Our kidneys are perhaps the most important organs of our body. It might not drive us or keep our hearts beating but they are in charge of filtering the blood. Failure to perform this job might bring repercussions to any of our body’s systems, and therein lies the biggest importance of taking good care of them and paying attention to any sign that they might be malfunctioning, failing or even shutting down.
Signs of malfunctioning kidneys
Fatigue
Our kidneys are in charge of producing erythropoietin (or EPO for short), a hormone in charge of inducing the production of red blood cells, the ones responsible for carrying the oxygen to all the organs in our body. Therefore, when our kidney fails and this hormone is not duly produced, oxygen does not arrive properly to organs like our brains and muscles.
Change in urine habits
The filtering process of our blood generates the byproduct of urine, but if our kidney’s function is altered in any way, this process will be altered as well, and the urine quantity and consistency will change. Our urges of going to the bathroom will increase greatly and we will have to urinate more often.
Urine changes
A similar consequence exists for the consistency of the urine. This liquid is produced by the kidneys, and on regular basis the color and smell is constant. If the next time we are in the toilet we experience a difference in this constant (change of color, consistency and even blood), we are in presence of evidence that our filters might clogging and need immediate check up by our doctor.
Liquid retention
Our body has ways of communicating when a certain part of our bodies are shutting down. If our extremities present swelling, this might be a sign that our kidneys are filtering but not eliminating this excess of liquid through the regular route.
Skin irritation
Another symptom of suffering from kidney failure is manifested through the skin by means of irritation and itchiness. This is due to the kidneys not eliminating the wastes properly and, as the same case as the liquid, the wastes goes somewhere, building up near the skin. Some have reported having an very strong itchy skin that is unable to scratch away.
Bad taste
A persistent sign of kidneys not being able to perform their duty is experiencing what is called ammonia breath. This is described as having a very bad breath (similar to the ammonia odor) and having a metallic taste in your mouth. This symptom is due to the failure do away with the waste substances of the blood filtered.
Back pain
One of the symptoms of chronic kidney disease is a very strong pain in the lower back, which is identified as pain coming from the kidneys. This consequence is also as a result of the inability of release the excess of toxins and liquid from the body. In this case, the accumulation is on the kidneys, causing so much pain that can spread to the legs.
Anemia
When the kidneys neglect to function properly, not inducing the production of red blood cells, this causes anemia, the lack this important cells in the blood. Anemia is the lack of these oxygen-carrying cells. Therefore, affecting greatly any process in the body that requires oxygen. Furthermore, anemia is also a sign that there is a chronic kidney disease developing.
