Kidney pain can be experienced by anyone, both men and women. However, some studies show that kidney disease is slightly more common in women than men. Therefore, it is important to know the symptoms of kidney disease in women so that this disease can be treated early.
The kidneys are a pair of organs located on the right and left sides of the lower back ribs. This organ, which is located inside the back, is the size of an adult's fist and is shaped like a red bean.
Kidneys play a very important role in maintaining a healthy body, even survival. Some of the kidney functions are:
- Filters the blood and removes waste and toxins in the body through urine.
- Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
- Maintain acid-base balance or blood pH.
- Controlling blood pressure.
- Stimulates the formation of red blood cells.
- Maintain bone strength.
Some kidney conditions or diseases can cause various kidney functions to be disrupted, and cause various symptoms.
Symptoms of Kidney Pain in Women
Symptoms of kidney disease in women or men will only be felt or seen clearly if the kidney damage is getting worse. In the early stages, the symptoms of kidney disease are often atypical or even asymptomatic, so that sufferers feel they have no complaints.
Symptoms of kidney disease in women are generally almost the same as in men. However, there are some symptoms that only occur in women, namely:
- Abnormal menstruation, for example, irregular menstrual schedule, menstrual blood that comes out less or more than usual, or the menstrual period is longer than usual.
- Decreased sexual desire or sexual dysfunction.
- Difficult to get pregnant. Patients with kidney disease are more difficult to get pregnant. Even if they are pregnant, they are more at risk of developing high blood pressure, premature delivery, and possibly losing kidney function and requiring dialysis.
- Bones become porous.
- Depression.
When the disturbance in kidney function has entered an advanced stage or is getting worse, the following symptoms may appear:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Infrequent urination.
- Decreased appetite.
- Changes in the color of urine, such as more yellow or reddish and appear more concentrated.
- Hard to breathe.
- Swelling all over the body.
- Hard to sleep.
- Feeling pale and weak. These symptoms may be caused by anemia or lack of blood.
- Electrolyte abnormalities, eg hyperkalemia. This can cause chest palpitations or an irregular heartbeat.
- Dry and scaly skin.
- Decreased consciousness, even coma.
The appearance of the above symptoms needs to be checked by a doctor immediately so that treatment can be carried out as early as possible. Kidney disease needs to be treated immediately so as not to cause interference with other organ functions and permanent kidney damage does not occur.
If the kidney condition gets worse, people with kidney disease will require treatment in the form of dialysis. For end-stage kidney failure where the kidneys are no longer functioning at all, kidney transplant surgery is required.
Examination to Diagnose Kidney Disease
You are advised to immediately consult a doctor if signs or symptoms of kidney disease appear. To determine the diagnosis of kidney disease, its severity, as well as and assess your general body condition, the doctor will perform examinations in the form of:
blood test
Blood tests are done to check the levels of urea and creatinine in the blood. The higher the levels of creatinine and urea in the blood, the worse the kidney function.
Blood tests are also important to help doctors assess glomerular filtration rate (GFR) or glomerular filtration rate. This examination aims to evaluate the performance of kidney function and determine the severity of kidney disease. The lower the GFR value, the worse a person's kidney function is.
urine test
Urine test serves to detect whether there is protein albumin, blood, bacteria, glucose, or electrolytes in the urine which indicates impaired kidney function.
Imaging or radiological examination
There are many imaging studies to assess the condition of the kidneys, including kidney X-rays or pyelography and CT scan which is a radiological examination, as well as ultrasound. Through this examination, the doctor can see the shape and size of the kidney, the condition of the kidney tract and the tissue around the kidney, and detect if there are tumors, stones, or abnormalities that block the kidney tract.
Kidney biopsy
This examination is carried out to determine the type and severity of kidney disease experienced by the patient through examination of kidney tissue samples.
A kidney biopsy is generally done if the results of blood, urine, and scan tests are inconclusive or if the doctor suspects that a tumor or cancer has invaded the kidney.
If you are in good health, your doctor may recommend a kidney check every few years.
However, if you have risk factors for kidney disease, such as hypertension, diabetes, age over 50, taking certain medications long-term, or have a history of previous kidney disease, your doctor may recommend regular and more frequent kidney checks.
Symptoms of kidney disease in women, especially in the early stages, can resemble the symptoms of other diseases. To be sure, you need to see a doctor. If treated as early as possible, kidney disease has a great chance to heal properly without causing complications in other organs.