Common Symptoms of Kidney Disease

• Swelling of the face and feet and sometimes of the whole body
• Puffiness around the eyes, particularly in the morning.
• Burning sensation while urinating.
• Gross Hematuria - Red or coffee colored urine.
• Change in pattern of urination including increased frequency of urination and having to get up more often at night to pass urine.
• Pain in the back just below the ribs.
• High blood pressure.
• Increasing weakness.
• Nausea may be present at the terminal stage of kidney failure.
• Abnormal behavior and convulsions are late manifestations of kidney diseases.

These symptoms of kidney disease however may be absent. Patients may lose a great deal of their kidney function without any of these symptoms appearing. When the kidneys are damaged, the amount of urine that is passed may not decrease until the amount of damage is extremely severe and perhaps only 15% of the normal kidney function remains.

There are many conditions in which the kidneys can fail and Nephrologist is concerned with identifying and treating these disorders. When irreversible failure occurs and dialysis is required the patient is managed by a Nephrologist. Transplants are usually done by surgeons (transplant surgeons or urologists). The follow up of the patient after transplant is done by the Nephrologist.

It must be emphasized that early referral to a Nephrologist is necessary to correctly diagnose and treat the kidney disorders, and initiate measures to slow down the rate of progression of disease. In many instances, the patients are only aware of their ailment at a late stage of kidney failure, requiring emergency dialysis.

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