Although many kidney problem symptoms share a variety of similarities, there are still variations depending on exactly which kidney problem you're experiencing.

Kidney problem symptoms are often not obvious, even while a serious kidney problem is in progress. Your kidneys can be close to failure before you know you're in danger. This is not unusual in cases of chronic kidney failure.

But in other cases, symptoms of kidney problems occur suddenly and trigger severe, even agonizing pain. Such symptoms are typical if you have kidney stones or acute kidney failure.

This article will focus on providing a quick list and description of symptoms for kidney problems that are common today. Call your doctor as soon as you can if you begin to experience the symptoms of kidney problems described below. Some kidney conditions and disorders are life-threatening and constitute a medical emergency.

Kidney disease describes a condition that occurs when the nephrons - tiny structures that filter wastes and toxins from the blood - have become damaged. Such damages results in reduced kidney function. A typical symptom of kidney disease is painful urination. It's also common for urine to be tinged with blood or dark and cloudy. People with kidney disease feel they have to make a trip to the bathroom often - even when little or no urine is produced. Your blood pressure is likely to go up when you have kidney disease, and you'll probably become tired easily. Muscle weakness is common too.

A kidney infection can also be a dangerous condition, caused by germs which infiltrate the urinary system. Kidney infections come in two types:acute and chronic. Chronic kidney infection symptoms take a long time - possibly years - to present themselves. But acute kidney infection symptoms occur suddenly and tend to be quite pronounced. Acute symptoms include back pain, fever or chills, nausea, cloudy, foul smelling urine, and unexplained weakness and fatigue.

Kidney failure is what happens at the end stage of kidney disease or a kidney infection. The kidneys stop filtering the blood, removing toxins and wastes that can be harmful to your metabolism. Someone going through kidney failure will generally feel weak and tired. Swelling is typical as fluids build up around the body. Shortness of breath is another common symptom. As kidney failure progresses, more fluids build up and symptoms become more pronounced. There is even less desire to eat, fatigue and lethargy increase, and intellectual capabilities lessen. Kidney failure can be fatal. There are only two life-saving options: kidney transplantation or dialysis.

A kidney stone is called a stone because that's exactly what it looks like - a pebble-like mass that forms in the kidneys from solid crystals. These crystals separate from your urine and form structures that can be as small as a grain of sand or as big as a golf ball. Some kidney stones cause back discomfort and some don't. But those that do can cause extreme pain. This pain usually presents in the flank region of the lower back, but it sometimes radiates into the abdomen and even into the genital area. As with other kidney problem symptoms, you'll feel the need to visit the bathroom often, only to find that very little urine actually passes. When urine is actually released, it's probably going to look dark or cloudy and it will also have an unpleasant odor. Many times, kidney stones also produce nausea and vomiting.

Kidney cancer symptoms don't vary much from some of the other kidney problems symptoms that have already been described above. A person with kidney cancer may also have anemia, hypertension and night sweats. He or she is likely to have a diminished appetite and a significant weight loss.

Kidney cysts are abnormal formations growing on the kidneys that resemble pouches. They may be filled with air, fluid or calcium. Very often, you don't even know they're there until they're discovered accidentally or they begin to cause pain. Cysts made of calcium can be especially painful. One of the first signs of this type of kidney problem is blood in the urine stream. When pain occurs, it usually happens in the abdomen or back. In some instances, there are no symptoms at all even though cysts may be present for many years.

Kidney damage caused by trauma can be as dangerous as kidney disease. This type of damage often results from an accident or blow of some kind to the kidney area. Kidney damage is likely to cause discolored urine, pain in the back and abdomen, and abdominal swelling. An increased heart rate is typical, as is nausea, vomiting, and a pale skin shade. Decreased alertness and cognitive difficulties are other typical symptoms.

Kidney problem symptoms should be taken seriously. When symptoms like those mentioned above begin to appear, don't wait to call your doctor.