As important as your kidneys are to your health (including your bone health), symptoms of their malfunction can be quite subtle. Yet early detection is crucial for preventing permanent kidney damage, so it’s vital to recognize the signs that something is not right with these detoxification organs.

In today’s post, you’ll learn about eight early warning signs that could mean your kidney function is not up to par, and what to do about it.

It’s especially important to pay attention to your kidneys as you get older, because their function tends to decline in the later adult years (more on this later). In fact, and especially as it relates to your bone health, kidney function becomes even more crucial as we advance in years, because they are key players in the acid/alkaline balance in the body.

As Savers know, this balance is at the very heart of the Save Our Bones Program’s drug-free osteoporosis treatment. In addition to balancing the pH, the kidneys also filter out bone-damaging toxins and “decide” which vitamins and minerals need to be excreted or put back into circulation. Unfortunately, osteoporosis drugs have also been implicated in kidney damage , adding yet another compelling reason to avoid them.

As you can see, the kidneys are at the center of your bone health. So it’s vital to keep track of their function.

1. Swollen Feet, Ankles, Face, Or Other

Fluid retention is a definite sign that something is up with your body’s excretory system. One of the primary ways the kidneys keep your body balanced and deliver nutrients is by regulation of water. If these organs are not functioning well, fluid can accumulate in your tissues. Usually, you notice the swelling at your ankles, feet, face, or hands. Your legs might also swell.

1. Changes In Your Urine – Appearance, Frequency, Etc.

It makes sense to pay attention to urinary output, color and frequency when you’re taking note of your kidney function. After all, producing urine is one of the main things the kidneys do, so if you see any of the following changes, it might signal a kidney problem:

Urination is difficult.
You see blood in your urine.
Urination occurs less frequently, and when you do go, it appears very dark.
On the other hand, an increase in urine output and a lighter color can also indicate a problem (if it can’t be attributed to something obvious, such as drinking a lot of water).

Urine appears foamy or bubbly.

You wake during the night (sometimes more than once) with the urgent need to go.

1. Nausea And Vomiting

It’s understandable that you’d feel nauseated if your kidneys are letting “garbage” pile up in your system (the term for this phenomenon is “uremia”). Your body feels the need to expel the poisons, which can manifest as nausea and the feeling that you need to vomit. Sometimes, vomiting actually does occur.

1. Feeling Tired Or Sluggish During The Day

Everyone has a day when they feel tired – maybe you didn’t get enough sleep, or ate the wrong foods, or some other temporary factors are at play. But sometimes, fatigue is caused by lack of a hormone called erythropoietin, or EPO. The main function of EPO is to stimulate the production of red blood cells, and red blood cells carry energizing oxygen to cells throughout your body.

Stressed kidneys do not produce enough EPO, thereby reducing the number of red blood cells and making you feel weak and tired out.

1. Pain In Your Legs

If your kidneys are the cause of leg discomfort or pain, it’s usually located in the back of your legs. It can even migrate to your lower back, and can range from a feeling of muscle tightness to significant pain.

Kidney stones produce severe pain, usually in the back. Pain can also mean a kidney infection, which may be accompanied by a bladder infection as well. In some cases, the kidneys and liver might have cysts, which can be quite painful.

1. A Bad Taste In Your Mouth

If your kidneys are not removing toxins, they accumulate in your body (uremia). This can cause a metallic taste in your mouth, and produce bad breath. You might also find that food doesn’t taste the same, particularly meats. (This is interesting to note in light of the research we’re going to look at later, which connects a high-meat diet with kidney stress.) This dulls your appetite, which in turn can cause weight loss.

1. Itchy Rashes

When uric acid and waste products accumulate, the resulting buildup can cause itchy patches on your skin. Rashes are a vague symptom that can be caused by a number of factors; but those that result from kidney malfunction feel “deeper.” Topical treatment doesn’t help very much, because the itch feels like it extends below the skin’s surface. Uric acid-induced rashes can also manifest as little red bumps, not unlike acne.

1. Anemia

As I mentioned earlier, your kidneys produce red blood cell-stimulating EPO. Without enough EPO, you can’t make enough red blood cells, which can result in anemia. Anemia can manifest in a myriad of symptoms, including feeling winded and out of breath, feeling chilly even if your surroundings are warm, and dizziness. The reason for all of these symptoms is a systemic lack of oxygen (delivered by red blood cells).

It’s always a good idea to heed early warning signs and treat your kidneys to a cleanse before damage occurs, and it’s particularly important to offset the effects of aging on your renal system. If you need any health related information then follow our Facebook Page.

Best of Luck !