What Are the Symptoms of Acute Renal Failure?

Acute renal failure occurs when your kidneys suddenly stop working properly, causing a build-up of waste and minerals in your body. Untreated, acute renal failure can cause death or permanent kidney damage, making it important to recognize the symptoms of the condition.

Types of Symptoms

• Common symptoms of acute renal failure include swelling of your extremities, decreased frequency of urination, dark-colored urine, tiredness, confusion, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, a metallic taste in your mouth and a urine-like smell on your breath or skin, reports New York University's Langstone Medical Center.

Time Frame

• The symptoms of acute renal failure begin suddenly and progressively worsen within days to two weeks, explains the U.S. National Library of Medicine. In some cases, there are no symptoms when the condition begins.

Features

• Because acute renal failure is often the result of other illnesses or conditions, like kidney disease or injury, many patients mistake the symptoms of kidney failure for those of the medical condition causing the failure. This may lead to a delay in treatment, cautions the Mayo Clinic.

Risks

• As acute renal failure progresses, its symptoms become more severe, and there is a risk for seizures or coma, warns Langsone Medical Center.

Considerations

• Any time the amount of urine you produce slows or you stop producing urine completely, notify your doctor as these are the most common signs of acute renal failure, suggests the U.S. National Library of Medicine.