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Symptoms of Kidney failure
Usually kidney failure is a gradual process. Kidneys can carry out their normal functions even if only one is working, or if they are partially damaged. This means it can take a long time for any effects to be felt. When symptoms do appear, they are quite variable between people, and often it is hard to pinpoint the cause.
Symptoms can include:
- Tiredness,
- Increasing need to urinate especially at night,
- Itchy skin,
- Nausea,
- Erectile dysfunction,
- Shortness of breath,
- Swollen ankles, feet or hands (due to water retention), and
- Blood and/or protein in the urine.
If kidney failure has been caused by a sudden injury, these symptoms can appear rapidly, and may progress quickly to seizures, coma and potentially death.
