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By Knowridge Science Report

Persistent tiredness, swollen ankles and changes in urination can sometimes reflect kidney disease rather than aging alone. But early kidney damage often causes no noticeable symptoms at all.

That combination makes the condition easy to miss. Symptoms can be vague when they appear, while significant damage may develop before a person feels unwell.

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Kidney  Health Australia and the National Kidney Foundation explain that blood and urine tests are important for detecting problems.

A symptom checklist cannot replace these measurements or show how well the kidneys are filtering blood.

The kidneys remove waste and extra water from the circulation.

They also help regulate blood pressure, balance minerals and produce hormones involved in making red blood cells.

When these functions become impaired, the effects can appear in different parts of the body. The pattern depends on how much function has been lost and whether another illness is also present.

Changes in urine can be one clue.

Persistent foam may indicate protein leaking through damaged filters, while blood in the urine or a change in usual urination patterns needs interpretation because several conditions can cause it.

For related reading on a major source of kidney damage, see how high blood pressure can affect both the kidneys and heart.

Swelling can occur when salt and water build up in the tissues.

This may affect the feet, ankles or the area around the eyes, but heart problems, medicines and other conditions can produce similar changes.

Tiredness may partly reflect anemia, a shortage of  healthy red blood cells.

Damaged kidneys can make less of the hormone that signals the body to produce these oxygen-carrying cells.

As disease progresses, waste buildup and disturbed mineral balance can contribute to itching, muscle cramps, reduced appetite or nausea.

These are generally not reliable early screening signs, and their presence alone does not establish a kidney diagnosis.

Sleep difficulties and trouble concentrating may also occur.

They can affect daily wellbeing while remaining easy to attribute to stress, poor sleep or getting older.

High blood pressure and diabetes are major risk factors because they can damage the kidneys’ small blood vessels.

Kidney disease can then make blood pressure harder to control, creating a cycle of worsening health.

Doctors commonly assess kidney function with a blood test used to estimate filtration and a urine test for albumin, a protein that normally stays largely in the bloodstream. These tests provide different and complementary information.

An unusual result may require repeat testing and further assessment.

Kidney function can change temporarily during illness, whereas chronic kidney disease refers to persistent abnormalities over time.

The important distinction is between noticing a possible clue and making a diagnosis.

Symptoms deserve attention, but the absence of symptoms is not reassurance on its own; objective testing can reveal changes long before they become obvious in everyday life.