Chronic Kidney Disease

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Your kidney works as filters in your body, filtering out wastes, toxins, and extra water from your blood. When your kidneys begin malfunctioning, they are unable to filter wastes, resulting in the buildup of wastes in your body. 

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the gradual loss of kidney function over time. This increases your risk of developing other health problems such as heart disease and stroke. Over time, if left untreated, CKD can lead to kidney failure, also known as end-stage kidney disease. There is no cure for CKD but there are steps you can take to slow down the progression of kidney damage. 

There are five stages of CKD, which are based on how well your kidneys are able to filter out wastes from your blood. It ranges from mild (stage 1) to kidney failure (stage 5). 

The stages of CKD are as follows:

Stage 1 (>90 mL/min) : Your kidneys are working well but you have signs of mild kidney damage.

Stage 2 (60 - 89 mL/min): Your kidneys are working well but you have more signs of mild kidney damage.

Stage 3 (45 - 59 mL/min): Your kidneys are not working as well as they should. This is the most common stage and you may start noticing symptoms at this stage.

Stage 3b (30 - 44 mL/min): Your kidneys show moderate damage and don't work as well as they should. With the right treatment, many people stay in this stage and do not progress to stage 4.

Stage 4 (15 - 29 mL/min): You have poor kidney function and your kidneys are severely damaged.

Stage 5 (<15 mL/min): Your kidneys are close to failing or have stopped working. You may need kidney dialysis or a kidney transplant at this stage.

What are the symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease?

The early stages of CKD may not have noticeable symptoms. As the disease progresses, you may notice symptoms such as:

• Frequent urge to urinate
• Fatigue 
• Loss of appetite 
• Swollen hands, feet and ankles
• Shortness of breath
• Foamy urine
• Dry and itchy skin
• Trouble sleeping
• Nausea and vomiting 
• Muscle cramps
• High blood pressure

It may take years for wastes to build up in your blood and cause symptoms. 

What are the risk factors of Chronic Kidney Disease?

Anyone can develop CKD at any age, however there are risk factors that increases your risk of developing CKD. These include:

• Age
• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Heart disease
• Obesity
• Glomerulonephritis (Inflammation of the glomeruli)
• Smoking

How do you prevent Chronic Kidney Disease?

Preventing CKD is done by managing its risk factors effectively, especially for those suffering from conditions that significantly increases your risk of developing CKD such as hypertension and diabetes. Some ways to prevent the onset or the progression of CKD include:

• Maintain a healthy blood pressure: Keep your blood pressure levels within the recommended levels.
• Control blood sugar levels: Maintaining a healthy blood glucose level can prevent or delay the onset of kidney damage.
• Have a balanced diet: Have a diet low in sodium, processed foods, and saturated fats while including more fruits, vegetables and whole grain in your diet to improve your health and kidney function.
• Exercise regularly: You are recoomended to have at least 150minutes of moderate-intensity exercise each week, such as brisk-walking, cycling or swimming. Taking short walks is a great way to start.
• Avoid harmful medication: Certain medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) can stress the kidney and increase the risk of CKD.

How do you diagnoses Chronic Kidney Disease?

Biopsy
A biopsy is done to check for a specific type of kidney disease or to determine the amount of kidney damage.

Blood Test
A complete blood count blood test will be done to check for your glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and serum creatinine level.

Urine Test
Urine tests may be done to look for albumin and blood in your urine. Urine from well-functioning kidneys should not contain either.