Kidneys are essential organs in
your body. The two kidneys vital tasks are to
remove wastes and toxins from your body and
much more! As you eat and drink, your body takes
what it needs for energy, nutrients and self
repair. Leftovers and extra water the body does
not need become wastes. Some of the wastes end
up in the bloodstream and must be filtered out
to keep you healthy. This becomes one of the
jobs of the kidneys. Kidneys also regulate your
body’s water and other things in your
blood such as calcium and sodium. The kidneys
release hormones that help to make new red blood
cells, promote strong bones and to regulate
your blood pressure. The kidneys also remove
toxins and drugs that are introduced into your
body. As you can see, your kidney health is
very important.
There are many causes of chronic
kidney disease. Chronic kidney disease may be
caused by diabetes or high blood pressure (hypertension),
certain inflammation of the kidneys, inherited
diseases, congenital malformations, immune diseases,
repeated urinary tract infections or by obstructions
caused by problems such as kidney stones.
Unfortunately, one may not have
severe symptoms until the chronic kidney disease
is at an advanced point. The early signs can
be very subtle. Some of the symptoms that one
might experience are:
• muscle cramping,
especially at night
• itchy skin – the build up of
wastes in the blood can cause severe itching
• difficulty sleeping or concentrating
• poor appetite
• fatigue – lack of usual energy
and feelings of overwhelming tiredness can
be related to kidney failure
• swollen feet and ankles and puffiness
around the eyes (especially in the morning)
– failing kidneys do not remove extra
fluid, which builds up in the body
• changes in urination – foamy
urine, blood in the urine, more or less urine
than usual, or getting up at night to urinate
• shortness of breath – extra
fluid can build up in the lungs or anemia
can cause shortness of breath.
• Pain in the small of the back –
the pain is not made worse by movement
Make sure to make an
appointment with your doctor and discuss any
symptoms.
There are options for
treatment when the kidneys to fail and treatment
is needed to filter out wastes and extra fluid
from the bloodstream. Treatments today can
help people live long and live well.
