9 Warning Signs Your Kidneys Are Failing | Tests to Avoid Dialysis

nine warning signs your kidneys are failing plus tests to avoid dialysis do you know that over 88,000 people in the US are living with endstage kidney disease or ESD in short also known as kidney failure when one reaches this stage they need a kidney transplant or must begin dialysis they simply cannot live without one or the other the chance to perform kidney transplant is pretty low over 100,000 Americans are on transplant waiting lists with 87% of those awaiting kidneys and around 70% of patients with ESD rely on dialysis to survive this can cost each patient

no less than $40,000 a year the sooner you detect ESD the better you can manage it and the higher your chances of survival however patients with kidney failure rarely notice changes in their kidneys or urine you might not see differences in the volume color or smell of your urine some people might wake up more often to use the bathroom at night but that isn't a clear sign of kidney problems being aware of kidney failure symptoms is key to catching it early in this video we'll walk you through all the possible symptoms giving you the knowledge

to spot kidney failure and take action effectively if needed we will also introduce some essential tests so you'll know what to expect when you visit the doctor before we dive in please note all the information in this video is created by real people thoroughly fact checked unbiased and reviewed by qualified professionals what is kidney failure or ESD the main function of the kidneys is to clean the blood filtering out excess fluid and waste products kidney failure or endstage kidney disease is the final stage or stage five of chronic kidney disease when the condition progresses to

this stage the kidneys are severely damaged and have lost most of their ability to perform their essential functions ESD is especially common in patients with diseases like hypertension cardiovascular diseases and diabetes metis ESD is characterized by toxin buildup which is called ureia this means that the fluids electrolytes waste substances and other toxins that should normally be eliminated in the urine remain in the blood this produces several serious symptoms that impact the overall health of patients who have ESD what signs and symptoms imply severe kidney disease in this section we'll explore nine of the most common

and significant symptoms of ESD being aware of these symptoms will help you recognize them early and notify your physician knowing what to look for will make a difference in managing kidney dysfunction and improving your quality of life Life One fatigue ongoing fatigue is one of the most common symptoms experienced by people with severe CKD when your kidneys don't work well toxins and waste accumulate in your blood and this can make you feel exhausted also your kidneys make less of a hormone called arotin which helps your body produce red blood cells having fewer red blood cells

causes anemia which worsens fatigue patients with CKD who also have diabetes high blood pressure history of a prior heart attack depression or sleep problems often feel especially tired the combination of waste buildup and anemia can make everyday tasks feel difficult an effective solution to improve fatigue when you have ESD is physical activity it has been shown that patients with kidney failure who exercise more frequently experience improvements in fatigue some doctors like to use drugs called erythropoesis stimulating agents to treat anemia in ESD but their effectiveness for fatigue is controversial two muscle cramps muscle cramps are

common in people with Stage 5 CKD these painful muscle spasms result from an imbalance of blood electrolyte levels like calcium or potassium most frequently leg cramping occurs when dialysis or kidney replacement therapy causes alkalosis a condition in which the blood becomes too alkaline alkalosis leads to an imbalance in electrolytes and results in muscle cramps additionally low levels of magnesium in the blood also called hypomagnesemia might occur after dialysis which can also lead to muscle cramps patients with ESD often experience high potassium levels however in some cases potassium levels may become too low which is called

hypokalemia hypokalemia can result from vomiting diarrhea some drugs or dialysis low potassium levels often lead to painful muscle cramps too there are effective treatments for muscle cramps in patients with ESD adding magnesium into the dialysis solution has been shown to improve muscle cramping in patients with ESD additionally your doctor may suggest adjusting your current medications to help balance your electrolytes and prevent muscle cramps three swelling or edema as your kidney function decreases and chronic kidney disease progresses you might begin to have swelling also known as edema especially in your legs ankles and feet when your

kidneys aren't functioning properly they can't remove extra sodium and fluid from your body consequently fluid is retained in your tissues which forms the edema people with heart disease impaired circulation other kidney problem problems or liver disease are more likely to experience edema your doctor will usually treat edema with medications called diuretics these medications cause you to urinate more removing some of the accumulated fluid another way to decrease edema is to reduce the amount of salt in your diet limiting sodium intake to approximately 2.3 gam per day has been shown to decrease edema are you enjoying

our video so far if so please give us some hints by dropping a like and we'll make more content like this four loss of appetite and eating less a decrease in appetite is a common problem for people with Advanced kidney disease as waste and other toxins accumulate in your blood some people feel less interested in eating loss of appetite frequently appears in earlier stages of CKD as well however as the disease progresses loss of appetite becomes more significant other related caus of reduced appetite and food intake in CKD include oral or gastrointestinal problems dialysis treatment

and mental health concerns if you have diabetes and CKD you have a higher risk of experiencing decreased appetite over time diabetes can damage the nerves that regulate gastric emptying and your sensation of being full which is called diabetic gastroparesis you might constantly feel like you are full even though you have not eaten recently because food food contents empty from your stomach more slowly and if you do eat you might develop nausea vomiting and abdominal pain it is important to keep in mind that not keeping up with your nutritional needs can make CKD worse therefore following

the nutritional advice of your kidney specialist is essential doctors might recommend appetite stimulants such as mestral acetate to improve appetite in these cases monitoring adverse effects from appetite stimulants like overhydration excessive weight gain and high blood sugar is also very important five itching constant itching which is called parius is a prevalent symptom for people with ESD more than 40% of patients on hemodialysis have this problem in some cases it is severe enough to interfere with sleep while the causes of parius are unclear it is thought to result from The increased presence of inflammatory molecules and

immune cells in the blood an imbalance in opioid receptors and the accumulation of toxins and electrolytes your doctor might treat parius by adjusting your dialysis dose or by using treatments like Gabapentin or pregabalin phototherapy or opioid receptor modulators six shortness of breath it can be scary to feel like you cannot catch your breath this is called dpia and it is a dangerous symptom of severe kidney disease with several possible causes fluid electrolyte and protein imbalances might lead to excess water accumulation in your lungs called pulmonary edema which makes it more difficult for you to breathe

scarring or hypertension in the lungs also contributes to shortness of breath anemia which often accompanies kidney disease can cause dpia because your body isn't getting enough oxygen another reason for dpia is the accumulation of inflammatory substances in the blood when patients with CKD are malnourished and their inflammation levels are high the blood becomes filled with accumulated toxins leading to a condition called protein energy wasting syndrome the body begins to destroy muscle tissue including the respiratory muscles making it harder to breathe the best treatments are respiratory support along with managing each specific cause seven memory loss

confusion dementia patients with ESD May experience what doctors call cognitive deficit symptoms these include trouble concentrating memory loss difficulty learning or making decisions confusion or dementia waste products accumulating in the blood have negative effects on cognition and brain functioning another potential cause is damage to the blood vessels in the brain due to a lack of oxygen anemia depression and sleep problems are additional contributors to brain dysfunction there are some ways to prevent vent and treat cognitive deficits related to ESD intensive control of hypertension has been shown to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment patients

who receive kidney transplants are able to improve their memory after the surgery for those interested in the evidence the studies supporting our claims are provided in the link in our description box eight urine likee breath abnormal taste ureia may cause uremic feeder a urin smell of the breath similar to previous symptoms when the kidneys aren't eliminating waste substances in the urine they accumulate in the blood in particular high levels of ammonia in the bloodstream lead to this characteristic breath odor some patients also perceive an abnormal or metallic taste in their mouths called dsia it can

be due to an abnormal composition flow or acidity of the saliva fluid imbalance and electrolyte and toxin accumulation are other causes of djusa a possible solution to this problem is using mouthwash specifically bicarbonate mouthwash improves the bad taste produced by the accumulation of waste substances since poor oral hygiene has also been reported in patients with ESD it is worth a checkup with your dentist to assess your oral health nine skin changes skin discoloration and poor or pale skin are present in approximately 40% % of patients with ESD and they usually result from anemia other patients

may experience darkening of the skin also known as hyperpigmentation due to hormonal imbalances poor is often improved by increasing hemoglobin levels if you are dealing with hyperpigmentation using sunscreen will help you prevent it from worsening Additionally the accumulation of substances that make the urine yellow gives a yellowish tone to the skin very dry skin is also common in patients with ESD known as xerosis the exact reason for this dryness isn't fully understood however it is thought to be due to shrinking and reduced functioning of the Skin's oil and sweat glands leading to dehydrated skin xerosis

is reduced by washing your hands showering and bathing less frequently using moisturizing lotions and avoiding Fabrics that make your skin irritated are also helpful measures if skin changes are severe or Troublesome your dermatologist might offer treatments and individualized advice to help improve your appearance and comfort tests to detect kidney disease detecting kidney disease early is vital to managing it effectively several key tests are available to help your doctor diagnose kidney issues before they become severe some of the most common tests to detect kidney disease early are one serum creatinin level this test measures the level

of cre creatinin in your blood creatinin is a waste product and high levels suggest impaired kidney function a primary marker for kidney disease this test is used to calculate the glomular filtration rate or GFR for short the GFR estimates how well your kidneys are filtering your blood if your creatinin level is high and your GFR is consistently low your doctor will diagnose you with CKD two blood Uria nitrogen or bu level this is another blood test it measures Uria nitrogen in your blood elevated levels can indicate that your kidneys are not filtering waste properly three

urine protein level checking for protein in the urine also known as proteinuria also helps diagnose kidney disease healthy kidneys excrete minimal amounts of protein in the urine therefore protura indicates that they are not working correctly four ultrasound this method uses sound waves to create images of the kidneys it helps detect structural problems or irregularities in blood flow to identify patients who are at risk for CKD treatment options for kidney disease managing ESD requires a combination of treatments specific to the cause and severity of the condition here's an overview of the four main treatment options one

medications medications are crucial in the management of chronic kidney disease including ESD they are used to help manage both symptoms and complications for example anti-hypertensive medications help control high blood pressure diuretics make you urinate more to reduce the accumulation of fluid in the body and erythropoesis stimulating agents are given to treat anemia additionally anti-hyperglycemic drugs maintain normal blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes two kidney transplant a kidney transplant is considered the preferred treatment for ESD it replaces the damaged kidney with a healthy one from a donor and dialysis is no longer needed this procedure

offers the potential for longer survival and a better quality of life compared to dialysis additionally transplants have been associated with less frequent cardiovascular disease than dialysis however it requires a donor match surgery and lifelong immunosuppressive medication to prevent organ rejection now that we speak about donor match it's important to bring up a disturbing reality in China where organs are harvested illegally and without consent to profit from the desperate need for transplants among many people Chinese hospitals claim they can find a matching organ within weeks days or even hours while in other countries it takes years

this means these hospitals have a large number of living donors ready to be used at any moment they are mostly prisoners of conscience like Fallen gong practitioners yers and other minority groups their healthy organs have been taken to fuel a massive transplant business which is backed by the Chinese government and police and is estimated to generate $1 billion each year if you're thinking about getting an organ transplant abroad do not go to China this way you can avoid unknowingly supporting any inhumane crimes there is so much more to this brutal story and you can find

more details and evidence in our description box three dialysis when kidney disease progresses dialysis may become unavoidable it is used in the last stage of CKD when the kidneys are no longer able to effectively filter waste from the blood dialysis is a form of kidney replacement therapy in which its normal filtering function is replaced by artificial methods dialysis is performed in several different ways one of them is hemodialysis using a machine to filter waste from your blood outside of the body this generally has to be done in a dialysis clinic a few times a week

another method is known as perianal dialysis a special type of cleansing fluid is placed into your abdominal cavity through a tube and your paranal membrane filters out the waste products perianal dialysis offers more comfort and flexibility as it can be easily performed over night at home without the need for expensive equipment four Lifestyle Changes patients with ESD can greatly benefit from diet and lifestyle changes a kidney-friendly diet is vital to prevent malnutrition limit the accumulation of waste substances prevent the progression of CKD and minimize complications your doctor will make recommendations based on your specific situation

you should ask about the recommended intake of protein sodium potassium fluids and phosphate for your kidney disease regular exercise has been shown to improve the health of patients with CKD it was found to have beneficial effects on blood pressure physical capacity fatigue heart function and muscle Health among others quitting smoking is another significant way to improve your condition because people who smoke have a higher risk of reaching ESD than those who don't compar ing treatment options for kidney disease we have discussed several treatment modalities that are useful in patients with CKD medications help manage symptoms

and complications and may be started at early stages however they do not replace kidney function in severe CKD like dialysis dialysis is necessary when kidney function is critically low and can't be managed with medication alone however it is a temporary solution a transplant offers a more permanent Improvement in kidney function but involves complex Surgical and postsurgery Care lifestyle changes are the safest and most effective long-term strategy for preventing and managing kidney disease when combined with medications and other therapies these changes help delay the need for more invasive treatments making these important improvements will also help

you prevent and manage many risk factors for CKD such as diabetes hypertension cardiovascular diseases and obesity additionally ensuring a proper diet maintaining proper fluid management getting regular exercise and controlling risk factors such as high blood pressure and diabetes will significantly impact disease progression by understanding these principles you will be able to use lifestyle modifications to work toward improving your quality of life with CKD maintaining regular follow-ups with your kid specialist will allow you to receive the most appropriate care throughout your treatment Journey conclusion we have come to the end of this video thank you for

watching the most important takeaway from today's video is that recognizing and understanding the symptoms of ESD can greatly improve your quality of life early detection and management of symptoms like fatigue itching edema or shortness of breath will help you live with the disease more comfortably remember it's crucial to stay in close contact with your kidney specialist and follow their advice on treatments and lifestyle changes whether it's through medication dialysis or changes in diet and habits taking these small steps can make a big difference staying informed and being proactive about your health will Empower you to

manage ESD more effectively and improve your overall well-being we hope this information helps you or your loved ones navigate the challenges of kidney failure now we want to send a big thank you to all our current subscribers and viewers your support inspires us to continue sharing valuable content hit the Bell icon and turn on all notifications so you never miss a life-saving video everything we've discussed in this video might be wasted if you don't watch the video on the screen here we share the worst 22 foods that can ruin your effort to take care of

your kidney and offer tips on how to still enjoy them or find great Alternatives see you there stay informed stay healthy