A questionnaire has been developed by researchers to better understand the common symptoms that patients with kidney disease have reported having.
As a result they were able to highlight the 13 most common symptoms the people with non-dialysis kidney disease have.
The research included 70 kidney patients who filled out a questionnaire.
Below are the top 13 symptoms reported by kidney patients who are not dialysis or transplanted.
- Severe exhaustion
- Frequent urination
- Poor sleeping patterns
- Stiffness in the joints and cramping
- Muscle weakness and loss of strength
- Joint/bone pain
- Temperature sensitivity
- Itchiness
- Breathlessness
- Lack of focus
- Restlessness
- Poor libido
- Lack of appetite
Professor Alice Smith said: Study author Professor Alice Smith said: “Chronic kidney disease is a long term condition affecting up to 5 million people in the UK. About 10% of these have total kidney failure and need regular dialysis or a kidney transplant.”
She also stated how many live with kidney function that was less than normal and have many troublesome symptoms. And she added that not enough research of these symptoms has been done.
Needing to urinate often and feeling tired is the most important symptom as well as trouble sleeping, cramps and stiffness, muscle weakness, feeling cold and pain in the bones and joints.
The Kidney Symptom Questionnaire is now available for use by healthcare staff and other researchers. It can be used to identify which symptoms a patient suffers from, and to initiate appropriate discussions with staff.
For more information about warning signs of kidney disease and how to manage symptoms, be sure to check out our videos on YouTube.
