Chronic Kidney Disease, Kidney "Stuff"
The Top 12 Symptoms That May Indicate You Have Chronic Kidney Disease
Discover the signs and symptoms you need to watch for to catch this silent disease before it’s too late.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) affects an estimated 37 million people in the United States alone, which comes out to be more than one in seven adults. It has arguably become an under-recognized, under-publicized public health crisis. What’s worse is that approximately 90% of the individuals who have this chronic illness, don’t even know it.
At Golden Standards Company, we’re on a mission to educate people on achieving better health through proper nutrition. We’re the original creators of Kidney “Stuff”, a whole-food supplement that aids in supporting overall kidney health and function naturally. We invite you to try our products and utilize the free information and articles on our site to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy too.
One would think that with the kidneys carrying out such crucial functions on a daily basis, any symptoms of larger kidney problems would be obvious, but this is not always the case. Symptoms of kidney problems can be very subtle, and that’s why CKD is so dangerous.
Dr. Abdul Ali Abdellatif, adjunct assistant professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine’s division of nephrology has gone so far as to call kidney disease a “forgotten pandemic.”
What You Should Look Out For
Below is a list of the top twelve symptoms of chronic kidney disease that you should keep an eye out for. It’s important to identify potential issues early on and recognize signs that may point to a bigger problem developing down the road. You may even find that you’re in the 33% who are at risk, right now.
- Dry or Itchy Skin Healthy kidneys help to remove waste, keep your bones strong and maintain the right balance of minerals in your blood. If you’re experiencing dry or itchy skin, this could be an early indicator of mineral and bone disease that often accompanies CKD. As waste builds up in the body, it can surface externally as a rash, acne and irritation.
- Fatigue When your kidneys aren’t filtering properly your red blood cell regulating hormones can become disrupted. This can lead to the development of anemia that may result in less energy, ongoing weakness and fatigue because your body isn’t getting enough oxygen. Anemia can lead to chills and cause the internal body temperature to decrease, especially in the feet, hands, ears and nose. You may also be experiencing more frequent headaches as a result.
- Trouble Sleeping or Breathing Poorly functioning kidneys can result in a buildup of toxins and impurities in your body that would otherwise be flushed from your system via your urine. These toxins can directly impact your ability to get a restful night’s sleep. Sleep problems plague between 45 and 80% of people with CKD, especially those in the late stages of the disease. You may develop issues with insomnia, restless leg syndrome and sleep apnea. In addition to this, breathing difficulty, such as shortness of breath while performing normal activities can also become a problem due to extra lung fluid or swelling.
- Visual Changes in Urine If your urine appears to be brown or red, that is a strong indication that there is blood in it. When the kidney gets damaged, whether it’s from kidney disease, kidney stones, a kidney infection or another cause, their filters become compromised which leads to blood cells leaking into the urine. If your urine appears foamy or frothy, that is a strong indication that your kidneys are leaking protein.
- Frequent Urination and UTIs Feeling a frequent urge to use the restroom? The need to urinate more often and recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), can both be signs of kidney stones, kidney damage or CKD. UTIs increase the risk for kidney infection, which can severely damage the kidneys if left untreated. These symptoms can also be a sign of a urinary infection or enlarged prostate in men.
- Dizziness and Trouble Concentrating You may be experiencing lightheadedness or dizziness. Oftentimes, dizziness, lack of focus, poor memory, fainting and difficulties concentrating will result as another symptom of advanced kidney disease. If you’re having trouble concentrating, it may be because of a buildup of toxins that is affecting the brain and depriving it of oxygen.
- Metallic Taste in the Mouth Uremia is a condition that causes waste to build in the blood and can usually be identified by having a metallic taste in your mouth. It can be accompanied by nausea, vomiting and poor digestion, leading to a severe loss in appetite and noticeable weight loss.
- Inflammation and Swelling of the Body Puffiness around your eyes or of the face may also be an indicator of protein from the kidneys leaking into your urine, rather than staying in the body. You might experience swelling of the hands, ankles and feet. A compromise in kidney function can lead to salt retention and an extra build up of fluids in your body, which causes swelling in the lower extremities that may lead to gout. Gout arises from an excess of uric acid and is most evident in the big toes. This painful condition is a strong indicator that your kidneys need some help healing.
- Muscle Twitching, Sudden Pain and Cramping A buildup of toxins can not only interfere with your circulation, it can cause sudden muscle twitching and muscle cramping too. Impaired kidney function can result in an electrolyte imbalance, which leads to low calcium levels and poorly controlled phosphorus that can contribute to these cramps. Furthermore, sudden pain may appear in the lower back around your kidneys. Developing upper back pain that radiates to the front of your body larger issues like infection or CKD onset. Numbness in the hands and feet is also common and affects anywhere from 70 to 90% of people with CKD. It happens as a result of nerve damage throughout the body.
- High Blood Pressure Hypertension, also known as abnormally high blood pressure, is one of the most common causes of Kidney disease and coincides frequently with CKD. Narrowing arteries and low blood flow can trick the body into thinking it’s dehydrated and stimulate the body to retain sodium and water, resulting in elevated blood pressure and an inability to regulate the salt in your blood.
- Diabetes and Obesity Diabetes is arguably the most common cause of kidney disease in the United States. High levels of blood sugar can damage the kidneys, but rarely cause obvious signs of kidney problems early on. It is also thought that there is a link between obesity and chronic kidney disease.
- Sexual Health Problems Another common symptom of CKD is changes in a person’s sexual wellness. Those with chronic kidney disease may experience a variety of symptoms like low libido, problems with sexual function and reduced fluid production. Certain medications can also impact a person’s desire or ability to be sexually intimate, as can certain conditions that may be a result of CKD, like diabetes or vascular disease.
What to Do If You’re Experiencing Symptoms
If you have multiple symptoms of kidney problems or CKD, it’s important that you consult with your physician and begin to investigate the root cause of these issues. Be prepared for a physical exam, a review of your (and your families) medical history, blood tests for kidney function and a urinalysis to identify signs of kidney damage. An evaluation may lead to a special consultation with a nephrologist. Your doctor may also decide to order an ultrasound or biopsy to get more information on the current state of your kidneys.
You may also want to consider starting a three month supply of Kidney “Stuff” capsules. Have a blood work panel completed before starting the supplement so you can establish a baseline, then repeat the same test during your first on-boarding phase around day 80 of use. It’s important to note that you must stick to a strict and regular regiment and complete your secondary testing while you are still taking Kidney “Stuff.” Many of our customers have seen noticeable changes in their day-to-day lives and positive changes in overall kidney health.
Golden Standards’ proprietary blends have individually curated ingredients that are backed by scientific research … and were created for the sole purpose of keeping your overall kidney health and function on track. For more information on our small family business or the Kidney “Stuff” product lines, please explore our website.
