10 Signs Your Kidneys Are Toxic

10 Signs And Symptoms Of Chronic Kidney Disease

Here are the signs from the above picture, together with our notes and references:

1. Urinary changes

Kidney damage can happen when you have an infection, which is reflected in blood work and urine tests. You may notice changes in your urine, specifically with the color, smell, and frequency, as well as abnormal test results with bacteria and protein – all signs of infection.

2. Hypertension

Hypertension can reflect kidney damage as fluid buildup occurs and raises blood pressure. However, this is a double-edged sword as kidney disease can also stem from uncontrolled hypertension, because persistently high blood pressure can damage the delicate blood vessels and tissues of the kidney.

3. Anemia

As previously mentioned, the kidneys are responsible for the production of erythropoietin (EPO), the hormone that helps regulate the production of red blood cells. When your kidneys are damaged and not producing enough EPO, your hemoglobin levels can drop and cause anemia.

4. Bone Disease

You might be thinking, “What do bones have to do with the kidneys?”. It gets a little technical with this portion, but basically, the kidneys are responsible for clearing phosphate, a mineral, from the blood. Equal levels of phosphate and calcium are part of the body’s natural homeostasis. As your kidney becomes damaged is unable to remove phosphate from your system, your thyroid tries to balance out the elevated phosphate by causing bone breakdown (via production of the parathyroid hormone) and the release of calcium in your bones.

5. Edema

Edema, or swelling, happens due to the excess fluid circulating in the system. This can be typically seen in the distal extremities like the hands and feet, as too much fluid is pushed out into the space in between the cells (called third spacing). This can also happen because of disruptions in the cell wall due to deranged albumin levels (responsible for cell wall permeability). You may also see puffiness under the eyes. Edema or swelling can also happen in the lungs, a dangerous condition called pulmonary edema.

6. Back Pain

Or more specifically, flank pain. This symptom is typically non-specific and can be caused by a variety of reasons including muscle pain, but if it is accompanied by other symptoms on this list, your kidneys may be the cause. Kidney stones can also cause back pain, which is usually sharp in nature. A recurrent urinary tract infection (UTI) that travels up the ureters and causes a kidney infection can also present as flank pain.

7. Pulmonary Edema and COPD

People at this stage of kidney disease often present with breathing problems, this again is due to the excess fluid in the body which can end up in the lungs. Dr. Ekberg mentions COPD as something that is caused by CKD. Alternately, a study in 2016 found that people who already had COPD were 1.6 times more likely to develop CKD.

8. Insomnia

Trouble sleeping can occur as a you start to experience more and more of the symptoms on the list. Difficulty breathing, swelling of your extremities, pain, and the building toxicity in your blood can all affect your sleep. Psychologically, depression and anxiety can also contribute to insomnia.

9. Ammonia Breath

This classic symptom is usually accompanied by a metallic taste in your mouth. This is a sign of uremia, where the excess urea in the blood reacts with saliva, creating ammonia.

10. Severe Toxicity

Last on the list is the severe toxicity caused by uremia, or the build up urea and other wastes in the blood, which is caused simply by the kidneys’ inability to perform their task. As this build-up of wastes continues, azotemia also develops, which is the elevation of your BUN or blood urea-nitrogren and creatinine levels – the two markers in blood work that is typically monitored in CKD patients. According to Dr. Ekberg, a person who is uremic can experience itching, nausea and vomiting, poor appetite, and cramps.

Final Note

Loss of kidney function is a serious matter and be aware that without proper management, CKD can lead to disability if not death. So what to we do? One of the major causes of CKD is diabetes; as hyperglycemia, like hypertension, damages the kidney’s very delicate tissues. If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, you have to make adjustments in your diet and exercise daily to help keep your weight down and prevent / reduce insulin resistance, which is a major risk factor for diabetes. Remember, prevention is key!

From:Paul S. Dangha.Bsc microbiology, MLT (AMT).