Editing Kidney failure (section)

== Signs and symptoms ==
Symptoms can vary from person to person. Someone in early stage kidney disease may not feel sick or notice symptoms as they occur. When the kidneys fail to filter properly, waste accumulates in the blood and the body, a condition called [[azotemia]]. Very low levels of azotemia may produce few, if any, symptoms. If the disease progresses, symptoms become noticeable (if the failure is of sufficient degree to cause symptoms). Kidney failure accompanied by noticeable symptoms is termed [[uraemia]].<ref name="grinsted">{{cite web  | vauthors = Grinsted P  | title = Kidney failure (renal failure with uremia, or azotaemia)  | work = Netdoctor  | date = 2005-03-02  | url = http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/kidneyfailure.htm  | access-date = 2009-05-26  | archive-date = 2015-10-15  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151015111748/http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/diseases/facts/kidneyfailure.htm  | url-status = dead  }}</ref>

Symptoms of kidney failure include the following:<ref name="grinsted"/><ref>{{cite book  | vauthors = Stein A  | title = Understanding Treatment Options For Renal Therapy  | publisher = Baxter International Inc.  | date = 2007-07-01  | location = Deerfield, Illinois  | page = 6  | url = http://www.renalinfo.com/  | isbn = 978-1-85959-070-6  | access-date = 2010-07-12  | archive-date = 2019-01-30  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190130063734/http://www.renalinfo.com/  | url-status = dead  }}</ref><ref name="PD">{{cite book  | title = The PD Companion  | publisher = Baxter International Inc.  | date = 2008-05-01  | location = Deerfield, Illinois  | pages = 14–15  | url = http://www.renalinfo.com/uk  | id = 08/1046R  | access-date = 2010-07-12  | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100625040151/http://www.renalinfo.com/uk/  | archive-date = 2010-06-25  | url-status = dead  }}</ref><ref name="lifeoptions">{{cite web  | last = Amgen Inc. | author-link = Amgen  | title = 10 Symptoms of Kidney Disease   | year = 2009  | url = https://www.lifeoptions.org/kidneyinfo/ckdinfo.php?page=4  | access-date = 2009-05-26}}</ref>
* High levels of [[urea]] in the blood, which can result in:
** [[Vomiting]] or [[diarrhea]] (or both) that may lead to [[dehydration]]
** [[Nausea]]
** Weight loss
** Nocturnal urination ([[nocturia]])
** More frequent urination, or in greater amounts than usual, with pale urine
** Less frequent urination, or in smaller amounts than usual, with dark coloured urine
** [[Blood in the urine]]
** Pressure, or difficulty urinating
** Unusual amounts of urination, usually in large quantities
* A buildup of [[phosphates]] in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out may cause:
** Itching
** Bone damage
** [[Nonunion]] in broken bones
** [[Muscle cramps]] (caused by low levels of calcium which can be associated with [[hyperphosphatemia]])
* A buildup of [[potassium]] in the blood that diseased kidneys cannot filter out (called [[hyperkalemia]]) may cause:
** Abnormal heart rhythms
** Muscle paralysis<ref>{{cite web  | work = MedicineNet, Inc. | title = Hyperkalemia  | date = 2008-07-03  | url = https://www.medicinenet.com/hyperkalemia/page4.htm  | access-date = 2009-05-26}}</ref>
* Failure of kidneys to remove excess fluid may cause:
** Swelling of the hands, legs, ankles, feet, or face
** Shortness of breath due to extra fluid on the lungs (may also be caused by anemia)
* [[Polycystic kidney disease]], which causes large, fluid-filled cysts on the kidneys and sometimes the liver, can cause:
** Pain in the back or side
* Healthy kidneys produce the hormone [[erythropoietin]] that stimulates the [[bone marrow]] to [[Haematopoiesis|make oxygen-carrying red blood cells]]. As the kidneys fail, they produce less erythropoietin, resulting in decreased production of red blood cells to replace the natural breakdown of old red blood cells. As a result, the blood carries less [[hemoglobin]], a condition known as [[anemia]]. This can result in:
** Feeling tired or weak
** Memory problems
** Difficulty concentrating
** [[Dizziness]]
** Low blood pressure
* Normally proteins are too large to pass through the kidneys. However they are able to pass through when the glomeruli are damaged. This does not cause symptoms until extensive kidney damage has occurred,<ref name="proteinuria">{{cite web | vauthors = Hebert LA, Charleston J, Miller E | title = Proteinuria | year = 2009 | url = http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/proteinuria/ | access-date = 2011-03-24 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110505073832/http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/proteinuria/ | archive-date = 2011-05-05 | url-status = dead }}</ref> after which symptoms include:
** Foamy or bubbly urine
** Swelling in the hands, feet, abdomen, and face
* Other symptoms include:
** Appetite loss, which may include a bad taste in the mouth
** [[Insomnia|Difficulty sleeping]]
** Darkening of the skin
** Excess protein in the blood
** With high doses of [[penicillin]], people with kidney failure may experience [[seizures]]<ref>{{cite book| vauthors = Katzung BG |title=Basic and Clinical Pharmacology |edition=10th |year=2007|publisher=McGraw Hill Medical|location=New York, NY|isbn=978-0-07-145153-6|page=733}}</ref>