Most people with kidney disease are asymptomatic (have no symptoms) or may present with nonspecific complaints such asanorexia, fatigue and malaise. Because of this, many patients present to a specialist only when advanced kidney disease has developed. More specific symptoms of kidney disease include hypertension, nocturia, polyuria, hematuria (blood in urine), edema, or dark-colored urine. A medical history of diabetes and hypertension has an important diagnostic value. A history of recurrent urinary tract infections or kidney stones or a family history of kidney disease is also very important and should be mentioned when seeking medical advice.

High blood pressure or hypertension is very important because there is a vicious cycle between hypertension and kidney disease. Hypertension leads to arterial and capilar damage and blood vessels, and when this affects the arteries and capilaries inside the kidney, the kidney ability to remove properly the excess sodium and water from the body. As sodium and water accumulate, the blood pressure is raised even further,leading to an increased damage to the kidneys and so on.

Edema, or the swelling of the body parts, is also an important sign of kidney disease. The edema in kidney disease presents as a facial swelling and a puffy aspect of the skin around the eyes upon awakening, or swelling of the feet and ankles. Edema is a common symptom of other conditions as well, this being the reason why kidney problems may be overlooked. When the kidneys are distressed, they are unable to eliminate the excess of water and the toxins efficiently. As the amount of water in the body increases edema occurs, as the water infiltrates the subcutaneous tissue (the tissue under the skin).


Fatigue may be another early symptom of kidney disease. This symptoms occurs because the production of erythropoetin, a hormone which stimulates the production of red blood cells. The red blood cells transport the oxygen throughout the body. If the kidneys are impaired, the production of erythropoetin decreases and the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells) declines causing a condition named anemia, leading to hypoxia and a loss of energy.

Another  early sign of kidney disease is represented by the changes in the volume of urine eliminated daily (the urinary output). These changes include the need to urinate more frequently or less often or waking up during sleep. A low output of urine when still feeling the need to urinate accompanied by change in urine color, should determine one to go to a specialist immediately.

Phosphorus, which is normally eliminated in the urine, accumulates in the  body of  the patients with kidney failure. The build up of phosphorus chemical compounds may cause the skin to itch. Bad breath or bad taste in the mouth may also be determined by kidney disease because of the urea and waste products (resulted from the proteic metabolism) which may accumulate in the saliva.