How Can Kidney Problems Lead to Numbness in the Body?

Family Medicine, University of California San Diego Health System

Supervised by Garrett Kneese, MD, MPH

When kidneys are not working well, waste can build up in your body and disturb the balance of minerals, which can harm your nerves and cause numbness. It's important to talk to you doctor if you have numbness in multiple body parts or chronic kidney disease of any kind.

Explanation

Your kidneys work like a filter, cleaning waste and extra fluids from your blood. When the kidneys aren’t working properly, waste products such as urea can build up in your body. This buildup of waste can be toxic to nerve cells and make them work poorly, leading to numbness in places like your hands and feet. In addition, kidney problems can upset the balance of important minerals like potassium and calcium. These minerals help your nerves send the right signals. If their levels are too high or too low, the nerves might not work correctly, which can also result in numbness. Studies have shown that people with chronic kidney disease often experience issues with nerve function. The damage to nerves may be caused by the toxins, the changes in blood vessels, or the imbalance of minerals. In simple terms, when kidneys fail to clean and balance your body well, it can lead to nerve problems and make you feel numb in different parts of your body.

(References)

Moorthi RN, Doshi S, Fried LF, Moe SM, Sarnak MJ, Satterfield S, Schwartz AV, Shlipak M, Lange-Maia BS, Harris TB, Newman AB, Strotmeyer ES. Chronic kidney disease and peripheral nerve function in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2019 Apr 1;34(4):625-632. doi: 10.1093/ndt/gfy102. PMID: 29757410; PMCID: PMC6452189.
Doshi S, Moorthi RN, Fried LF, Sarnak MJ, Satterfield S, Shlipak M, Lange-Maia BS, Newman AB, Strotmeyer ES. Chronic kidney disease as a risk factor for peripheral nerve impairment in older adults: A longitudinal analysis of Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) study. PLoS One. 2020 Dec 15;15(12):e0242406. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242406. PMID: 33320861; PMCID: PMC7737903.
Baluarte JH. Neurological Complications of Renal Disease. Semin Pediatr Neurol. 2017 Feb;24(1):25-32. doi: 10.1016/j.spen.2016.12.004. Epub 2016 Dec 23. PMID: 28779862.

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