{"id":16267,"date":"2023-08-10T19:49:00","date_gmt":"2023-08-10T19:49:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/chronic-kidney-disease-symptoms-causes-and-tests\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T07:16:20","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T07:16:20","slug":"chronic-kidney-disease-symptoms-causes-and-tests","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/agilusdiagnostics.com\/blogs\/chronic-kidney-disease-symptoms-causes-and-tests\/","title":{"rendered":"Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Symptoms, Causes and Tests"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kidneys filter extra water, waste products and fluids from your body. They also clean your blood and control your blood pressure. <\/span>Chronic kidney disease <\/strong>or <\/span>chronic kidney failure <\/strong>can affect your body adversely. The kidneys filter extra water, waste products, and fluids from your body. which can lead to swollen ankles, weakness, nausea and poor health. The treatment of chronic kidney disease, or CKD includes preventing kidney damage by diagnosing the causes. Chronic kidney disease can also lead to kidney failure without proper dialysis and kidney transplant.<\/span><\/p>\n

What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Chronic kidney disease might not exhibit symptoms in the early stages. However, the common <\/span>chronic kidney disease symptoms<\/strong> are the following:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • You may experience nausea or vomiting.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might feel excessively tired and suffer from a lack of energy.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might have trouble concentrating even on your regular work.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might begin to have a poor appetite.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might suffer from muscle cramps at night.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might have trouble sleeping properly.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Your feet and ankles might become swollen because of fluid retention.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • The area around your eyes might become puffy, especially in the morning.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might experience dry, itchy skin.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You might need to urinate frequently, especially during the night, because your kidneys are unable to function properly.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • If fluid builds up around the lining of the heart, you will experience chest pain and tightness.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • You may experience gradual loss of mental sharpness.<\/span><\/li>\n
  • If fluid builds up in the lungs, you will experience shortness of breath.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

    What are the causes of chronic kidney disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

    Your kidneys are made up of millions of tiny filters called nephrons. If any disease like diabetes or high blood pressure injures these filtering units called nephrons, you might suffer from <\/span>chronic kidney disease<\/strong> or <\/span>chronic kidney failure<\/strong>.<\/span> Impairment of kidney disease or function may cause damage to your kidney over several months or years.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease include:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Diabetes can lead to chronic kidney disease. Excessive glucose levels can damage your nephrons, and over time, the kidneys become so damaged that they can no longer filter the excess fluid from your body. In many cases, you might notice that kidney damage causes the albumin in your body to leak through your kidneys. When you have a healthy, functional kidney, it prevents albumin from passing out through your urine. <\/span>Diabetic kidney disease <\/strong>is the name given to the chronic kidney disease caused by diabetes<\/span>.<\/strong><\/li>\n
    • Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is a genetic disorder where cysts begin to grow in your kidneys, leading to chronic kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Certain medicines that are toxic to the kidneys might lead to kidney failure.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Lupus nephritis is a chronic kidney disease that is caused by lupus.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Rare genetic disorders like the Alport syndrome might lead to symptoms of kidney disease.· Anti-GBM disease, where your body’s immune system harms your cells and organs, can cause chronic kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Renal artery stenosis<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Occasionally, metal poisoning might lead to kidney failure.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Enlarged prostate, kidney stones or certain cancers might obstruct the urinary tract, which in time might lead to chronic kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Recurrent kidney infection, also known as pyelonephritis, causes kidney failure.<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Vesicoureteral reflux is a condition where your urine backs up in your kidneys instead of passing out, leading to chronic kidney disease.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      What are tests used to diagnose chronic kidney disease?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

      Your doctor might clinically examine you and ask questions about your family history or whether you take medicines for high blood pressure. Next, your doctor might suggest the following <\/span>kidney test<\/strong> to ascertain whether you have chronic kidney disease and how progressive the disease is.<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Urine test<\/strong>: Your doctor might request a urine sample to be given for examination. Abnormal levels of albumin in your urine might point to <\/span>chronic kidney failure<\/strong>.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Blood test<\/strong>: Your doctor will suggest a <\/span>kidney function test, <\/strong>where levels of urea and creatinine will be examined in your blood. Elevated levels of urea and creatinine indicate a failing kidney.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Imaging test<\/strong>: Your doctor might recommend imaging tests such as ultrasound, MRI and CT Scan to diagnose the size and structure of your kidney. These tests are also done to investigate cysts or water retention in your kidneys.<\/span><\/li>\n
      • Kidney tissue biopsy<\/strong>: Your kidney specialist or nephrologist might suggest a kidney biopsy to diagnose the actual cause of your <\/span>chronic kidney failure<\/strong>. A sample of your kidney tissue is collected and sent to the lab to determine the cause of your kidney failure.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Chronic kidney disease is a progressive disease, but it can be prevented with timely intervention and treatment. If diseases like high blood pressure and diabetes can be kept within limits, your life expectancy with chronic kidney disease might be increased.<\/span><\/p>\n

        Agilus Diagnostics, a subsidiary of Fortis Healthcare Limited<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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