As alcohol damages the kidneys, it is to be considered a harmful substance. The function of the kidney is to free the blood from harmful substances like these by filtering it. The question of alcohol’s effect on kidneys lies in the quantity and frequency of your drinking habit. This means alcohol when taken occasionally and in less amounts does not induce alcohol kidney damage symptoms but when drinking alcohol becomes a habit, it can cause the onset of certain kidney diseases.

One of the initial alcohol kidney damage symptoms happens to be a pain in the kidney. This pain is not apparent to be internal but external in the lower back. No one should ever ignore this pain specifically if they know they have been attached to a drinking habit. The intensifying of this pain may indicate a major alcohol effect on kidneys as it can be a sign of immensely dangerous kidney disease. One thing that should be kept in mind is that alcohol damage kidneys usually after it affected other organs such as the liver etc. So developing a drinking habit can put you into a serious health hazard.

Acute kidney failure

How can alcohol damage kidneys and cause kidney failure? If that is your question then you must understand the dogmatic reason behind kidney failure. Kidney failure means the loss of functionality of the kidney to filter blood. This is induced simply when an accumulation of waste in the blood happens quicker than the efficiency of the kidney can filter it out. Acute kidney failure, as one of the alcohol kidney damage symptoms, is caused when a person drinks vigorously in a short span of time. This is because alcohol’s effect on kidneys is such that the kidneys consider it as a waste to be filtered. When alcohol accumulates in the blood more than the kidneys can filter it out, the functionality of the kidneys becomes reduced.

In acute kidney failure, the patient experiences the following symptoms:

• Reduced urine output
• Extreme tiredness
• Inflammation of limbs or face
• Breathlessness and intense sweating
• The feeling of having to vomit
• Pain in the chest area

Urinary Tract Infection

One of the most initial alcohol kidney damage symptoms may be Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). This can be tricky to understand but one can easily wrap their head around it when they get to know the exact reason. We know that UTIs in the bladder can easily get to the Kidneys and damage them so our main point of discussion is the question of how alcohol causes the development of UTIs in the bladder.

UTI in the bladder is easily caused when it is irritated. Alcohol reduces the basic nature of the bladder causing it to be prone to UTIs. Therefore, indirectly, alcohol damage to kidneys and UTI can be an early sign indicating t that the person can develop kidney-related issues if they continue to drink in that manner.

How can a person stop the alcohol effect on kidneys through UTI? The answer is by knowing the symptoms of UTI and whenever these symptoms become apparent. The person should reduce their alcohol intake.

Symptoms of UTI:

• Burning sensation while urinating
• The urgency to urinate for small urine output
• Hematuria
• Continuous pain in the stomach
• Fever
• Dark coloration of urine

Chronic Kidney Disease

Alcohol damage kidneys even if taken in moderate amounts but for longer periods of time. Alcohol’s effect on the kidneys is as such it increases the workload of kidneys, and it acts to put extra pressure on the kidneys. If this pressure persists for a longer period of time, the kidneys can start inclining toward dysfunction.  This dysfunction of kidneys can induce many other symptoms such as hypertension, deregulated electrolytes in the body, etc. This alcohol kidney damage symptom is known as chronic kidney disease which is one of the life-threatening diseases a person can go through.

Alcohol kidney damage symptoms for which you should immediately consider a doctor

• Kidney pain apparent in the lower back
• Any sign of UTI
• Kidney pain accompanied by fever
• Reduced urine output even after drinking enough water
• Any symptom of acute kidney failure
• Hypertension and abnormal weight in the kidneys
• Convulsions

Conclusion

Alcohol damage kidneys but this can happen in multiple ways. There are immense complications that can arise depending upon the particular alcohol effect on the kidneys. As we saw three of the major alcohol kidney damage symptoms and other serious symptoms too in this blog, one should be aware of the fact too that a good kidney-related doctor is a must when you are considering one after experiencing any of the above-mentioned symptoms.

At Alfa Kidney Care, we promise the examination by leading kidney doctors. If you see above any symptoms book an appointment with the best nephrologist Dr. Ravi Bhadania.