Symptoms Of Chronic Kidney Disease
Symptoms usually develop very slowly. As kidney failure progresses and metabolic waste products build up in the blood, symptoms progress.
Mild to moderate loss of kidney function may cause only mild symptoms, such as the need to urinate several times during the night . Nocturia occurs because the kidneys cannot absorb water from the urine to reduce the volume and concentrate it as normally occurs during the night.
As kidney function worsens and more metabolic waste products build up in the blood, people may feel fatigued and generally weak and may become less mentally alert. Some have a loss of appetite and shortness of breath. Anemia also contributes to fatigue and generalized weakness.
The buildup of metabolic waste also causes loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and an unpleasant taste in the mouth, which may lead to undernutrition and weight loss. People with chronic kidney disease tend to bruise easily or bleed for an unusually long time after cuts or other injuries. Chronic kidney disease also diminishes the bodys ability to fight infections. Gout Gout Gout is a disorder in which deposits of uric acid crystals accumulate in the joints because of high blood levels of uric acid . The accumulations of crystals cause flare-ups … read more may cause acute arthritis with joint pain and swelling.
What Will I Need To Change
You will need to keep track of what you eat and drink. Changes may need to be made based on your blood test results. Nutrients are substances found in food that your body needs to function and maintain healthfor example, water, sodium, protein, phosphorus, potassium, vitamins, and other minerals. Your diet can supply nutrients that are lost through treatment, or you might need to limit certain nutrients you eat that can build up in your body. You may also need to keep track of how many calories are in what you eat and drink.
Coronavirus Might Target Kidney Cells
The virus itself infects the cells of the kidney. Kidney cells have receptors that enable the new coronavirus to attach to them, invade, and make copies of itself, potentially damaging those tissues. Similar receptors are found on cells of the lungs and heart, where the new coronavirus has been shown to cause injury.
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Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3
Stage 3 of CKD is diagnosed based on estimated glomerular filtration rate readings. This is a blood test that measures creatine levels. An eGFR is used to determine how well your kidneys are working at filtering wastes.
An optimal eGFR is higher than 90, while stage 5 CKD presents itself in an eGFR of less than 15. So the higher your eGFR, the better your estimated kidney function.
Stage 3 CKD has two subtypes based on eGFR readings. You may be diagnosed with stage 3a if your eGFR is between 45 and 59. Stage 3b means your eGFR is between 30 and 44.
The goal with stage 3 CKD is to prevent further kidney function loss. In clinical terms, this can mean preventing an eGFR of between 29 and 15, which indicates stage 4 CKD.
You may not notice symptoms of chronic kidney problems in stages 1 and 2, but the signs start to become more noticeable in stage 3.
Some of the symptoms of CKD stage 3 may include:
How Does Older Age Affect My Kidneys
Aging is a normal and natural process that affects all parts of the body, including the kidneys. But over time, our kidneys change in the way they look and in the way they work. Just as we see wrinkles and age spots on our skin, so too do the kidneys show changes that can be seen with a microscope.
The kidneys have tiny filters called nephrons that clean all the blood in our body. We’re born with about a million of these units in each kidney. But as we get older, we lose some nephrons, and some other nephrons might not work as well as when younger.
Loss of nephrons will affect the estimated glomerular filtration rate , a blood test that shows our level of kidney function . Please note that a decline in kidney function is normal as we get older and may not always be a sign of kidney disease.
Having less nephrons and less kidney function makes it harder for the kidneys to handle stress. For example, diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure place more stress on older kidneys. The effects of this stress are greater for older kidneys and can cause more kidney damage than in younger kidneys.
Older kidneys also have more chance to suffer from acute kidney injury . AKI is kidney damage that happens very quickly. It happens because of problems like using too high a dose of a certain drug, or not drinking enough fluid on a very hot day.
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What Will The Doctors Do Then
What Can You Do To Protect Your Kidneys At Any Age
- Get your kidneys checked at least every year. Your healthcare team will do a simple blood test to find out your eGFR. They will also do a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio , which shows if you have protein in the urine. Protein in the urine may mean you have kidney damage.
- Control blood pressure if you have high blood pressure.
- Control blood sugar if you have diabetes.
- In general, if you have CKD, avoid non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen and naproxen.
- If you have CKD, tell your healthcare team before having any test that uses contrast dye.
- Do not smoke.
- Exercise and follow a healthy diet that’s low in sodium, saturated fat, and sugar, but high in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, fish, and poultry. Avoid highly processed foods.
- Stay at a healthy weight. Lose weight if your healthcare team says that you should.
- Discuss any vitamins, minerals, herbs, weight loss or body building supplements with your healthcare team before taking them. Many of these products can hurt your kidneys.
- Make sure that any drugs you take are the right dose for your age and your level of kidney function. You should discuss this with your healthcare team.
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What Can I Do To Help Myself
If you smoke, stop. Ask for help in stopping if you need to. There are lots of treatments to help.
Try to control your blood pressure. Take any blood pressure medications regularly and as directed by your doctor. Reduce the amount of salt in your diet to less than 6g per day.
You can find advice on how to reduce your salt intake on the FoodSwitch UK website.
Maintain a healthy weight. If you are overweight, have diabetes or advanced kidney disease, and need advice on your diet, ask your GP about the services available in your area. They may refer you to a dietitian for specialist advice.
Eat a healthy and balanced diet, with support from your GP and dietician where this is available.
You can find out a lot more about following a kidney-friendly diet on our Kidney Kitchen site.
Avoid anti-inflammatory medicine such as ibuprofen as they can make kidney disease worse. Ask your pharmacist each time you are given a new medicine to check that it is okay for you to take with your reduced kidney function
If you are unwell you may need to temporarily stop taking certain medications. This is particularly important if you take blood pressure medications. Please discuss this with your GP, pharmacist or kidney specialist.
Do not stop your medication without taking medical advice.
What Is Stage 4 Chronic Kidney Disease
Stage 4 chronic kidney disease is defined as having a GFR of 1539 ml/min. This means your kidneys have lost nearly 8590 percent of its function and will require the assistance medical therapy.
Declining kidney function results in the build of waste products in the blood that can lead to several complications. This includes high blood pressure, anemia, bone disease, heart disease, and other cardiovascular diseases. If these complications are not taken care of promptly, it can lead can severe health consequences.
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What Health Problems Can People With Kidney Disease Develop
Kidney disease can lead to other health problems. Your health care team will work with you to help you avoid or manage:
High blood pressure. High blood pressure can be both a cause and a result of kidney disease. High blood pressure damages your kidneys, and damaged kidneys dont work as well to help control your blood pressure. With kidney failure, your kidneys cant get rid of extra water. Taking in too much water can cause swelling, raise your blood pressure, and make your heart work harder.
Blood pressure-lowering medicines, limiting sodium and fluids in your diet, staying physically active, managing stress, and quitting smoking can help you control your blood pressure.
Heart disease. Kidney disease and heart disease share two of the same main causes: diabetes and high blood pressure. People with kidney disease are at high risk for heart disease, and people with heart disease are at high risk for kidney disease.
The steps that you take to manage your kidney disease, blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose will also help you prevent heart attacks or strokes.
Anemia. When kidneys are damaged, they dont make enough erythropoietin , a hormone that helps make red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to other parts of your body. When you have anemia, some organssuch as your brain and heartmay get less oxygen than they need and may not function as well as they should. Anemia can make you feel weak and lack energy.
Life Expectancy Of Stage 4 Kidney Disease Patients
Without treatment in the form of kidney dialysis, stage 4 kidney disease patients will be subjected to several negative symptoms that will not only cause pain, but also an overall decrease in quality of life. It is expected that stage 4 patients will not survive more than a year without dialysis treatment.
With dialysis, however, patients are expected to increase survivability considerably, allowing them to extend their prognosis by an additional 25 years. By allowing a dialysis machine to perform the work normally done by the kidneys, your body can perform optimally again. However, it is important to note that every patient is different and may have additional circumstances that may affect survival.
Dialysis should only be considered as a temporary measure to help get rid of harmful toxins and wastes from the body. All efforts are geared toward promoting kidney treatment and recovery that help repair diseased cells and tissues so that eventually a patients kidney function is sufficient enough to do the job on its own. This will require the dedication and vigilance of the patient to adhere strict dietary plans and treatments prescribed by the doctor.
However, some cases of kidney disease are beyond what can be treated with modern medicine, with the only resort left being kidney transplantation.
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How Will Kidney Failure Affect How I Feel About My Life
Coping with kidney failure can be stressful. Some of the steps that you are taking to manage your kidney disease are also healthy ways to cope with stress. For example, physical activity and sleep help reduce stress. Learn more about healthy ways to cope with stress.
Depression is common among people with a chronic, or long-term, illness. Depression can make it harder to manage your kidney disease. Ask for help if you feel down. Your health care team can help you. Talking with a support group, clergy member, friend, or family member wholl listen to your feelings may help.
Treatment for depression is available.
Does Kidney Failure Cause Pain
Kidney failure in itself does not cause pain. However, the consequences of kidney failure may cause pain and discomfort in different parts of the body.
Amyloid proteins
Normal functioning kidneys filter amyloid from the bloodstream. In kidney failure amyloid proteins in the blood rise, and can separate and clump together forming amyloid deposits into a variety of tissue and organs, including joints and tendons. This can result in symptoms of:
- Patients who are on dialysis may have discomfort when on the dialysis machine.
Underlying chronic disease pain
- Pain is often a consequence of the underlying chronic disease that led to kidney failure, for example:
- People with poorly controlled diabetes may develop diabetic neuropathy pain.
- People who have the peripheral vascular disease also may have pain in their extremities and may develop claudication .
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What Are The Kidneys Where Are They Located
The kidneys play key roles in body function, not only by filtering the blood and getting rid of waste products, but also by balancing the electrolyte levels in the body, controlling blood pressure, and stimulating the production of red blood cells.
The kidneys are located in the abdomen toward the back, normally one on each side of the spine. They get their blood supply through the renal arteries directly from the aorta and send blood back to the heart via the renal veins to the vena cava.
Stage 3 Kidney Disease Diet
Processed foods are extremely hard on the body. Since your kidneys are responsible for removing wastes and balancing electrolytes, eating too many of the wrong foods can overload your kidneys.
Its important to eat more whole foods like produce and grains, and to eat fewer processed foods and less of the saturated fats found in animal products.
A doctor may recommend decreasing your protein intake. If your potassium levels are too high from CKD, they may also recommend that you avoid certain high-potassium foods like bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes.
The same principle pertains to sodium. You may need to cut down on salty foods if your sodium levels are too high.
Weight loss is common in more advanced stages of CKD because of appetite loss. This can also put you at risk of malnutrition.
If youre experiencing appetite loss, consider eating smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day to make sure youre getting enough calories and nutrients.
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What You Can Do For Your Loved One
Besides managing symptoms, as a family caregiver you can help by communicating what end-of-life kidney failure signs you are seeing to the patients doctor and the hospice care team. Additionally, as a loved one, you can help the patient get their affairs in order. And finally, if it hasnt been done already, by contacting a hospice services provider as soon as possible.
What Are The Symptoms Of Kidney Failure
In early stages of kidney disease, many people experience few or no symptoms. Its important to note that chronic kidney disease can still cause damage even though you feel fine.
Chronic kidney disease and kidney failure can cause different symptoms for different people. If your kidneys arent working properly, you may notice one or more of the following signs:
- Fatigue
- Poor appetite or metallic taste of food
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Kidney Failure Life Expectancy
Its not possible to know exactly how long a person with kidney failure will live. Every person with kidney failure is different.
In general, the National Kidney Foundation says that a person on dialysis can expect to live for an average of 5 to 10 years as long as they follow their treatment. Some people live for more than 20 or 30 years.
Factors that can play a role in life expectancy include your:
- age
- stage of kidney disease
- other coexisting conditions
Once you reach end stage kidney failure, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to live. Missing even one dialysis treatment can decrease your life expectancy.
Treatment For Kidney Failure
The treatment choices for kidney failure include:
- dialysis
- kidney transplantation
- non-dialysis supportive care.
Dialysis or kidney transplantation is needed when there is less than 10 per cent of kidney function left. These options are also known as renal replacement therapy . Some people choose non-dialysis supportive care rather than dialysis or kidney transplantation.
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Diagnosis Of Chronic Kidney Disease
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Blood and urine tests
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Sometimes biopsy
Blood and urine tests are essential. They confirm the decline in kidney function.
When loss of kidney function reaches a certain level in chronic kidney disease, the levels of chemicals in the blood typically become abnormal.
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Urea and creatinine, metabolic waste products that are normally filtered out by the kidneys, are increased.
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Blood becomes moderately acidic.
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Potassium in the blood is often normal or only slightly increased but can become dangerously high.
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Calcium and calcitriol in the blood decrease.
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Phosphate and parathyroid hormone levels increase.
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Hemoglobin is usually lower .
Potassium can become dangerously high when kidney failure reaches an advanced stage or if people ingest large amounts of potassium or take a drug that prevents the kidneys from excreting the potassium.
Analysis of the urine may detect many abnormalities, including protein and abnormal cells.
Ultrasonography is often done to rule out obstruction and check the size of the kidneys. Small, scarred kidneys often indicate that loss of kidney function is chronic. Determining a precise cause becomes increasingly difficult as chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage.
Removing a sample of tissue from a kidney for examination may be the most accurate test, but it is not recommended if results of an ultrasound examination show that the kidneys are small and scarred.