MAA-MEDIcare Kidney charity Fund

Unfortunately early kidney failure does not give rise to any symptoms. The only way to know whether there is any kidney failure is to do a specific blood test to check for kidney function. Urine tests may be helpful to check for presence of blood or protein in the urine, which may indicate kidney damage.

Such screening tests are cheap and widely available today. If you have any condition that increases the risk of kidney damage, it would be advisable to get periodic blood and/or urine tests and seek appropriate medical advice.

Radiographic investigation such as X-rays and ultrasound can help to support the possibility of kidney damage or look for its causes, but will not able to determine whether you have kidney failure.