If you have swollen hands, feet, ankles, legs, or face, your kidneys could be headed to total damage, nephrologists have cautioned.

The experts warned that kidney failure in Kenya is the most common and most costly health condition.

At the same time, the kidney specialists are asking Kenyans to watch out against nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue and weaknesses, sleep problems, urinating more or less and decreased mental sharpness among others that point to a progression of kidney disease.

Dr A. Srinivas Murthy (pictured), the Chief Consultant Nephrologist at the Mediheal Hospital noted yesterday that most kidney patients present themselves for screening long after the condition has worsened.

“We have 400 cases of kidney disease diagnosed every year, however, from our observations, 90 per cent of this group are unaware that they are suffering from the disease,” Dr Murthy said.

He said doctors are finding it difficult treating late stage kidney disease, and are reduced to fighting the progression of the disease among such patients.

Dr Murthy said that despite Kenya being recognised at the World Congress for Nephrology in Bangkok, Thailand last week as one of the countries in the African region that has done well in awareness of the disease, he stressed that patients need to improve their relationship with the specialists to help in early detection of the disease.