Symptoms of kidney problems are rare, however, when they do exist, the first signs usually include decreased urine and change in appearance, itchy skin, exaggerated swelling of the legs and constant tiredness.
Since not everyone can have symptoms, the best way to find out if there are any kidney problems is to have regular urine and blood tests and, if necessary, an ultrasound or CT scan. These tests are especially important in cases of increased risk of kidney changes, as in diabetics, the elderly and people with high blood pressure or family history of kidney failure, for example.
If you think you may have a kidney problem, choose the symptoms you are experiencing to assess your risk:
- 1. Frequent desire to urinate Yes No
- 2. Urinate in small amounts at a time Yes No
- 3. Constant pain in the bottom of your back or flanks Yes No
- 4. Swelling of the legs, feet, arms or face Yes No
- 5. Itching all over the body Yes No
- 6. Excessive tiredness for no apparent reason Yes No
- 7. Changes in the color and smell of urine Yes No
- 8. Presence of foam in the urine Yes No
- 9. Difficulty sleeping or poor sleep quality Yes No
- 10. Loss of appetite and metallic taste in the mouth Yes No
- 11. Feeling of pressure in the belly when urinating Yes No
If there are more than 2 of these symptoms, it is important to consult a nephrologist or general practitioner for diagnostic tests and to identify if there is really a kidney problem that needs to be treated. See the main causes of kidney pain.
Most common kidney problems
The problems that most often affect the kidneys are:
- Kidney stone: consists of the accumulation of small stones inside the kidney, which can hinder the passage of urine to the bladder; Kidney cysts: they are frequent with advancing age, but when they are very large, they can cause kidney pain; Polycystic kidney disease: leads to the appearance of several cysts in the kidney that can hinder its functioning; Hydronephrosis: arises when the urine is unable to pass until the bladder accumulates inside the kidney; Renal insufficiency: arises due to progressive kidney damage that is preventing its functioning; Kidney infections: are caused by bacteria that reach the kidney through the urinary tract or through the blood, being more common in women and manifesting symptoms, such as fever, vomiting and back pain; Acute kidney injury: it manifests mainly in people who are hospitalized in the ICU, people with a history of kidney problems or the elderly, for example, whose kidneys spontaneously stop functioning, for a short period of time, about 2 days, urgent treatment is required.
In addition, people with uncontrolled chronic illnesses, such as high blood pressure or diabetes, can also develop a chronic kidney disease that causes minor kidney damage over time, which can end in kidney failure. See what are the signs of kidney failure and how the treatment is done.
Kidney cancer is also quite common, especially in men over 60 years old, and can manifest itself with symptoms such as the presence of blood in the urine, frequent tiredness, weight loss without an apparent cause, constant fever and the presence of a nodule and side pain in the back of the back. See a more complete list of signs of kidney cancer.
How to treat kidney problems
The treatment for changes in the kidney must be adapted to the specific problem that is affecting the organ, however, in milder cases, such as the presence of small kidney stones or cysts, symptoms can be relieved with simple changes in the diet, such as consuming more water, avoid salt intake and increase calcium intake, for example. Check out a menu for kidney stone cases.
In the most severe cases, such as kidney failure or chronic kidney disease, treatment must always be guided by a nephrologist, as it may be necessary to control the amount of water ingested, take specific medications, perform dialysis and even perform some surgery to treat injuries. in the kidney. Here's how the diet should be for those with kidney failure:
In cases of cancer, it is almost always necessary to have surgery to remove the tumor or the whole kidney, if it is a serious situation, and to resort to chemotherapy or radiation therapy to eliminate the remaining cancer cells.
In addition, if there is another disease that is at the source of the kidney problem, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, it is also important to do its proper treatment to prevent further kidney damage.
What exams to do
The tests that can be used to identify the problem affecting the kidneys are:
- Blood tests: to assess the levels of substances that are normally eliminated by the kidney, such as creatinine and urea; Urine test: the presence of proteins or blood in the urine are changes that can indicate kidney problems; Ultrasound or tomography: help to identify changes in the shape of the kidney, allowing the observation of cysts and tumors, for example; Biopsy: usually used when cancer is suspected, but can be used to identify other problems.
These tests can be ordered by the nephrologist, so whenever a kidney problem is suspected it is important to go to the doctor to do them and confirm if there are any changes.
