How Dehydration from Summer Activities Masks Early Kidney Failure Symptoms

Sweating during summertime activities can lead to dehydration and symptoms such as fatigue, dizziness, and dark urine.

But dehydration mimics the signs of advanced kidney disease and kidney failure, making it easy to overlook a serious underlying problem.

Even if your symptoms improve by rehydrating, there’s still a chance that you have a kidney problem. Kidney health specialist Deon Middlebrook, MD, can assess your risks, evaluate your kidneys, and recommend customized care that protects your well-being.

Here, we explain the dangers of dehydration, the signs to watch for, and when to seek medical attention.

Health effects of dehydration

Dehydration occurs when you don’t have enough water in your body. A water imbalance develops if you don’t drink enough to make up for the fluids your body loses.

You naturally lose water through sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea. Certain medications and medical conditions can also lead to excessive water loss. For example, diabetes can increase the amount of water lost through urination.

Your brain, heart, bones, muscles, kidneys, and lungs are 73- 83% water. Water makes up half of your blood and has vital roles such as lubricating joints and regulating body temperature.

Severe dehydration can cause heat stroke, electrolyte imbalances, shock, and even death. Dehydration also has a substantial impact on your kidneys.

Dehydration and your kidneys

Your kidneys are closely connected to the fluid levels in your body. They continuously filter your blood, eliminating excess fluids and wastes and producing urine. They regulate the amount of water and electrolytes that stay in your blood.

If you’re dehydrated, blood volume decreases, and your blood pressure may drop. Less blood flows through your kidneys, and they can’t work properly. As a result, toxic waste accumulates in your blood, and electrolyte levels become imbalanced.

Without enough water, urine production decreases and becomes highly concentrated, which increases your risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections.

Dehydration makes the kidneys work harder. The extra stress can temporarily affect kidney function, permanently injure your kidneys, or accelerate the damage caused by an existing kidney disease.

Severe dehydration can lead to acute kidney injury (AKI), which is the sudden loss of kidney function (kidney failure).

How dehydration masks kidney failure

Dehydration can mimic advanced kidney disease or kidney failure because they share similar symptoms, such as:

• Fatigue
• Headache
• Nausea
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Reduced urine output
• Muscle cramps
• Swelling in the ankles and feet
• Dark-colored urine
• Confusion or difficulty concentrating

If these symptoms appear when you’re outside on a hot summer day, they could be caused by dehydration or kidney disease, whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with a kidney problem.

Determining the cause of your symptoms is further complicated by the fact that severe dehydration can cause lab results that resemble kidney failure.

When to seek medical care

If you have mild to moderate symptoms caused by excessive sweating on a hot day, the first step is to rehydrate by drinking 6-12 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes. Be careful not to drink too much at once or gulp it all down.

Seek immediate medical care if you have:

• Symptoms that persist after rehydrating
• Severe dehydration symptoms
• Fever of 103°F or higher
• Muscle twitching
• Red, hot, dry skin
• Fast pulse
• Lack of sweating
• Seizures
• Fainting
• Hallucinations
• Confusion or slurred speech

Even if you don’t have these emergency symptoms, you should consider a kidney health evaluation after experiencing signs of dehydration to rule out a chronic problem. 

It’s essential to have a kidney evaluation if you have dehydration symptoms and you’re diagnosed with high blood pressure or diabetes, because they’re the top causes of kidney disease.

If you have questions about dehydration and kidney disease, call Deon D. Middlebrook MDPC, or use online booking to request an appointment.