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What part of the body itches with kidney problems?

texaskidneyinstitute.com - Where Do You Itch with Kidney Disease?

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Kidney disease has several symptoms, with some more troublesome than others. Feeling tired or weaker than usual is very common, but in the early stages of kidney disease, you may have no symptoms at all. Tiredness and feeling weak are distressing to people, but one of the most irritating symptoms is the itch. Why does it happen, and what can you do about it?

Side Effects of Kidney Disease

There are many side effects that a person with kidney disease has to learn to recognize and live with on a day-to-day basis. Some of the most common are:

Loss of appetite

Swollen ankles, hands, or feet due to the accumulation of excess fluid

Shortness of breath

Blood in the urine

Nausea

Difficulty sleeping

Itching

Erectile dysfunction

Why Does Kidney Disease Cause Itching?

Itchy skin in kidney disease is sometimes referred to as uremic pruritus or chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated pruritus. A build-up of urea in the blood causes the itch, which occurs when both kidneys stop working. It is a problem in a third of people on dialysis and is more common in hemodialysis than in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD).

Where Do You Itch With Kidney Disease?

Itching with kidney disease can be generalized, or it can occur in specific parts of the body. Common areas for this type of itching include the head, arms, back, and abdomen. It also tends to be worse at night, which can disturb your sleep. The itching is lower in intensity just after dialysis as the blood urea levels will be lower. However, it increases in intensity two days after dialysis. Sometimes a person’s skin will appear normal while others have scratch marks from trying to stop the itching. Scratching can lead to broken skin, which increases the risk of infection. As a person with kidney disease, you will be aware that you are vulnerable to infection, so you need to be careful when scratching that itch.

What You Can Do to Relieve Itching in Kidney Disease

Apart from asking why kidney disease causes itching, the priority is finding relief for the problem. If you experience itching and have kidney disease, it is important to tell your doctor or the team in the dialysis unit. It may mean you have too much urea in your blood, and the team may need to review your medication and dialysis regime. Here are a few things you can do to try to reduce itching:

Wear loose clothing made with natural fibers.

Avoid perfumes, aftershaves, and use unscented soaps.

Pat instead of rub skin after a shower.

Avoid arid environments.

Sometimes you may need help from your doctor to manage the symptoms. They can prescribe an antihistamine or medication such as Gabapentin which reduces itching by interacting with nerve function. Both these types of drugs can make you sleepy, so you need to be monitored carefully. A dermatologist is another source of help and can advise on treatment options, such as using creams. Remember to seek advice for any symptoms that develop with your kidney disease from the medical team treating you.

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What can be mistaken for kidney pain?

Conditions that can be mistaken for kidney stones, sharing similar symptoms: Appendicitis or lower back pain. Urinary tract infection (UTI) Stomach flu or virus.

urology.uci.edu - What can be mistaken for kidney stones? - UC Irvine Urology

The most prominent symptoms of kidney stones are severe abdominal or lower back pain. When patients visit the emergency room or their primary care doctor to discuss these symptoms, they can be mistaken as either appendicitis or general lower back pain. Appendicitis is inflammation of a patient’s appendix, located in the lower right side of the abdomen. Some symptoms of appendicitis include sharp abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and migration of the pain to different parts of the lower abdomen. This is very similar to the symptoms presented by patients with kidney stones. Other symptoms associated with kidney stones can be mistaken for a urinary tract infection (UTI). Patients who have kidney stones may experience blood in the urine (hematuria), foul-smelling urine, abdominal or pelvic pain, and frequent urination. Similarly, patients who have an active UTI will encounter lower abdominal pain, cloudy or bloody urine, and the persistent urge to urinate. Additionally, UTI’s are very common occurrences across the United States.

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Reliable Websites for Health Information Medline Plus | medlineplus.gov. PubMed Central | ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Center for Disease Control | cdc.gov....

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