Renal Failure: Kidney Failure Symptoms

What is Renal Failure / Kidney Failure
The main function of the kidneys is to get rid of waste products from our body that are created by the body's constant metabolism. They filter all the natural toxins as impure blood passes through them, sending these toxins combined with excess water to the bladder for storage until urinated.

Kidney failure occurs when both the kidneys fail to function as desired and are not able to rid the body of these harmful toxins and excess fluid. The toxic blood and excess water in turn will cause many other complications, leading to severe ailments, at times fatal.

What are the types of renal failure
Renal failure is categorized into two types.

-- Acute renal failure
-- Chronic renal failure

Acute renal failure takes place rapidly - over days, weeks, or months. It could be caused by an illness connected with severe infection, severe dehydration for a prolonged period, or due to kidney stones that block urine being drained out of the body. If the symptoms are recognized and treated early, these conditions are usually totally curable.

Chronic renal failure happens gradually - over the years. The initial symptoms are usually very mild and could go unnoticed for years. Symptoms usually are noticed when it is too late and little can be done to reverse the situation.

The causes for kidney failure and the signs and symptoms of kidney failure could be similar in ARF and CRF with symptoms increasing and worsening in CRF.

Signs and Symptoms of Acute Renal Failure (ARF)
Acute renal failure usually develops in elderly persons, or if you have a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, heart problems, weight problems, kidney or liver disease.

Kidney failure symptoms during ARF could constitute one or more of the following.

-- Sudden decrease in urine output
-- Pain on one side of the back, above the waist and just below the rib-cage
-- Abnormal swelling of the legs and feet
-- Loss of appetite
-- Vomiting almost anything you eat or drink accompanied by diarrhea, leading to dehydration
-- Feeling restless and confused

Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Renal Failure (CRF)
Most of the people who are in the process of developing CRF are not even aware of it due to the mild symptoms and the amount of time (many years at times) it takes to develop.

Kidney failure symptoms during CRF could constitute one or more of the following.

-- Change in frequency of urination with a marked change in color of urine
-- Decreased urine output with the need to urinate frequently / excessively at night
-- Bloating up of entire body (face, hands, legs, feet, ankles)
-- Constant feeling of tiredness, even while relaxing
-- Skin eruptions combined with severe itching
-- Loss of appetite
-- Bad breath
-- Severe nausea and vomiting
-- Constantly being short of breath
-- Feeling cold even in warm surroundings
-- Feeling of dizziness most of the time
-- Poor concentration
-- Pain on the side of the back
-- Weakness
-- Headaches
-- Frequent muscle cramps
-- Excessive thirst
-- High blood pressure
-- Marked paleness of skin and nail color

A person suffering from CRF will have the urge to urinate frequently during the night. Urination could be much more than usual with a pale color, or a very small amount of dark color. In many cases the person feels like urinating, but there is no urine output.

The collection of fluid in the body could result in body fluid build-up, resulting in a puffy face, swollen hands, legs, feet and ankles.

Since the kidneys can't filter and excrete the toxic waste, toxicity of the blood keeps increasing, creating eruptions and skin rashes throughout the body. This is combined with a strong urge to itch, usually creating a bloody situation at the place of itching.

There is a constant foul taste in the mouth, leading to appetite loss and bad breath. This could lead the patient to lose weight rapidly.

The patient is almost always out of breath because the blood is filled with toxins, decreasing its oxygen carrying capacity. Also the lungs could have water due to the water retention reducing its efficiency. This lack of oxygen throughout the body causes dizziness and memory lapse.

As long as you are suffering from acute renal failure, it is not a life-threatening situation and can be cured when diagnosed in time. If you ignore the acute renal failure symptoms and allow it to progress to chronic renal failure, a total cure will be near impossible, even leading to death in severe cases. If you have doubts that you suffer from even one of the symptoms, visit your physician immediately. It could be something totally different, but if it is connected with renal failure, you could be saving a lot of problems in the future.