The U.S. National Library of Medicine, or NLM, and the National Institutes of Health, NIH, define end stage renal failure as the complete failure of a patient’s kidneys to function. In end stage renal disease or ESRD, the kidneys are unable to remove wastes, concentrate urine and regulate other bodily functions such as maintaining electrolyte balance. A publication in the New York Times Health Guide on February 22, 2009, said ESRD is usually the result of chronic kidney disease that has led to the deterioration of kidney function to less than 10 percent normal. The report gave the symptoms of end stage renal failure as malaise and fatigue, pruritus, weight loss without trying and a loss of appetite.
Malaise and Fatigue
According to the New York Times Health Guide, malaise is the general feeling of being uncomfortable, ill and not well. You also don't feel you have the energy to do anything. It can occur with any significant health condition, and its onset may be abrupt or gradual. Fatigue normally occurs with malaise and is defined by the same publication as a feeling of weariness and fatigue.
Pruritus
Pruritus is another symptom associated with ESRD, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the National Institutes of Health and the New York Health Guide. They describe pruritus in simple terms as a tingling sensation on the skin that causes the yearning to scratch the affected area. It can occur generalized over a wide area or can be confined to one location.
Unintentional Weight Loss and Loss of Appetite
According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, if you have ESRD, your body weight will drop quickly. This is partly because you have no desire to eat, and because the kidney isn't filtering waste materials as it should. According to the Swedish Health Library, the following are also symptoms of ESRD: confusion and trouble concentrating, general weakness, lower urine output, irritability and a yellow-brownish skin tone
