When the kidneys are diseased, their functioning is impaired. The impurities, which should have been excreted, continue to remain in the system and poisoning it. The general term used to describe the accumulation of poisons is uraemia.

The following are the symptoms common to the various types of kidney diseases:

Pain: Inflammation of the kidney and formation of calculi or stones in the kidneys. These stones can produce pain in the renal region. The pain of inflammation is situated high up in the loins. But the pain in the back, which is generally referred to as renal colic, is usually a symptom of formation of stones in the kidney and UTI i.e. urinary tract infection. It is of a very agonizing nature and leaves the sufferer prostrate even after it has passed.

Urine: The urine almost invariably shows the changes in kidney diseases. The quantity diminishes in acute conditions and may even contain blood. If there are traces of pus in the urine, it might indicate suppuration of the diseased kidneys. In the case of stones, urine examination would show the presence of deposits of the substances of which the stones are made. In Bright`s disease, which is a chronic kidney condition, there is excess of albumin found in the urine.

Dropsy: Another cardinal symptom of kidney malfunctioning is the presence of dropsy, which is an abnormal collection of fluid under the skin, particularly around the eyes. The disease appears especially in the morning.

Changes in Circulation of Blood: Changes in circulation of blood take place in chronic kidney diseases like pyelonephritis, which leave an abnormal amount of uric acid in the blood, giving rise to high blood pressure. There is also thickening of the arteries as in Bright`s disease, leading to pain in the chest, loss of mental power, breathlessness, impairment of vision, and even apoplexy.

Uraemia: Uraemia is a condition in which there is a general poisoning of the system due to the failure of the kidneys to expel the waste matter, that is, urea.