Symptoms of kidney deficiency
Release time : 03/17/2025 09:30:01
With the acceleration of life pace, people's pressure is increasing. In such a fiercely competitive environment, kidney deficiency has become a common subhealth disease. So what are the symptoms of kidney deficiency? And what are the differences between men and women?
Let's take a look next at the symptoms of kidney deficiency in women and men, as well as their treatment methods. The concept of "kidney deficiency" in Chinese medicine doesn't solely refer to the kidneys as they are physically located; it also encompasses a wide range of physiological functions that directly or indirectly influence reproductive health, growth and development, endocrine metabolism, digestion, etc.
Kidney deficiency is not just a "specialty" for men; women can also suffer from it.
The symptoms of kidney deficiency are significant, and there is a certain difference between men and women. However, they mainly manifest in the following aspects: 1. Cold extremities: Whether wearing clothes or not, whether it's winter or summer, you feel cold all the time. It usually shows as not getting warm enough in a warm bed during winter, or in the scorching sun in summer, you still feel cold.
2. Sexual Overindulgence: Traditional Chinese Medicine posits that the kidneys contain essence, and essence resides within the kidneys. Excessive sexual activity can lead to the leakage of essence, resulting in symptoms of premature ejaculation and even erectile dysfunction.
Simultaneously, excessive sexual activities leading to kidney deficiency are often characterized by kidney yang deficiency.
3. Dizziness and weakness, insomnia with dreams: Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that there is a significant connection between the kidneys and other organs. If these other organs are untreated for an extended period, it may lead to repercussions on the kidneys, thereby causing diseases such as dizziness, weakness, insomnia, and frequent dreams.
4. Asthma: From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidneys are the location for breathing in and out.
If the kidneys are not functioning properly, and they cannot expel or inhale air well, it can lead to respiratory difficulties.
As the condition worsens, it can lead to more severe illnesses such as colds and even malignant diseases like asthma.
5. Low Back Pain: Kidney deficiency often causes low back pain, but low back pain is not necessarily caused by kidney deficiency because it can be divided into both external and internal factors.
From an internal cause, it could be due to innate limitations or the lack of adequate nutrition during pregnancy.
From an external cause, it could be caused by work and life activities. For example, prolonged sitting in front of a computer is likely to lead to back pain.
6. Nighttime Urination: Normally, one does not have a habit of waking up to go to the bathroom. However, suddenly, one may need to wake up several times at night or have more urine in the night than during the day—this is known as nocturnal polyuria, which can also be a sign of kidney deficiency.
7. Dizziness and tinnitus: During the day, you feel tired and lack energy. Your ears buzz constantly, making it difficult for you to concentrate and relax, often resulting from liver or kidney issues.
8. Constipation: Although the cause of constipation may be an abnormal digestive function, the root cause lies in kidney deficiency.
Since the kidneys are said to have orifices in both the exterior and interior, they govern urination and defecation, thus constipation is also one of the primary manifestations of kidney deficiency.
Symptoms of kidney deficiency in women, often misunderstood as merely yang-boosting, are not confined to men. In truth, both men and women can experience symptoms of kidney deficiency.
Nourishing the kidney is equally important for women, and the symptoms are even more pronounced.
Let's take a look at the symptoms of kidney deficiency in women: 1. Hair loss is an indication of poor kidney function.
If you have soft and shiny hair, it means your kidneys are healthy.
But if you have kidney deficiency, then your hair will become easy to break and lack luster, and you may also experience hair loss.
Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency: Frequent Urination and a General Urgency to Use the Bathroom, Especially in Female Patients. One of the most obvious characteristics of frequent urination in females is that the volume is small but the frequency high.
TCM views that when the physical constitution declines, the kidney qi becomes deficient, and the bladder manifests as insufficient gasification, lack of firmness of the kidney gates, similar to a door that is not securely closed. Consequently, there is a phenomenon of frequent urination and urinary incontinence.
This results in a phenomenon where one still wants to go to the bathroom even after leaving.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms: 3. Fear of Cold and Diarrhea - It has been found that individuals with kidney deficiency exhibit hyperexcitability in the sympathetic nervous system, which leads to a decrease in heart rate and blood pressure, as well as a lower body temperature compared to normal.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms: 4. Dark circles are permanent in the theory of traditional Chinese medicine, where black represents the kidney and dark circles indicate kidney deficiency.
The kidneys govern water metabolism, and when the kidneys are deficient, it leads to poor water excretion in the human body, resulting in edema. Typically, the eyelids are the first part of the body to exhibit symptoms.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms 5. Insomnia and irritability, dizziness, fatigue, and a female kidney deficiency is extremely likely to be irritable, attention also difficult to concentrate, and often suffer from insomnia and dreams.
Furthermore, I often feel weak and sore in the waist and knees.
Additionally, modern city office workers are under high work pressure and fast pace of life, leading to a vicious cycle that inevitably results in kidney yin deficiency, manifested as dizziness and fatigue.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms 6. Weight Gain: Female individuals with Kidney Qi deficiency often exhibit a tendency towards weight gain.
As the kidney deficiency leads to a reduced endocrine function, the secretion of adrenal cortical hormones (which promote fat breakdown and inhibit synthesis) decreases. Consequently, basal metabolic rate is lowered, leading to an increased calorie consumption in the body, which results in obesity.
7. Facial Yellow Spots: Women with kidney deficiency may exhibit symptoms of kidney Qi deficiency, which impairs the moisturizing effect of the skin. Consequently, they often develop butterfly-shaped yellow or brownish-black spots on their cheeks, with clear boundaries. Additionally, they may also experience menstrual irregularities.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms: 8. Frequent Menstrual Disorders. The kidney essence is essential for maintaining the balance of Qi and blood, and its normal functioning in the Chong and Ren meridians ensures that menstruation cycles are regular. Therefore, a deficiency in kidney essence is a significant cause of menstrual irregularities.
Kidney deficiency leads to menstrual irregularities, which in turn affects women's health, potentially leading to infertility. Therefore, it is essential for women to pay close attention.
Kidney Deficiency Symptoms: 9. After marriage, if you are unable to conceive for a long time, it is not only because of low sexual desire but also because of kidney deficiency.
In traditional Chinese medicine, it is believed that the kidneys store essence. Therefore, it is believed that the female reproductive system develops and matures under the care of essence.
If kidney essence is insufficient, it will lead to decreased sexual desire and even affect reproductive capability.
Men's kidney deficiency symptoms, the kidney is the primordial foundation of human life, related to the survival and reproduction.
If a man has kidney deficiency, it may lead to male infertility. What are the symptoms of kidney deficiency? Symptoms of kidney deficiency: 1. Insomnia and frequent dreaming. If a man often experiences insomnia and frequent dreams at night, this indicates that his kidneys are in trouble and he is approaching kidney deficiency.
There are many causes of kidney deficiency in men, such as high work pressure, chronic diseases (such as chronic hepatitis, coronary heart disease, bronchial asthma, hypertension and so on).
Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency: Urinary Frequency and Urgency. When it comes to urinary frequency and urgency, one might immediately think of prostate issues, but here we are saying that kidney deficiency can also lead to symptoms such as frequent urination. It's fair to say that frequent urination is one of the reasons why men suffer from kidney deficiency.
Normally, patients who experience more than two urinations at night or have a urine volume exceeding one-fourth of their daily intake are considered to be in a state of kidney deficiency. In some cases, this can lead to extremely frequent urinations, occurring every hour, with a urine output approaching or exceeding that of the daytime. It is imperative to pay close attention to such symptoms.
Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency: 3. Cold Sensitivity - Even in warm weather, a slight breeze can cause men to experience cold sensitivity. If you exhibit this symptom, it suggests that you may already have symptoms of kidney deficiency.
Symptoms of Kidney Deficiency: 4. Asthma - Asthma is also one of the symptoms associated with male kidney deficiency.
If kidney deficiency occurs, it can lead to symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath, with a sensation of difficulty breathing freely.
In severe cases, symptoms may also include increased difficulty breathing and a sudden onset of cold sweats.
Symptoms of kidney deficiency include: 5. Pain in the back, which is also a symptom of men's kidney deficiency, and pain in the back can be divided into internal injury and strain.
Under normal circumstances, patients with internal injuries and kidney deficiency are mostly caused by a lack of inherent strength in the body, chronic illness weakening the body, or excessive fatigue.
Patients with mild symptoms may experience difficulty bending or standing upright, while those with severe conditions may also suffer from heel pain and lower back fatigue.
There are many causes of back pain, but most cases are commonly associated with heavy physical burdens or long-term fixed postures (such as using computers, driving, etc.)
These jobs can damage kidney qi, leading to insufficient kidney essence, and ultimately causing kidney deficiency.
1. Long-term use of analgesic medications: Continuous or high doses of anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, such as acetaminophen (paracetamol), aspirin, ibuprofen, and naproxen, can cause kidney damage.
2. Excessive consumption of beverages, especially soft drinks and sports drinks, can indirectly damage the kidney. The body's pH level is 7.2, and these beverages are generally highly acidic, significantly altering the body's pH balance after consumption.
If you do not drink enough water for a long time, your urine output will decrease and the concentration of waste and toxins in your urine will increase.
This is also a reason for kidney deficiency.
3. Experts suggest that the caffeine in tea can quickly affect the kidneys and exert diuretic effects, allowing alcohol to be expelled from the kidneys before it has had a chance to be further metabolized. This results in the kidneys being subjected to a large amount of ethanol stimulation and can lead to kidney damage, resulting in kidney deficiency.
4. Unhealthy Diets: With the increase in dining occasions, self-service meals have become popular. As a result, one tends to consume an excessive amount of "delicious" foods. Most of these waste products are then excreted by the kidneys, which increases their burden when indulged in binge eating.
5. Frequent bladder retention can lead to urinary tract infections and pyelonephritis, which may subsequently cause kidney deficiency.
The treatment for kidney deficiency should be determined according to the different symptoms. Only after a diagnosis can medication or adjustments be tailored to the specific condition.
Kidney deficiency can be classified into Yin deficiency, Yang deficiency, Jing deficiency, and Qi deficiency. There are different methods of nourishment for each type, such as nourishing the kidney, nourishing the kidney's yin, benefiting the kidney's qi, and enriching the kidney's essence.
Let's delve deeper into this matter! Generally speaking, qi deficiency is primarily treated through nourishment. While pharmacological supplements may be less effective than dietary ones, those with severe symptoms can also take Western medicine. The integration of traditional Chinese and Western medicine is also commonly used in treatment.
Additionally, the medication used for patients with different types of kidney deficiency varies.
1. Treatment for Kidney Qi Deficiency: For this type of kidney deficiency, it is recommended to take medications that nourish Qi.
2. Kidney Yin Deficiency Treatment: For this type of kidney deficiency, it is not advisable to use Qi-boosting medications; instead, it should be treated with yin-nourishing and moisturizing drugs.
3. Kidney Yang Deficiency Treatment: For this type of kidney deficiency, it is advisable to use medications that nourish the kidney yang and warm the spleen and stomach. It is also recommended to prepare some herbal wine for regular adjustments.
4. Kidney Yin and Yang Deficiency Treatment: This type of kidney deficiency indicates that the patient's body is already quite weak, and vigorous nourishment is not suitable. It is best to conduct a comprehensive examination, as relying solely on a single class of drugs cannot treat kidney yin and yang deficiency.
5. Treatment of kidney deficiency caused by other diseases: For instance, cancer or other conditions leading to functional deficits in the body may also cause depletion of kidney function and thus lead to kidney deficiency. This type of kidney deficiency is more likely to occur during the initial stages of the disease and requires medication under the guidance of a physician.
In terms of dietary supplementation, the appropriate ingredients for patients with kidney deficiency are also different: Patients with kidney yang deficiency should consume appropriate Chinese herbal medicines that warm the kidney yang and benefit yin essence. Examples include herbs like deer antler glue, deer antlers, Eucommia bark, Morinda officinalis, Polygonatum sibiricum, Cistanche deserticola, Ophiopogon japonicus, Saposhnikovia divaricata, and Cnidium monnieri, which have the effect of warming the kidney yang and benefiting yin essence.
Kidney yang deficiency should be treated with foods that warm and nourish the kidney yang, such as seafood, mutton, dog meat, eel, leeks, ginger, longan, beef, deer meat, carrots, yams, lotus roots, cauliflower, among others.
Kidney yang deficiency can cause iron-deficiency anemia and easily leads to cold intolerance, so one should also eat more iron-rich foods such as animal blood, egg yolk, donkey meat, pig liver, cow kidney, sheep tongue, soybeans, etc.
Du Zhong's rib-shaped fish, Fen Xiang stewing kidneys, and Goji nut porridge are all excellent nourishment methods for kidney deficiency.
*The medical information provided in this article is for reference only.
In case of discomfort, it is recommended to seek medical attention immediately. The diagnosis and treatment should be based on a face-to-face medical consultation.