Chronic Diseases

Is Something Wrong with My Kidney?

Unlike diseases affecting your other vital organs, kidney disease is not noticeable until the late stages. How then can you know if something is wrong with your kidneys?

Medically Inspected by: Edilberto B. Garcia, Jr., MD, Maria Christina H. Ventura, MD, and Loreta D. Dayco, MD

Your kidneys may be small, but this pair of organs is powerful enough to clean your body’s blood in less than an hour. Failing kidneys can make you critically ill because toxins and excess liquid are not released from the body as they should. However, unlike diseases affecting your other vital organs, kidney disease is not noticeable until the late stages. How then can you know if something is wrong?

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease

More often than not, warning signs of kidney disease are misconstrued as signs and symptoms of other conditions. This is one of the reasons why most people who develop acute or chronic kidney disease do not realize they are sick at the time.

There are common warning signs if you take careful notice.

Abnormal urine output – As kidneys regulate the amount of liquid in the body, the quality and quantity of your urine can give you clues if they are still functioning properly.
1. Frequent urination or not enough urination – The kidneys release excess liquid in your body. If you feel the need to frequently pee, or want to pee but cannot, that might be an indicator that your kidneys are not functioning optimally.
2. Dark or bloody urine – As your kidneys fail to filter substances in your system, so do these impurities collect in your urine, making it appear unusually darker.
3. Foamy urine – Kidneys usually keep valuable proteins in your blood after filtration. However, declining kidney function may not be able to keep proteins in your system thus releasing them into urine. This causes the urine to look foamy and cloudy.

Tiredness or fatigue – Abnormal kidney function results into a build-up of toxins in your body. This causes you to feel tired or weak.

Insomnia – The increased level of impurities in your blood also make it difficult to sleep. While declining kidney function makes it hard for you to fall or stay asleep, insomnia is also linked to the worsening of kidney disease.

Swollen feet or ankles (Manas) – Kidney disease makes your feet or ankles swell because of sodium and water retention. The increased sodium retains water in your system causing some of these body parts to bulge. This build-up of liquid is called edema.

Muscle cramps (Pulikat) – The imbalance of electrolytes in your system due to kidney disease makes it common to have muscle cramps especially in your legs.

Dry and itchy skin – Signs of advanced kidney disease usually show on your skin’s color and quality. Those usually needing dialysis show dry, itchy, and cracked skin.

Weight loss from poor appetite – Increased toxins in your body affect how you taste food. Common complaints from patients reveal food tasting like iron or metal. Nausea and vomiting are also closely linked with kidney disease, making it challenging for you to keep food in your body.

Diagnostic tests you can take

A sure way to know if you have kidney problems is to have regular bloodwork and urine tests. There are two types of test to help your doctor assess your kidney function.

Urine Test

A sample of your urine will be examined for blood or protein. A test called Urine Albumin-to-Creatinine Ratio (UACR) is done to detect unusually high amounts of protein (albumin) and waste (creatinine) are in your blood. Copious traces of these substances may indicate kidney disease.

Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR)

Your doctor can compute for glomerular filtration rate which is directly proportionate to your kidney function. A higher GFR will give an estimate of your kidney function.

*Source: kidney.org*
Stage of kidney disease	Glomerular Filtration Rate	Kidney function (Percentage)
Stage 1: Kidney damage but with normal kidney function	90 or higher	90-100
Stage 2: Kidney damage with mild loss of kidney function	89 to 60	60-89
Stage 3A: Mild to moderate loss of kidney function	59 to 45	45-59
Stage 3B: Moderate to severe loss of kidney function	44 to 30	30-44
Stage 4: Severe loss of kidney function	29 to 15	15-29
Stage 5: Kidney failure	Less than 15	15 and below

How your kidneys function
Count on your kidneys to do the dirty work—that is, cleaning your blood from toxins and leaving only the valuable proteins and molecules to circulate with your blood. The kidneys act as your body’s natural filters to make sure only clean blood is in circulation. Unfiltered blood enters your kidneys, and it is drained of certain waste products, chemicals, and excess water.

When your kidneys do not function normally, toxicity builds up. When your kidneys fail to function, hemodialysis may be recommended. It is a procedure where you are hooked to a machine with a special filter that manually cleans your blood.

What you can do for your kidneys
Living healthy is your best act of defense against kidney disease and other chronic conditions. Proper nutrition, exercise, and staying away from vices like smoking and drinking can help alleviate stress on your vital organs.

Particular to kidney disease, you can take these steps:

Keep a low fat and low sodium diet. When eating, avoid food high in salt and fat such as processed foods. Five servings of fruits and vegetables per day is ideal. Avoid drinking liquids high in sugar content such as soda, fruit drinks, and sports drinks.
Limit alcohol intake. Avoid frequent and/or binge drinking, as harmful substances in alcohol can make your body dehydrated and your kidneys may not be able to filter blood as it should.

Exercise regularly and keep a healthy weight. Kidney disease is usually linked to hypertension and diabetes. These chronic conditions may be avoided by ensuring you have sufficient physical activity. Moderate exercise for at least 1 hour every day already reduces your risk of developing certain conditions.

According to the Philippine National Kidney and Transplant Institute, “One Filipino develops chronic renal failure every hour or about 120 Filipinos per million population per year.” This is a conservative number and experts worldwide estimate that incidence of kidney disease will continue to grow year on year. It is important to take care of yourself to prevent kidney disease, and in order to avoid poorer quality of life, frequent hospitalization, and even death.

General disclaimer
Your doctor will always be in the best position to give the appropriate medical advice for your condition. For suspected undesirable drug reaction, seek medical attention immediately and report to the FDA at www.fda.gov.ph and UNILAB, Inc. at 8-UNILAB-1 or productsafety@unilab.com.ph. Always buy your medicine from your trusted drugstores and retailers.

Sources:

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Chronic Diseases

Is Something Wrong with My Kidney?

Unlike diseases affecting your other vital organs, kidney disease is not noticeable until the late stages. How then can you know if something is wrong with your kidneys?

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