What are the Typical Symptoms of CKD

Chronic kidney disease has become a health problem throughout the world and it has high rates of incidence, mortality and cardiovascular complications while the knowing rate and prevention rate are low.

Therefore it is necessary to know the typical symptoms and signs indicating kidney problems. Of cause having these symptoms does not definitely mean kidney disease, but attention should be aroused and it can help us have an early detection and diagnosis so as to have early treatments and prevent progressing into advanced and irreversible stage.

1. Edema. It often occurs at eyelid, ankles and in serious conditions there will be fluid in the chest and abdomen. The location of edema can change with postural changes. Edema is often accompanied by reduced urine volume and gain of body weight.

2. High blood pressure. Kidney disease should be highly suspected if young people have increased high blood pressure and there is no family history of hypertension. And for those who have already had hypertension, routine urine test should be done regularly.

3. Oliguria or anuria. The 24-hour urine output is around 1500ml for adults. It is oliguria if daily urine volume is less than 400ml and less than 100ml is anuria.

4. Diuresis or increased night urine. Under normal circumstances, the urination in daytime and night is rather regular. The ratio of day urine and night urine is about 2-3:1 and night urine should not exceed 750ml. Daily urine output of more than 2500ml is called diuresis.

5. Urinary frequency. It means frequent feeling of passing urine, but every time the urine passed is little. Besides urinary frequency, there can also be urinary urgency and urinary pain.

6. Hematuria (reddish urine). Gross hematuria is more common in stones and tumors and microscopic hematuria is often caused by glomerular diseases.

7. Increase bubbles in urine. If there appear a lot of bubbles in urine, it is the manifestation of increased protein in urine. Routine urine test and 24-hour urinary protein quantitative examination should be done.

8. Back pain. Renal colic is often in stones in renal pelvis or ureter. Back pain accompanied by fever can be caused by acute pyelonephritis. In case of glomerular diseases, there can only be dull back pain.

9. Others. If there is listlessness, loss of appetite, fatigue, paleness or anemia, related tests such as urine and blood test should be done to find out the cause.