Signs of Kidney Problems

The signs and symptoms of a kidney problem are diverse.
Beginning signs of kidney problems maybe 1 or 2 of the following conditions:
** Additional trips to the bathroom, during the night.
** The feeling of having to urinate but you only produce a few drops.
** Urine looks pale, cloudy, contains blood, very dark, foamy or bubbly. (urine should be a light yellow)
** A change in urination habits
SWELLING – Water is retained in the body when the kidneys fail to process fluid correctly.  You might see your legs, hands, ankles or feet swell.  Puffiness or swelling around the eyes is also an indicator that the kidneys are not working well.
FATIGUE – The kidneys help the body build red-blood cells, through a hormone.  When this hormone is reduced, oxygen in the body is limited.  This can cause symptoms like dizziness, difficulty concentrating and fatigue.  In many cases, shortness of breath occurs because the body is unable to regulate water in the body causing a build-up in the lungs.
METALLIC BREATH – The smell of metal and ammonia occur when there is a buildup of waste in the body. Eating habits can change, food can taste different, meats can make you feel sick.
DRY SKIN & RASHES
TEETH MARKS ON THE TONGUE – teeth marks will appear on the sides of the tongue.
LEG OR BACK PAIN
OPAQUE LOOKING FINGERNAILS – nails are light / off white color instead of pink.
NAUSEA – the system is trying to rid itself of toxins, causing that sick stomach feeling.
As the kidneys get worse a person might suffer daily from:
the need to urinate more often or less often
feeling tired
the lose their appetite or experience nausea and vomiting
swelling in the hands or feet
feeling itchy or numb
getting drowsy or have trouble concentrating
having darkened skin
having muscle cramps.
WHERE ARE THE KIDNEYS LOCATED:
They are located near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage.
WHAT DO THE KIDNEYS DO?
The kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about 2 quarts of waste products and extra water. The kidneys, like most other organs in our body, are very complicated and serve many functions.
After the body takes what it needs from foods, the rest is considered waste.  The waste is sent to the blood, if the kidneys are damaged they will have a difficult time removing this waste and it builds up in the blood.  When waste builds in the blood it damages the entire body.
The kidneys measure out chemicals like sodium, phosphorus, and potassium and release them back to the blood to return to the body. In this way, the kidneys regulate the body’s level of these substances. The right balance is necessary for life. This is the reason that taking too many supplements in high, isolated dosages can be harmful.
In addition to removing wastes, the kidneys release three important hormones that:
** stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells
** active a form of vitamin D, which helps maintain calcium for bones and for normal chemical balance in the body.
People with 2 healthy kidneys that operate at 100 percent is ideal however, even if the kidneys reduce their function 40 percent it is still not noticed.  When a kidney is operating on 25 percent of normal function it becomes a serious health concern. When it drops below 10 percent of its function, dialysis is a must.
Why do kidneys fail?
Most kidneys are destroyed slowly and silently.  Through years of poisoning by, toxins, our poor food choices or overload of synthetic vitamins, the kidneys will eventually become weak and diseased.
The two most common causes of kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure.
Diabetic Kidney Disease: Diabetes is a disease that keeps the body from using glucose. If glucose stays in the blood instead of breaking down, it can act as a poison. Most of the foods we purchase contain sugar.
High Blood Pressure:

** High blood pressure can damage the small blood vessels in the kidneys. This prevents the damaged vessels from filtering waste from the blood.
** Auto-immune Disorders and infection-related diseases attack the kidneys, also continuous over-the-counter medication can be poisonous to the kidneys
FOODS THAT SUPPORT THE KIDNEYS INCLUDE:
Red bell peppers, Cabbage, Garlic, Onion, Apples, Blueberries, Raspberries, Red Grapes from U.S.A
Foods that need to be organic are: Cauliflower, strawberries and cherries
First Pressed – Olive Oil
Cranberries juice – no sugar
Open Water Fish – salmon, albacore tuna, mackerel, herring and rainbow trout.
HERBS THAT SUPPORT THE KIDNEYS INCLUDE:
Uva Ursi, Cornsilk, Dandelion, Parsley.