Symptoms and Complications
The symptoms of kidney disease depend on the type of disease that a person has. If the disease is caused by a bacterial infection, the person will develop a high fever. Other signs of kidney disease include passing too much or too little urine, or passing blood or abnormal levels of chemicals in the urine. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is a kidney disease in which the kidneys cannot remove enough water from the urine to make it concentrated.
Mild to moderate kidney disease often does not have any symptoms. However, in end-stage kidney disease or uremia, when the toxins accumulate in a person's blood, symptoms may include:
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puffy eyes, hands, and feet (called edema)
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high blood pressure
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fatigue
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loss of appetite
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nausea and vomiting
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thirst
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a bad taste in the mouth or bad breath
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weight loss
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generalized, persistent itchy skin
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muscle twitching or cramping
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a yellowish-brown tint to the skin
Kidney disease usually does not cause pain, but in some cases pain may occur. A kidney stone in the ureter (a tube leading from the kidney to the bladder) can cause severe cramping pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin. The pain disappears once the stone has moved through the ureter.
Kidney disease can lead to both acute and chronic kidney failure, both of which can be life-threatening. Acute kidney failure happens suddenly, and chronic kidney failure happens gradually. Acute kidney failure can often be reversed if the underlying disease is treated. In both conditions, the kidneys shut down, and can no longer filter wastes or excess water out of the blood. As a result, poisons start to build up in the blood and cause various complications that can affect various body systems. Chronic kidney failure eventually reaches an end stage. This condition occurs when the kidney is working at less than 10% of full capacity. At this stage, the person will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to be able to go on living.