6 Kidney Disease Symptoms You Should Never Ignore—Especially for Women Over 50
See the top doctor-recommended tips to reduce your risk of CKD
With kidney disease on the rise worldwide, we asked the nation’s top specialists to share the early signs of the condition. Keep reading for the surprising kidney disease symptoms to watch out for and simple lifestyle adjustments we can make to help thwart the progression of this common disease.
Early symptoms of kidney disease
Approximately one in seven adults in the United States has some stage of chronic kidney disease (CKD), reveals Niloofar Nobakht, MD, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine in Nephrology at the UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine.This occurs when the kidneys are damaged and can’t properly filter blood like they’re supposed to.
“Early kidney disease is often silent, but the first signs may be detected through simple urine testing, which is routinely included in annual health evaluations,” she explains. Here, she shares two early symptoms of reduced kidney function:
Woman's World Answers
Protein or red blood cells in the urine
Abnormal findings such as protein or red blood cells in the urine should always prompt further evaluation, Dr. Nobakht insists. “The presence of protein in the urine—commonly referred to as proteinuria or albuminuria—is a key marker of dysfunction of the kidney’s filtering units called glomeruli.”
Similarly, persistent blood in the urine requires careful assessment to determine the underlying cause, continues Dr. Nobakht. “In some cases, abnormal urine results may be related to conditions such as infection, inflammation or cancer. However, because kidney disease often progresses without symptoms, persistent abnormalities should never be ignored.”
Advanced kidney disease symptoms
Dr. Nobakht adds that as chronic kidney disease advances, symptoms may include the following:
- Foamy urine (reflecting protein loss)
- Puffiness around the eyes
- Swelling of the legs or feet due to fluid retention
- Decreased urine output (in more severe cases)
Early detection and appropriate follow-up care are essential, she urges, as timely intervention can slow disease progression and reduce complications.
Another potential symptom? Fatigue. “The kidneys are the body’s main filters, so if they aren’t functioning well, toxins from our everyday metabolism can build up in the bloodstream,” adds Steven Campbell, MD, PhD, Chair and Professor of Urology at West Virginia University School of Medicine.
This can lead to fatigue and sometimes affect mental clarity because of the toxin buildup. “The good news is that in patients with kidney failure, once they receive a kidney transplant, the new organ can filter much more efficiently than dialysis,” he explains.
“Dialysis only filters well enough to keep a person alive, whereas a healthy kidney removes toxins more thoroughly, making patients feel significantly better.”
What causes kidney disease?
CKD can result from structural damage to the kidney—such as a tumor, kidney stones, cysts or trauma—says Dr. Nobakht. But she notes that the most common causes are metabolic conditions that damage the kidneys over time, especially diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity and metabolic syndrome.
“Individuals with elevated blood pressure or abnormal blood glucose levels are at increased risk for kidney disease,” she adds.
Measuring kidney function can be more complicated in women over 50
As we age, both women and men gradually lose some kidney function, says Michelle A. Josephson, MD, a nephrologist and Professor of Medicine at University of Chicago Medicine.
“It’s usually not enough to cause kidney failure, but enough to be noticeable over time. Kidney function is often measured with a blood test for creatinine [a waste product]. Lower levels indicate healthier kidneys, higher levels suggest reduced function.”
Because creatinine comes from muscle, women—who generally have less muscle than men—naturally have lower levels, she explains, adding that aging can complicate this. Kidney function declines slightly (which raises creatinine), but muscle mass also decreases (which lowers creatinine). The result? Creatinine can be misinterpreted.
“This is especially important for older women,” says Dr. Josephson. “A ‘normal’ creatinine level may mask declining kidney function because it doesn’t account for lower muscle mass. That’s why evaluating kidney health requires considering both creatinine and the individual’s muscle mass to get the full picture.”
4 ways to reduce your risk of kidney disease
Because diabetes, hypertension, obesity and metabolic abnormalities are the leading causes of chronic kidney disease in the United States and worldwide, prevention should focus on lifestyle-based interventions, says Dr. Nobakht. Here, she notes a few such strategies:
- Get regular physical activity
- Follow a balanced and kidney-conscious diet (“more plant-based than animal sources, rich in vegetables and nutrient-dense fiber, such as the DASH diet, however, potassium needs to be carefully monitored with lower kidney function”)
- Manage your weight
- Schedule routine monitoring of blood glucose levels, blood pressure and urine studies, along with annual blood work
“Importantly, once any abnormalities are detected in blood or urine tests—such as albumin or protein in urine, creatinine or blood urea nitrogen (BUN)—timely referral to a kidney specialist [nephrologist] is essential for appropriate evaluation and management,” she says.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
