Top 10 Symptoms of Kidney Failure

Kidney failure is an End-Stage renal disorder that is characterized by complete cessation of kidney function. This is the most dreaded ending of a long battle with kidney problems.

Once the condition reaches this stage, there is no turning back to the normal function of the kidney, instead the person should now rely on dialysis to clean the blood and rid the body of toxic wastes of metabolism.

Another option is to subject the body to kidney transplant, which is not only very expensive and critical as the body could reject the new kidney bringing more complications; it is also very hard to find a suitable and compatible donor.

For people suffering from chronic kidney diseases, as well as other kidney disorders, these are the symptoms to look out for since these symptoms are tell tale signs that the end of the kidney is near:

1. Oedema - characterized by bloating of the feet or legs at first and eventually will be distributed all throughout the body. This is primarily due to increased water retention by the kidney instead of letting the water out of the body.

2. Anemia - one of the major functions of the kidney is the regulation on production of red blood cells, as the kidneys deteriorate, red cells production also decreases, hence the person will become severely anemic (low red blood cell count).

3. Hematuria - characterized by the presence of blood clots in the urine.

4. Bloody Stools - blood may be seen with the stool and is a very good indication of the severity of kidney damage.

5. Sudden behavior change - people suffering from renal failure is more prone to mood swings, hallucinations, delusions, and increased state of confusion.

6. Severe flank pain - a very painful feeling in one flank of the body, and have the tendency to move to the lower abdomen, groin, labia, or the testicles.

7. Decrease in urination - decrease in the volume of urine is one thing, but in renal failure, the act of urination itself is diminished.

8. Shortness of breath - primarily brought about by extremely high blood pressure.

9. Seizure - severe conditions on the kidneys and its effect all throughout the body might trigger seizures and involuntary shaking of a part of the body, or the entire body as well.

10. Foul Smelling Urine - acrid and too sweet smelling urine is an indication of renal failure although it could also be observed in chronic renal diseases.