Many people may be in the early stages of kidney disease and not have any indication something is wrong with their kidneys. There are certain symptoms, however, that could be a sign you have kidney failure, whether it is acute renal failure or hereditary such as polycystic kidney disease (PKD). When kidney failure (also called renal failure) is detected in the early stages, there are steps you can take to help slow the progression of kidney disease and improve your quality of life.

Below are lists of kidney failure symptoms that are grouped in categories based on a typical cause. If you have any of these renal failure symptoms, you should make an appointment with us as soon as possible and ask that your kidneys be checked.

• A metallic taste in the mouth or ammonia breath
• Protein aversion (no longer wanting to eat meat)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Difficulty concentrating
• Loss of appetite
• Itchiness (pruritis)

• Swelling in the face, feet or hands
• Shortness of breath (from fluid in the lungs)

• Making more or less urine than usual
• Blood in the urine (typically only seen through a microscope)
• Urine that is foamy or bubbly (may be seen when protein is in the urine)

• Fatigue
• Shortness of breath
• Weakness
• Mental confusion
• Feeling cold all the time
• Desire to chew ice, clay or laundry starch (called pica)

To determine if the symptoms you have are because of kidney failure, we will perform specific tests:

• Urinalysis – An examination of a sample of your urine to check for protein, blood and white blood cells in the urine
• Blood tests – Particularly a test for creatinine and BUN, waste products that healthy kidneys remove from the bloodstream.