Few people know exactly where the kidneys are located and what they do. And this is a vital organ that is worth taking care of. If you find symptoms from the list, do not rush to self-medicate: only a doctor can make a diagnosis.
Swelling
Removing excess fluid from the body is one of the main functions of the kidneys. If the paired organ cannot cope, fluid accumulates in the body, causing swelling. As a rule, the face, legs and arms swell due to poor kidney function. A visual method of self-diagnosis is to simply press your finger on the swelling. Ideally, the normal skin color is quickly restored. If the “white” spot from pressure persists for more than a few seconds, it is time to think about your health.
Frequent nighttime trips to the toilet
Frequent urination can be noticeable during the day, but especially at night: the body of a healthy person is designed in such a way that during sleep the kidneys slow down. If you regularly and repeatedly wake up because of the urge in the bladder, this is not normal! The cause is most likely in the kidneys.
Strange color of urine
The color of urine can be affected by both daily diet and medications, including vitamins. If there are no obvious reasons for the color change, but the urine has noticeably darkened, foams heavily, or contains blood impurities, the problem is in the kidneys and they need help!
Bad breath
Poor kidney function causes the blood to contain increased levels of uric acid, which breaks down into ammonia in saliva, resulting in an extremely unpleasant odor coming from the mouth, often compared to the smell of urine. Metabolic waste in the blood can also lead to changes in taste perception – a person with kidney disease may feel that food has a metallic taste. This is usually felt between meals.
Chills
It’s one thing if chills occur during a cold, and quite another when there are no obvious reasons for this. If you are constantly freezing in warm rooms, do not rush to scold the bad heating. If the air temperature is normal, but you are regularly freezing, it is worth examining the kidneys: anemia caused by kidney disease is one of the common causes of chills, as well as weakness and dizziness.
High blood pressure
The kidneys determine how much salt will leave the body and how much will remain in the blood and tissues. Excessive amounts of salt will inevitably lead to increased blood pressure. In addition, damaged kidneys can secrete hormones, the mechanism of which will also affect the tonometer readings.
Dyspnea
It would seem, how are breathing and kidneys connected? If the kidneys are not working well, excess fluid appears in the lungs, which interferes with normal breathing. Excess potassium in the blood threatens heart rhythm disturbances, which can also lead to shortness of breath.
Backache
If the kidneys themselves hurt, it’s definitely time to pay attention to them. You shouldn’t write off back pain for years on bad posture, perhaps the internal organs are sending a distress signal. Note that the kidneys are not in the lower back, but above the waist.