Fatigue
Fatigue is unexplained tiredness that does not improve with rest. People with end-stage renal disease experience fatigue to a greater extent than healthier individuals. This symptom has been linked with worse quality of life and higher mortality rates. Patients in stages 2 to 3 of chronic kidney disease have more severe fatigue than healthy individuals. It is one of the most prevalent symptoms that patients most often report. The frequency and severity of fatigue rise along with the progression of CKD stages. 20 to 90 percent of patients advancing to kidney failure experience fatigue.
Anemia is another illness associated with kidney failure, which induces fatigue. This unexplained tiredness is due to a deficiency of iron in your body, impairing the ability to produce hemoglobin, the protein responsible for oxygen transport. Insufficient hemoglobin in the blood means less oxygen gets to the tissues and muscles, depriving them of their ability to produce energy. Additionally, this causes strain in the heart, making the patient feel more exhausted.
Lastly, patients with kidney failure also have high creatinine levels, which can cause nausea and unexplained tiredness. In addition, the blood is contaminated with toxins and other pollutants due to kidney dysfunction.
