Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease

Recognizing the symptoms of kidney disease can help detecting it early enough to get treatment. Symptoms can include:

  • woman having a headacheIrregular urination — making more or less urine than usual, feeling pressure when urinating, changes in the color of urine, foamy or bubbly urine, or having to get up at night to urinate.
  • Swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, or face — fluid the kidneys can’t remove may stay in the tissues.
  • Weakness or fatigue — a build-up of wastes or a shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can cause these problems when the kidneys begin to fail.
  • Trouble breathing — kidney failure is sometimes confused with asthma or heart failure, because fluid can build up in the lungs.
  • Ammonia breath or an ammonia or metal taste in the mouth— waste build-up in the body can cause bad breath, changes in taste, or an aversion to protein foods like meat.
  • Flank or back pain — the kidneys are located on either side of the spine in the back.
  • Itching — waste build-up in the body can cause severe itching, especially of the legs.
  • Appetite loss
  • Vomitting and nausea
  • More hypoglycemic episodes — if diabetic

If you believe you have any of these symptoms, talk to your doctor about your concerns. Such is especially crucial if you have a family member suffering from a kidney disease or if you are suffering from either high blood pressure or diabetes- the two main causes of kidney failure.