Kidney Disease and Skin Issues: 12 Skin Issues Related to Kidney Disease

Kidney damage causes a lot of skin problems. It is estimated that around 50 to 75% of dialysis patients face some type of skin issue. In fact, roughly 50 to 100% of patients who are going through end stage renal disease have at least one skin condition.

 

If you have kidney damage, you won’t see early warning signs of kidney disease on your skin. However, as the kidney disease progresses, you may develop some skin disorders.

Can kidney disease cause skin issues?

Kidney damage causes many skin issues. People who are going through ESRD commonly experience extremely dry skin. These people require dialysis or a kidney transplant to treat kidney damage.

 

Kidney disease symptoms in skin

 According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), individuals with kidney disease have following symptoms in skin:

 

• Dome-shaped, small, very itchy bumps

• Small bumps which are joined to shape raised rough patches

• Blisters on the face, hands, and feet that can crust over

• Very dry skin that look cracked or scaly and may feel tight

• Scratch marks, skin lesions, or thickened, dry and rough skin from excessive scratching

 

A person can develop skin lesions due to scratching their skin frequently, so appropriate treatment helps to prevent further skin damage.

 

12 Skin issues that are related to kidney disease

Kidney damage leads to various skin conditions. Some of these are below:

 

1. Extremely Dry skin

Skin becomes so dry that it:

• Becomes scaly and rough

• Proceed to fish-like scales

• Feels tight and easily cracks

 

Extremely dry skin is common in individuals who experience end-stage kidney disease.

 

 

2. Itchy skin

Kidney damage causes skin problems such as itchy skin. Extremely itchy skin is a general symptom of advanced kidney disease. Itching can range from irritating to life-destroying. Your skin can itch all the time.

 

Some individuals have itches on one area of their skin. This itch can also spread across all parts of your body.

 

3. Scratch marks

Kidney disease causes skin issues like scratch marks. When you scratch repeatedly, it affects your skin. You may develop:

 

• Sores, raw or bleeding skin

• Very itchy and firm bumps (nodularis prurigo)

• Thick and leathery skin (lichen simplex chronicus)

 

If nothing fails to relieve the itch, you should go to a dermatologist. Some individuals who have end-stage kidney disease get a treatment known as UVB phototherapy to treat various skin conditions.

4. Color changes to skin

When the kidneys stop working properly, toxins collect in your body. This build-up may cause color changes to the skin. You may see any of the below:

 

• An unhealthy pale color

• Yellowish color

• Gray hue

• Areas of darkened skin

• Cysts and spots, looked like whiteheads

• Yellowish, thick skin with deep lines and bumps

 

5. Nail changes

Kidney damage may affect toenails, fingernails appearance or both. People who face advanced kidney disease can develop:

 

• Pale nails

• A white color on upper part of one or more nails and a normal to reddish brown color below

• White bands which are running across one or more than one nail (Muehrcke’s nails)

 

Your nails tell a lot about your health, see your doctor as soon as possible if you notice any changes to your toenails or fingernails.

 

6. Swelling

Kidney disease leads to skin issues like swelling. Your kidneys remove salt and waste fluids from your body. When kidneys can no longer perform this, the salt and fluid build up in your body. This build-up leads to swelling, which you can notice in your:

 

• Legs

• Feet

• Ankles

• Hands

• Face

 

You may notice swelling in several areas of your body.

7.Rash

Kidney problems and skin rash are interlinked. Rash can develop when your kidneys are unable to remove waste from your body. These rashes present themselves as tiny, dome-shaped bumps and can be extremely itchy. The bumps can also develop together, creating raised, rough patches on your skin.

 

8. Blisters

Kidney disease causes various skin disorders, blisters are one of them. Some individuals who go through end-stage kidney disease develop blisters, which usually form on their:

 

• Hands

• Feet

• Face

 

The blisters open, dry up, and crust over. When they clear, scars appear.

 

9. Lump in belly

Kidney disease and a lot of skin issues. Lumps in your belly can be a sign of kidney cancer. Kidney cancer rarely causes symptoms in its early stage. When the cancer progresses, it leads to a mass or lump on the:

 

• Side

• Lower back

• Belly

 

Feeling lumps in one of these areas can also be a sign or symptom of something less serious approaching inside your body. If you find any lump or spot, make an appointment to talk to your doctor.

 

 

10. Skin becomes too tightto pinch

Kidney damage causes a lot of skin problems but this is an immensely rare side effect that can occur when you get an MRI (magnetic resonance imagining) or related test which needs a contrasting agent. A doctor can request a contrast agent to obtain a better view inside any area of your body ,like a blood vessel. If someone needs a contrasting agent, it will be inserted into a vein before examination.

 

Gadolinium is a common contrasting agent that negatively affects your kidneys. When this process happens, it leads to:

 

• Areas of shiny, hard skin that become too hard to pinch

• Lack of ability to fully bend a elbow, knee, or other part of your body

• Skin that feels compelled

 

This is an unusual side effect. If you have renal disease, be sure to tell any healthcare providers who order a medical test for you.

 

11. Calcium deposit under skin

Kidneys damage multiple skin conditions. Damaged kidneys have difficulty maintaining a smooth balance of minerals in your blood. This imbalance leads to calcium deposits under their skin in some people. They commonly appear near joints and are not painful if they don’t form inside one of your fingertips.

 

Calcium deposits commonly  occur around a joint and are not painful. However, when they develop within a fingertip, they may cause a lot of pain.

 

12. Scratch marks

 Kidney disease causes skin issues like itching and blood disorders which cause bumps and marks on the skin and when scratch marks are ignored it causes bleeding skin followed by sores.

 

 

Treatment of skin issues caused by kidney disease

 

Kidney disease itchy skin treatment

Overall, itchy skin associated with kidney disease is generally treated using topical and systemic therapies.

 

Topical therapies commonly include:

• Topical capsaicin cream

• Emollients

• Doxepin cream

• Menthol

• Tacrolimus cream

• Topical corticosteroids

 

Systemic therapies may include:

• Antihistamines

• Thalidomide

• µ-opioid receptor antagonists

• Selective κ-opioid receptor agonist

• Antidepressants (SSRIs)

• Anticonvulsants (gabapentin and pregabalin)

 

Gamma-linolenic acid and ultraviolet B light therapy are successful treatments for itchy skin.

 

Kidney disease skin rash treatment

Treatment options for a kidney disease rash will differ based on its type and cause.

 

Acquired perforating dermatosis does not contain various well-studied treatments. However, a study in 2014 reported that some oral medications and creams have been effective. As have cryotherapy and phototherapy with liquid nitrogen.

 

White bumps caused by calcium deposits are treated by reducing the intake of phosphorus. Foods rich in phosphorus are potatoes, cashews, lentils, chicken, dairy products, and fish. When phosphate levels in blood go back to normal, the bumps commonly go away on their own.

 

Uremic pruritus has numerous treatment options available. They may include:

• Skin creams, like capsaicin, Protopic (tacrolimus), and menthol creams

• Acupuncture

• Phototherapy

• Oral medication, like Neurontin (gabapentin)

 

Summary

Kidney disease causes various skin issues. This can occur at any stage of the kidney disease but is most common in more progressed stages.

 

When it occurs, it can appear only in certain areas or all over the body. Some people will not notice any signs of skin issues, like spots, raised bumps, or blisters, while others may. Chronic and persistent scratching can lead to lesions on the skin.

 

Treatment generally involves a combination of systemic medications and topical creams.