Your kidneys work around the clock to filter waste and excess fluid from your blood. The problem is that early kidney disease often causes few or no noticeable symptoms, so changes in your body can be easy to dismiss. Blood and urine tests are often needed to determine whether your kidneys are actually functioning properly.
Here are 5 signs that may occur when kidney function is impaired, particularly as kidney disease becomes more advanced.
1. Swelling in Your Feet, Ankles or Legs
Unexplained swelling, particularly around the feet, ankles, legs, hands, or sometimes the face, can occur when the kidneys have difficulty removing excess fluid and sodium from the body.
Swelling can have many causes, so it doesn’t automatically mean you have kidney disease. However, persistent or unexplained edema is worth discussing with a healthcare professional.
2. Changes in Your Urine
Changes in urination can sometimes be a warning sign. You may notice that you are urinating more or less frequently than usual, particularly at night.
Foamy or unusually bubbly urine can also occur when protein is leaking into the urine. Albumin in the urine can be an indicator of kidney damage, which is why a urine albumin test is commonly used when evaluating kidney health.
3. Unusual Tiredness or Trouble Concentrating
Persistent fatigue, weakness, difficulty concentrating, or sleep problems can occur with more advanced kidney disease.
When kidney function declines, waste products and other changes in the body’s internal balance can contribute to these symptoms. But fatigue is extremely common and has many possible causes, so it shouldn’t be used by itself to diagnose a kidney problem.
4. Itchy or Dry Skin
Persistent dry or itchy skin can occur in people with more advanced chronic kidney disease. Changes in mineral and fluid balance may contribute to skin symptoms.
If itching is persistent, severe, or accompanied by other symptoms such as swelling, changes in urination, nausea, or unexplained fatigue, it’s a good idea to speak with a healthcare professional.
5. Nausea, Poor Appetite or Unexplained Weight Loss
As kidney disease becomes more advanced, some people experience nausea, vomiting, reduced appetite, or unintended weight loss. These symptoms can occur when waste products build up in the body because the kidneys aren’t filtering effectively.
What Should You Do If You Notice These Signs?
Don’t assume that these symptoms automatically mean you have kidney disease. Many of them can occur because of other health conditions.
In fact, the absence of symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean your kidneys are healthy. Early chronic kidney disease frequently has no obvious symptoms, which is why testing is particularly important for people with risk factors such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, or a family history of kidney failure.
A healthcare professional can assess kidney function using tests such as eGFR, which is calculated from a blood test, and a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (UACR) to look for albumin in the urine.
If you’re researching natural approaches to supporting kidney health or want to understand one particular kidney-health program in more detail, you can also read this Chronic Kidney Disease Solution review, which examines what the program claims, what it contains, and who it may be intended for.
Important: If you have persistent symptoms, abnormal urine, significant swelling, blood in your urine, severe pain, vomiting, shortness of breath, or other concerning symptoms, seek medical evaluation rather than relying on a supplement or natural program. Kidney disease requires proper testing and, when present, appropriate medical management.