How does our body cleanse itself from all the waste and toxins we constantly put in it? Our body has several methods of getting rid of harmful agents and wastes and one of the most powerful parts of the body’s ”cleaning system” are the kidneys.
These bean shaped organs are located in the lower back on each side of the spine. The main function of the kidneys is to keep the liquid content in your body and the electrolytes level under control. If you only think of it, these two organs alone are capable to filter about 200 liters of blood daily and to generate about 2 liters of urine!
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All sorts of substances, medications, foods, supplements pass through the kidneys on a daily basis. So it is not uncommon for the kidneys to lose their function and to lead to an accumulation of waste products, toxic elements and excessive fluid in your body.
There can be many factors responsible of causing kidney dysfunction, such as diabetes, uncontrolled high blood pressure, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis etc. Also, there are drugs such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen and naproxen that can lead to kidney disease, if they’re consumed regularly for a longer period of time.
The biggest problem here is that chronic renal failure can occur gradually without causing any symptoms, because the kidneys are still able to compensate for the dysfunction.
But don’t worry, there are some warning signs that indicate renal disorders. So if you’ve noticed any of these symptoms yourself, consult with your doctor:
1. Need to urinate more frequently
If there is a problem with your kidney function the urge to urinate will increase, especially at night and this is known as nocturia. When it comes to men it can also be a sign of prostate enlargement.
2. Lack of energy
Because of the built up toxins in your body, you may start feeling inexplicable long-term fatigue, which doesn’t go away after resting and sleeping. The kidneys are responsible for producing a specific hormone erythropoietin that plays a key role in the creation of red blood cell. If your kidneys stop functioning properly, you will start to experience a lack of red blood cells and hemoglobin also known as anemia. This is also reason for chronic tiredness and weakness.
3. Eye puffiness
If your body is retaining fluids it can indicate renal dysfunction. This means that there is increased protein excretion through urine which results in excessive liquid storing inside your body, which can be causing the puffiness around the eyes.
4. Muscle cramping
If your kidneys are failing they can cause an electrolyte imbalance and the normal levels of calcium and phosphorus in your body can result in more frequent muscle spasms.
5. High blood pressure
As I already said – hypertension can lead to kidney damage but the problem can go another way and develop backwards. This means that the high blood pressure may be a result of some kind of kidney dysfunction.
6. Leg swelling
As a result of kidney dysfunction, sodium starts to accumulate inside your body and by that it starts to cause swelling in your lower extremities. The same symptom may appear as a consequence of heart disease and you will need to pay attention of the period of the day when the swelling in the feet and ankles appears. If there is a problem with your kidneys your legs will get dropsical in the morning and if the problem is heart-associated the swelling generally will become apparent in the evening.
7. Bloody urine
The kidneys normally retain blood cells inside the body during filtration processes, so if their function is impaired, red blood cells will fall into the urine. Some of the other common causes of blood-contained urine are kidney stones, tumor or infection.
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