Symptoms Of Kidney Failure

Read all about the symptoms of kidney failure. Here are ten symptoms that may help you know more about kidney failure. Most the time, kidney disease will not have any noticeable symptoms until it is in the late stages. There are two types of kidney failure: acute kidney failure and chronic kidney failure. Acute comes on abruptly and may be reversed, whereas chronic can lead to permanent kidney failure. Knowing the symptoms will help you or a loved one in these very critical days.

1. Changes in Urination. One of the first signs to look for in kidney failure is changes in your urination pattern. It may be that you go to the bathroom more or you go less. It may be that your urine color is a different color, foamy, bubbly or contains blood. You may have pain urinating and have to exert more pressure. What ever the case is, have yourself checked out.
2. Swelling. When a person is experiencing kidney failure, the kidneys will not remove the excess fluid. This excess fluid builds up in the body and thus causes swelling in the hands, legs, feet, ankles and face. Swelling is a symptom of kidney failure and the person should be checked out by their physician.
3. Fatigue. Another symptom of kidney failure is fatigue, tiredness or malaise. When you have kidney failure, the kidneys do not make enough erythropoietin, which tells your body to make more red blood cells for oxygen. Without erythropoietin you become tired and have no energy. Just to do anything at all will drain you.
4. Rash and/or Itching. One job of the kidneys is to remove wastes from your bloodstream. When you have kidney failure this does not happen and thus you have severe itching and possible rashes.
5. Nausea and Vomiting. With kidney failure you may have severe buildup of wastes in your blood and this would cause vomiting and nausea. With this also comes loss of appetite due to the nausea and not being able to keep anything down. With loss of appetite, the patient with kidney failure may lose weight.   
6. Shortness of Breath. Shortness of breath is another symptom of kidney failure. Shortness of breath may keep you awake at night or unable to do the simplest of tasks. People short of breath all the time must rest more, take taxis or even have someone help them with the housework. Vacuuming seems to be the hardest task to do when short of breath.
7. Bone Pain. Leg, back and side bone pain may occur with kidney failure. Noticeable side pain when trying to urinate is normal for many. This pain may be excruciating.
8. Recurring Urinary Tract Infections. Many people have urinary tract infections, but left untreated this can lead to scarring of the kidneys. If these recurring urinary tract infections are left untreated over time, they can lead to renal hypertension and kidney failure.  
9. Bad Breath. Uremia is the buildup of wastes in the blood. This uremia causes food to taste different and cause bad breath. All of a sudden the food you loved before are no longer desirable. You start to lose weight, because you are not hungry or feel like eating and this loss of appetite causes you to be fatigued with not enough energy from the proper vitamins and nutrients.  
10. Insomnia and Depression. Insomnia should be noted as a symptom of kidney failure also. Lack of sleep may be attributed to breathing problems, fluid buildup in the body and swelling. This lack of sleep therefore may cause severe depression.