When people think of kidney failure, they usually think of them in terms of bladder and kidney symptoms. By consuming enough water and avoiding foods that can irritate the kidneys, many people think they will be able to avoid these. However, often this is not always the case.
This is because the kidneys have many functions and therefore when things go wrong, kidney failure symptoms are much more widespread and harder to detect. In fact sometimes the symptoms may not seem directly related to the kidneys at first glance. But here, by understanding some of the major roles of the kidneys we will see how these kidney failure symptoms occur.
Probably the most commonly understood function of the kidneys is removing toxins from the body, which is why we know that healthy foods and water can assist these to do the job. While ample intake of water and beneficial diet are essential, many people may still need a little extra help. Often this is because kidney damage is hard to detect. Symptoms begin to occur usually when kidney damage is quite advanced, which means in many cases a lot of damage has been done before a problem has been detected and intervention begins. Kidney failure symptoms are usually results of long-term damage and they can be widespread throughout the body.
One of the kidney failure signs that physicians should be able to pick up is a low urine creatinine level. When this happens, creatinine levels should be monitored once symptoms are reported. Creatinine levels in the body should be fairly constant. When levels are too low in the urine, it indicates that the kidneys are doing an inadequate job of filtering it out of the blood. As a result, blood creatinine levels will end up too high and after a certain level the patient may require dialysis to filter the blood.
The body always tries to maintain a balance of solutes in the bloodstream and the kidneys have several jobs to do in regard to maintaining balance in the blood. These are also responsible for maintaining fluid levels within the body and as this function decreases, swelling in the body or fluid retention is a common kidney failure symptom. This usually occurs in the legs and feet. Fluid buildup can also occur in the lungs causing major problems with the cardiovascular system.
Additionally, kidneys are responsible for maintaining electrolyte levels such as potassium and sodium. If symptoms are ignored, rising electrolyte levels in the blood can cause dangerous heart arrhythmias and cardiovascular problems.
Weakness is another very common kidney failure symptom that occurs when the red blood cell count drops. Anemia is a common problem for patients because the kidneys are required to form the hormone EPO, which helps form red blood cells. Deficient EPO results in the kidney failure symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath and pallor.
The kidneys are also responsible for preventing acidity in the blood. As acid wastes increase in the body, shortness of breath or other relevant symptoms can occur. Shortness of breath occurs when the lungs try to compensate for its acidosis by getting rid of carbon dioxide. Kidney stones, gout, poor immunity, urinary changes and fatigue are common kidney failure symptoms that occur due to high levels of acidity in the blood.
If kidney failure symptoms are ignored and the kidneys are not treated, eventually death occurs. This is either due to organ failure from the increased load of toxins in the body, congestive heart failure due to fluid retention in the lungs, ventricular fibrillation caused by disrupted electrolyte levels, or other related causes. All manifestations of kidney failure symptoms should be treated as a medical emergency, since even relatively minor symptoms like lethargy or fatigue can indicate the presence of a deadly chain reaction.
This all sounds very scary, but you should be relieved to know that natural therapies such as herbs and nutrients, along with appropriate dietary and lifestyle changes can go a long way in protecting the health of your kidneys. Natural therapies have shown to slow the progression of kidney damage, and even help reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Indeed, it is never too late to introduce natural therapies and experience their benefits.
2012-02-02
