Warning signs of the kidney silently "crying for help", young people should not ignore

(Dan Tri) - Feeling nauseous, having insomnia, and having a change in taste, a 30-year-old man in Hanoi did not expect that these were signs of end-stage kidney failure.

End-stage renal failure at age 30 due to ignoring warning signs

The patient began to feel something was wrong with his body at the beginning of the year. At first, he had bouts of insomnia, unable to sleep even though he was tired all day.

He often felt nauseous, his sense of taste changed, and his appetite was not as good as before. Thinking it was due to work stress and digestive disorders, he subjectively did not go to the doctor immediately.

When the condition became more severe, nausea occurred continuously, he felt exhausted, he decided to go to the hospital for a general check-up. After blood and urine tests, ultrasound and kidney function measurement, the doctor informed him that he had end-stage chronic kidney failure, with only two options left: regular dialysis or kidney transplant.

Currently, many people under 30 years old have kidney failure, the disease often progresses silently (Photo: BVCC).

He never thought that at the age of 30 he would get a disease commonly found in the elderly or people with long-term underlying diseases.

According to doctors, chronic kidney disease does not always have obvious symptoms. Symptoms such as nausea, insomnia, and changes in taste are actually signs that the body is being poisoned because the kidneys are no longer able to filter out waste.

What made the doctor regret was that he had warning signs since 2020. When he went for a routine health check-up, the test results showed that he had proteinuria, which is a sign of protein leakage through the urine, an early sign of kidney damage.

At that time, the doctor advised him to continue monitoring. By 2022, he began to notice foamy and slow-dissolving urine, a typical sign of proteinuria. He only took medication in batches, did not have regular check-ups, and did not adhere to a strict diet.

According to Dr. Nghiem Trung Dung, Director of the Center for Nephrology and Dialysis, Bach Mai Hospital, chronic kidney disease often progresses silently, with no obvious symptoms in the early stages. Many cases only discover the disease when going for a routine health check-up at work or preparing documents for studying abroad.

The center records 30-40 new cases of kidney failure every day, many of whom are under 30 years old and are at their peak working age. Most only go to the doctor when their symptoms become severe, and many cases that come to the hospital for the first time require dialysis.

Late detection of the disease shortens the time for conservative treatment, increases costs, and limits the choice of alternative treatments such as kidney transplantation. Some patients, although having relatives willing to donate a kidney, cannot have a transplant due to serious complications such as heart failure.

Experts warn that unscientific lifestyle habits are contributing to the increase in the rate of young people with chronic kidney disease. Among the causes, in addition to glomerulonephritis, a common underlying disease, consuming foods high in salt, using fast food, drinks of unknown origin and disrupting biological rhythms are major risk factors.

“Sleeping late, being lazy, and eating uncontrolled are common habits among young people today, leading to metabolic disorders, obesity, and many diseases, including kidney failure,” said Dr. Dung.

In fact, kidney health conditions, including kidney stones and kidney diseases, have been on the rise globally in recent years. In India, doctors have seen an increase in kidney stone cases, especially among the younger generation. This is due to a number of reasons.

Some of the main causes listed by experts are the consumption of a lot of processed foods, sugary drinks, fried snacks and lack of water.

In many cases, when kidney disease is detected, dialysis is prescribed (Illustration: NP).

Warning signs of kidney disease in young people

According to Dr Shrey Srivastava, senior consultant - internal medicine, Sharda Hospital, kidney failure symptoms are easily overlooked as they are often quite common, similar to symptoms that appear in other organs.

Specifically including:

- Intense thirst: According to Indiatimes , young people should be suspicious if they have polyuria and thirst. Excessive thirst is a molecular sign of kidney disease.

- Frequent urination: This is followed by frequent urination, which can indicate hereditary kidney disease, a silent genetic condition in which the kidneys gradually lose function until they fail, leading to kidney failure if left untreated.

- Blood in urine: Additionally, dark urine can be caused by IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disorder that leads to inflammation of the kidney's filtering units.

- Always tired: Feeling tired all day long can be an early symptom of kidney disease.

- Itchy skin: In some cases, itchy skin can occur if the kidneys are unable to remove toxins and they build up in the blood.

- Swelling of the face and feet: When the kidneys cannot remove sodium, it builds up in the body, which can manifest in the face or feet. Both require immediate medical attention to avoid further progression to end-stage kidney disease.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/dau-hieu-canh-bao-than-am-tham-keu-cuu-ban-tre-khong-duoc-bo-qua-20250920074348192.htm