work harder than they already are.

Alcohol doesnt metabolize out of your system, so youll feel its effects until you receive dialysis to filter it out of your blood.

Beer and wine contain large amounts of phosphorous. It can cause severe heart issues and even death if your kidneys are unable to filter it out. However, most hard liquor doesnt carry the same risk.

If you have kidney failure or late-stage kidney disease, your doctor may recommend you limit how often you drink alcohol. For some people, completely eliminating alcohol from the diet may be best.

Drinking alcohol with kidney failure can hurt the normal function of other organs. Over time, long-term, heavy alcohol use can lead to liver disease.

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What Is The Progonsis For Chronic Kidney Disease Can It Be Cured

There is no cure for chronic kidney disease. The natural course of the disease is to progress until dialysis or transplant is required.

• Patients with chronic kidney disease are at a much higher risk than the general population to develop strokes and heart attacks.
• The elderly and those who have diabetes have worse outcomes.
• People undergoing dialysis have an overall 5-year survival of 40%. Those who undergo peritoneal dialysis have a 5-year survival of 50%.
• Transplant patients who receive a live donor kidney have a 5-year survival of 87% and those who receive a kidney from a deceased donor have a 5-year survival of almost 75%.
• Survival continue to increase for patients with chronic renal disease. Mortality has decreased by 28% for dialysis patients and 40% for transplant patients since 1996.

So Now Is The Time To Pamper Your Kidneys

If youre experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, you should see your health practitioner and have a check-up, including tests to assess your kidney function.

And you should also make sure youre helping your kidneys stay in top shape by doing a thorough cleanse.

Even if you dont have any of these signs, a systemic cleanse is like a spa day for your kidneys. It helps them get in top shape and avoid damage and disease. This is why OsteoCleanse, The 7 Day Bone Building Accelerator was developed in conjunction with the Osteoporosis Reversal Program.

OsteoCleanse is not just about alkalizing your body, feeling younger and more energized, and removing osteoporosis drugs from your system. It does all of these things in just seven days, but at the heart of OsteoCleanses effectiveness are its kidney-boosting, liver-cleansing effects so youll strengthen and build your bones faster.

Its always a good idea to heed early warning signs and treat your kidneys to a cleanse before damage occurs, and its particularly important to offset the effects of aging on your renal system.

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Food Tastes Like Metal

Why this happens:

A build-up of wastes in the blood can make food taste different and cause bad breath. You may also notice that you stop liking to eat meat, or that you are losing weight because you just don’t feel like eating.

What patients said:

Foul taste in your mouth. Almost like you’re drinking iron.

I don’t have the appetite I had before I started dialysis, I must have lost about 10 pounds.

Symptoms Of Bad Kidneys

Everyday stress is causing a lot of health issues of everyone. Just one of numerous health problems that can be extremely serious are related with our kidneys. Since we all do know how important kidneys are for our health and body, we should do something to prevent that.

If you are already diagnosed with several kidney issues, then you should do something to help your kidneys work properly. Good news is that you can live the good life with bad kidneys. However, it is essential that early detection of your kidney problem is done, so that it doesnt impact other organs or bones. That is why it is very important to know what the main symptoms of bad kidneys are.

Observing what your body is trying telling you means much because that is the best way to lose up to 90% of kidney function without even realizing it without having any symptoms.

Here are some symptoms that you should definitely pay attention at. Those symptoms are very similar to some other health issues, but they can easily be related to your kidneys and that is the worse option.

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What Can I Expect If I Have Kidney Disease

If you have kidney disease you can still live a productive home and work life and enjoy time with your family and friends. To have the best outcome possible, its important for you to become an active member of your treatment team.

Early detection and appropriate treatment are important in slowing the disease process, with the goal of preventing or delaying kidney failure. You will need to keep your medical appointments, take your medications as prescribed, stick to a healthy diet and monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar.

How Does Natural Diet Help Your Kidneys

It is very important to eat foods that are rich of very powerful oxidant Coenzyme Q10. You can find it in many foods and some researches has shown that, if you take up to 600 mg per day, you can improve your kidney work.

One of the most powerful fruits is blueberries. They are so powerful. They are amazing source of vitamin C and they are keeping your bones healthy, which is extremely important for your kidneys

Very high intake of fiber in your diet program seems to be very successful when it comes to treat your kidneys.

Fish oils have powerful omega 3 fatty acids, and it is well known that fish oils do prevent kidney issues.

Avoiding red meat means a lot if you have problems with bad kidneys. Too much red meat can harm your kidneys.

Vitamin D is also the very powerful substance that can help your kidneys to work properly. Very low vitamin D in your body is associated with risk of kidney stones. You should eat foods that do contain vitamin D.

If you follow some of those tips, your kidneys will work just fine. As you are getting older, it is very important to pay attention to your kidneys. Your kidney function becomes really crucial when you are older. It is always a good idea to observe symptoms before a serious problem occurs.

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Shortness Of Breath After Very Little Effort

Why this happens:

Being short of breath can be related to the kidneys in two ways. First, extra fluid in the body can build up in the lungs. And second, anemia can leave your body oxygen-starved and short of breath.

What patients said:

At the times when I get the shortness of breath, it’s alarming to me. It just fears me. I think maybe I might fall or something so I usually go sit down for awhile.

I couldn’t sleep at night. I couldn’t catch my breath, like I was drowning or something. And, the bloating, can’t breathe, can’t walk anywhere. It was bad.

How Is Kidney Failure Treated

Kidney failure treatment is determined by the cause and extent of the problem. Treating your chronic medical condition can delay the progression of kidney disease. If your kidneys start losing their function gradually, your doctor may use one or more methods to track your health. By watching you closely, your doctor can help you maintain your kidneys function as long as possible.

Your doctor may gauge your kidney function with:

• Routine blood tests
• Blood pressure checks
• Medication

Because the kidneys serve such an important purpose, people in kidney failure need treatment to keep them alive. The main treatments for kidney failure are:

• Dialysis: This treatment helps the body filter the blood .
• In hemodialysis, a machine regularly cleans your blood for you. People often receive this kidney failure treatment at a hospital or dialysis clinic, 3 or 4 days each week.
• Peritoneal dialysis cleans the blood in a slightly different way using a dialysis solution and a catheter. Sometimes, people can do their treatment at home.

Kidney transplant: In kidney transplant surgery, doctors place a healthy kidney in your body to take over the job of your damaged organs. This healthy kidney, called a donor organ, may come from a deceased donor or a living donor, who may be a friend or family member. People can live well with one healthy kidney.

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What Is Kidney Dialysis

Because there is no cure for CKD, if you are in late-stage disease, you and your healthcare team must consider additional options. Complete kidney failure, left untreated, will result in death. Options for end stages of CKD include dialysis and kidney transplantation.

Dialysis is a procedure that uses machines to remove waste products from your body when your kidneys are no longer able to perform this function. There are two major types of dialysis.

Hemodialysis: With hemodialysis, your blood is circulated through a machine that removes waste products, excess water and excess salt. The blood is then returned to your body. Hemodialysis requires three to four hours, three times a week and is performed at a clinic, hospital or dialysis center.

Peritoneal dialysis: In peritoneal dialysis, a dialysis solution is run directly into your abdomen. The solution absorbs waste and then is removed via catheter. Fresh solution is added to continue the process of cleaning. You can perform this type of dialysis yourself. There are two types of peritoneal dialysis: continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis , which involves a change in dialysis solution four times a day and continuous cycling peritoneal dialysis . CCPD uses a machine to automatically fill, remove wastes, and refill the fluid during the nighttime.

What Is A Kidney Infection

Kidney infections are technically a type of UTI, since kidneys are part of your upper urinary tract, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases . These infections are typically caused by bacteria called Escherichia coli that is usually found in the large intestine but can wreak havoc when it finds itself in the urinary tract.

Kidney infections are one of the most common urologic conditions that we see in general urology practice, Fara Bellows, M.D., a urologist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells SELF. Still, kidney infections are no joke.

This is a serious organ infection, and people need to take care of it, urologist David Kaufman, M.D., of New Yorks Central Park Urology, tells SELF. Bladder infections are really uncomfortable, but kidney infections can be deadly.

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Kidney Failure Definition And Facts

• Kidneys are the organs that filter waste products from the blood. They are also involved in regulating blood pressure, electrolyte balance, and red blood cell production in the body.
• Symptoms of kidney failure are due to the build-up of waste products and excess fluid in the body that may cause weakness, shortness of breath, lethargy, swelling, and confusion. Inability to remove potassium from the bloodstream may lead to abnormal heart rhythms and sudden death. Initially kidney failure may cause no symptoms.
• There are numerous causes of kidney failure, and treatment of the underlying disease may be the first step in correcting the kidney abnormality.
• Some causes of kidney failure are treatable and the kidney function may return to normal. Unfortunately, kidney failure may be progressive in other situations and may be irreversible.
• The diagnosis of kidney failure usually is made by blood tests measuring BUN, creatinine, and glomerular filtration rate .
• Treatment of the underlying cause of kidney failure may return kidney function to normal. Lifelong efforts to control blood pressure and diabetes may be the best way to prevent chronic kidney disease and its progression to kidney failure. As we age, kidney function gradually decreases over time.
• If the kidneys fail completely, the only treatment options available may be dialysis or transplant.

What Your Kidneys Do

Healthy kidneys:

• Keep a balance of water and minerals in your blood
• Remove waste from your blood after digestion, muscle activity, and exposure to chemicals or medications
• Make renin, which your body uses to help manage your blood pressure
• Make a chemical called erythropoietin, which prompts your body to make red blood cells
• Make an active form of vitamin D, needed for bone health and other things

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When Should I Call The Doctor

A nephrologist receives special training in kidney evaluation and treatment. You may benefit from a kidney specialists expert opinion if:

• You have trouble keeping your blood pressure levels in a normal range, even with medication.
• Your blood sugar levels fluctuate widely.

Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/11/2018.

References

What Is Kidney Pain

People often mistake kidney pain as back pain.

Unlike back pain, which usually occurs in the lower back, kidney pain is deeper and higher up the back. The kidneys can be found underneath the ribcage, on each side of the spine. Pain from the kidneys is felt in the sides, or in the middle to upper back . The pain may also progress to other areas, such as the abdomen or groin.

Kidney pain is a result of swelling or blockage in the kidneys or urinary tract. Other symptoms such as fever, vomiting, or painful urination are clues that the pain is a result of a kidney problem.

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Feeling Tired Or Sluggish During The Day

Everyone has a day when they feel tired maybe you didnt get enough sleep, or ate the wrong foods, or some other temporary factors are at play. But sometimes, fatigue is caused by lack of a hormone called erythropoietin, or EPO. The main function of EPO is to stimulate the production of red blood cells, and red blood cells carry energizing oxygen to cells throughout your body.

Stressed kidneys do not produce enough EPO, thereby reducing the number of red blood cells and making you feel weak and tired out.