What Are the 3 Early Warning Signs of Kidney Disease?

The kidneys simply don’t get enough credit: You’ve probably never thought about these hard-working organs until you’ve had a problem. Kidneys are vital for filtering waste products and toxins from the blood. But what are the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease? It’s important to know them because kidney damage can slowly creep up on you, only showing subtle signs until the disease has advanced.

Knowing the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease can help you get help earlier, before the disease becomes more serious. We’ll take a closer look at these warning signs and how our internal medicine doctors in Raleigh can help you. 

What Are the 3 Early Warning Signs of Kidney Disease?

How Do You Know Your Kidneys Are Starting to Fail?

At first, you may not know you have kidney problems. Often there may be no obvious symptoms when the disease begins. That’s why it’s so important to be aware of the earliest indicators. These include:

• Changes in Urination

Are you having to urinate more often? Or maybe you’re not urinating as much as you usually do, despite drinking fluids?

In addition, any signs of blood in your urine can be an early symptom of kidney disease. Remember, sometimes there are only trace amounts of blood in your urine—which means it can’t be seen with the naked eye. This is another reason to schedule an appointment with our internal medicine physicians in Raleigh so we can perform tests to confirm. 

These can be indicators that there is a problem beginning.

• Fluid Retention and Swelling

If your kidneys aren’t functioning well, you’ll retain water and excess fluids. As a result, you’ll experience swelling in your arms, legs, ankles, and hands. In addition, you may find that you have gained weight due to this retention.

• Weakness and Fatigue

First, remember that several conditions can cause weakness and fatigue. Therefore, if you’re consistently experiencing these symptoms, you should schedule an appointment so we can get to the heart of the issue.

Kidney disease causes a decrease in your red blood cells and anemia—both of which can lead to difficulty concentrating and persistent fatigue.

What Is the Biggest Indicator of Kidney Disease?

Creatinine is a waste product. It is filtered out of the bloodstream by healthy kidneys. If there is an elevated level of creatinine in your blood, it could indicate that your kidneys are not functioning effectively. We can discover your creatinine levels by a simple blood test.

What Color Is Urine When Your Kidneys Are Failing?

As we answer, what are the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease?, it helps to review the color that your urine should appear—and what it looks like when there is a potential problem. 

Normal urine should be pale yellow or straw-colored. This not only shows that you’re adequately hydrated, but it also indicates healthy kidney function.

If your urine is dark or cloudy, this could be an indicator of potential problems. 

How Do You Keep Your Kidneys Healthy?

Your kidney function is vital to life. Without healthy kidneys, toxins and waste products will build up in your bloodstream. At first, kidney disease may only have subtle indicators, which is why we’ve outlined the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease. To keep your kidneys healthy, our internal medicine doctors in Raleigh suggest:

• Staying hydrated: Be sure to drink water; avoid sports drinks or energy drinks that are high in sugar.
• Eating a balanced diet: This means ensuring you get plenty of vegetables and avoid processed foods. 
• Getting regular exercise: This not only helps you maintain a healthy weight, but it promotes good circulation, which helps your kidneys stay healthy.
• Monitoring your blood sugar: This is particularly important if you have diabetes, which is one of the leading causes of kidney disease.
• Keep your blood pressure at a healthy level: consistent high blood pressure also damages the kidneys.  If you are prescribed medications for high blood pressure, please take these medications as ordered and check your blood pressure periodically to ensure that it is staying within recommended limits.

Our Raleigh Internal Medicine Team Can Help You Maintain Your Kidney Health

We’ve explored the 3 early warning signs of kidney disease and provided information on how you can help your kidneys stay healthy. Internal medicine physicians specialize in monitoring how all the body’s systems work together, realizing that a problem with one can affect other areas of your health. 

We can conduct comprehensive health evaluations and monitor your kidney health through blood tests and urinalysis. With our personalized treatment plans, we will track your progress and make adjustments as needed.

Overdue for a physical? Not sure of your kidney health? We’d love the chance to be your medical home. Just contact us for an appointment today.