What Is Kidney Disease
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that act as your bodys waste filtration system. They filter your blood 12 times per hour. Excess water and unwanted chemicals or waste in the blood are disposed of as urine .
Kidney disease is when your kidneys are damaged in some way and are not filtering your blood effectively.
Stage 3 Kidney Disease Life Expectancy
When diagnosed and managed early, stage 3 CKD has a longer life expectancy than more advanced stages of kidney disease. Estimates can vary based on age and lifestyle.
One such estimate says that the average life expectancy is 24 years in men who are 40, and 28 in women of the same age group.
Aside from overall life expectancy, its important to consider your risk of disease progression. One 10-year study of stage 3 CKD patients found that about half progressed to more advanced stages of kidney disease.
Its also possible to experience complications from CKD, such as cardiovascular disease, which can affect your overall life expectancy.
Feeling Tired Or Sluggish During The Day
Everyone has a day when they feel tired maybe you didnt get enough sleep, or ate the wrong foods, or some other temporary factors are at play. But sometimes, fatigue is caused by lack of a hormone called erythropoietin, or EPO. The main function of EPO is to stimulate the production of red blood cells, and red blood cells carry energizing oxygen to cells throughout your body.
Stressed kidneys do not produce enough EPO, thereby reducing the number of red blood cells and making you feel weak and tired out.
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High Blood Pressure And Kidney Disease
High blood pressure is increased pressure inside the arteries that carry blood from your heart to all parts of your body. Untreated, high blood pressure can damage your kidneys.
Also, high blood pressure can develop as a result of kidney disease or renal artery stenosis . Your kidneys control the amount of fluid in your blood vessels and produce a hormone called renin that helps to control blood pressure.
Prevention Of Kidney Disease
Medication and changes to lifestyle, along with an early referral to a kidney specialist , can prevent or delay kidney failure.
Heathy lifestyle choices to keep your kidneys functioning well include:
- Eat lots of fruit and vegetables including legumes and grain-based food such as bread, pasta, noodles and rice.
- Eat lean meat such as chicken and fish each week.
- Eat only small amounts of salty or fatty food.
- Drink plenty of water instead of other drinks. Minimise consumption of sugary soft drinks.
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Stay fit. Do at least 30 minutes of physical activity that increases your heart rate on five or more days of the week, including walking, lawn mowing, bike riding, swimming or gentle aerobics.
- If you dont smoke, dont start. If you do, quit. Call the Quitline or ask your doctor for help with quitting.
- Limit your alcohol to no more than two small drinks per day if you are male, or one small drink per day if you are female.
- Have your blood pressure checked regularly.
- Do things that help you relax and reduce your stress levels.
A range of medication is available for high blood pressure. Different blood pressure medications work in different ways, so it is not unusual for more than one type to be prescribed. The dose may change according to your needs.
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How To Reverse Kidney Disease Remove The Cause
Its been said that only 3 per cent of people who have problems with their kidneys take the trouble to find out how to reverse kidney disease naturally. The possibility of surgery or dialysis is scary, yet why do so few believe that there must be another way?
Natural healing puts the power into your hands. You can easily learn the natural kidney cure protocol and apply the steps. It will require patience and determination but the journey will be a rewarding one. Can you imagine the feeling of success and relief you will experience once you have healed your kidney disease?
What Are The Symptoms
You may start to have symptoms only a few months after your kidneys begin to fail. But most people don’t have symptoms early on. In fact, many don’t have symptoms for as long as 30 years or more. This is called the “silent” phase of the disease.
How well your kidneys work is called kidney function. As your kidney function gets worse, you may:
- Urinate less than normal.
- Have swelling and weight gain from fluid buildup in your tissues. This is called edema .
- Feel very tired or sleepy.
- Not feel hungry, or you may lose weight without trying.
- Often feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
- Have trouble sleeping.
- Have headaches or trouble thinking clearly.
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Get The Help You Need
Kidney disease symptoms come in many forms, and knowing them on sight will save you a lot of confusion and time when deciding what to do. You will be able to act decisively and even help other people grow aware of things to look out for. If you or a loved one are struggling with kidney failure, our team of expert caregivers at All American Hospice is ready to help. Reach out today for a consultation.
Diagnosing Chronic Kidney Disease
Physicians who suspect chronic kidney disease in their patients will typically run bloodwork to check GFR and perform a urinalysis to measure a specific kind of protein calledalbumin. They may also measurecreatinine levels creatinine, a waste product filtered by the kidneys, often accumulates when kidney function is lowered. Since a normal level of creatinine varies with sex, age, and muscle mass, creatinine levels alone cant diagnose kidney disease, though it may be used in conjunction with urinalysis and GFR testing.
These lab tests, in addition toultrasounds andbiopsies of the kidney, can help doctors diagnose the presence of damage.
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How Can I Prevent Ckd
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of CKD. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, working with your doctor to keep your blood sugar and blood pressure under control is the best way to prevent kidney disease.
Living a healthy lifestyle can help prevent diabetes, high blood pressure and kidney disease, or help keep them under control. Follow these tips to lower your risk for kidney disease and the problems that cause it:
- Follow a low-salt, low-fat diet
- Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week
- Have regular check-ups with your doctor
- Do not smoke or use tobacco
- Limit alcohol
Cherry: Helps To Flushes Out The Nitrogenous Wastes Accumulated Due To Ckd
A decoction made using cherry flower stalks, or dry fruit should be taken a day after the main meals thrice to promote urination.
An infusion made using its stem can also be taken a day thrice. By its diuretic properties help to flush out the nitrogenous wastes that get deposited due to kidney disease.
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Kidney Pain Vs Back Pain
It’s easy to confuse kidney pain for just back pain. How do you know the difference?
Location. It could be your kidney and not your back if you feel it higher on your back. Back problems usually affect your lower back.
Kidney pain is felt higher and deeper in your body than back pain. You may feel it in the upper half of your back, not the lower part. Unlike back discomfort, it’s felt on one or both sides, usually under your rib cage.
It’s often constant. It probably won’t go away when you shift your body. With your back, it might lessen when you adjust your position.
Signs that it’s your back
Back pain:
- Shoots down one leg
- Is more likely to be stabbing than dull and constant
- Gets worse or flares up when you do certain activities, like lifting a box or bending over
- When you rest or lie down, back pain may ease up
- Might also be muscle aches
Other symptoms to watch for
Depending on the cause of the pain, you could have other symptoms too. If you have these signs, contact your doctor. You could have a serious kidney problem:
- Fever
Cleveland Clinic: ââ¬ÅKidney Pain,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅKidney Pain: Care and Treatment.ââ¬ï¿½Ã
Mayo Clinic: ââ¬ÅKidney Pain,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅKidney Stones,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅKidney Cysts,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅPolycystic Kidney Disease,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅBack Pain,ââ¬ï¿½ ââ¬ÅHydronephrosis.ââ¬ï¿½
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases: ââ¬ÅYour Kidneys & How They Work.ââ¬ï¿½
New Preclinical Models To Improve Target Validation And Understand Disease Development
We are in a stronger position than ever before to look for targets and treatments now we have a deeper molecular understanding of CKD. To use this new knowledge to our best advantage, we need the right research tools to simulate the disease and test our hypotheses. We are investing in the development of new, sophisticated models that mimic the human kidney more accurately than has ever previously been possible.
The complexity of the kidney means it has been virtually impossible to emulate in classical in vitro systems, while in vivo models are resource intensive to produce, and not always translatable to human systems.
The new model systems we are embedding into our research pipeline to bridge this gap include 3D bioprinting and organs-on-chips. With these groundbreaking techniques, we can test compound behaviour and hope to shed new light on previously elusive disease mechanisms.
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How Is Kidney Failure Treated
Kidney failure treatment is determined by the cause and extent of the problem. Treating your chronic medical condition can delay the progression of kidney disease. If your kidneys start losing their function gradually, your doctor may use one or more methods to track your health. By watching you closely, your doctor can help you maintain your kidneys function as long as possible.
Your doctor may gauge your kidney function with:
- Routine blood tests
- Blood pressure checks
- Medication
Because the kidneys serve such an important purpose, people in kidney failure need treatment to keep them alive. The main treatments for kidney failure are:
- Dialysis: This treatment helps the body filter the blood .
- In hemodialysis, a machine regularly cleans your blood for you. People often receive this kidney failure treatment at a hospital or dialysis clinic, 3 or 4 days each week.
- Peritoneal dialysis cleans the blood in a slightly different way using a dialysis solution and a catheter. Sometimes, people can do their treatment at home.
Is A Kidney Transplant An Option
If kidney failure occurs and is non-reversible, kidney transplantation is an alternative option to dialysis. If the patient is an appropriate candidate, the healthcare professional and nephrologist will contact an organ transplant center to arrange evaluation to see whether the patient is suitable for this treatment. If so, the search for a donor begins. Sometimes, family members have compatible tissue types and, if they are willing, may donate a kidney. Otherwise, the patient will be placed on the organ transplant list that is maintained by the United Network of Organ Sharing.
Not all hospitals are capable of performing kidney transplants. The patient may have to travel to undergo their operation. The most successful programs are those that do many transplants every year.
While kidney transplants have become routine, they still carry some risk. The patient will need to take anti-rejection medications that reduce the ability of the immune system to fight infection. The body can try to reject the kidney or the transplanted kidney may fail to work. As with any operation, there is a risk of bleeding and infection.
Kidney transplants may provide better quality of life than dialysis. After one year, 95% of transplanted kidneys are still functioning and after five years, the number is 80%. It seems that the longer a patient is on dialysis, the shorter the life of the transplanted kidney.
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Stages Of Chronic Kidney Disease
www.kidneyfund.orgKidney DiseaseChronic Kidney Disease Stages of Chronic Kidney DiseaseMedical Advisory Committee
Please note: eGFR is an estimate of how well your kidneys are working. The way eGFR is calculated will be changing. Currently the test considers your age, sex and race, among other things. A task force led by the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology is working on recommendations that may remove Black race as a factor in the eGFR calculation. The task force has been seeking the input of kidney disease experts to come up with the best way to make the eGFR test as accurate as possible. American Kidney Fund advised the task force to remove race from the eGFR so there is no bias in testing kidney function. This would help to make sure that every person will receive health care that is fair and of the highest quality. When the NKF-ASN task force makes its recommendations, AKF will promptly review them and then update our educational materials.
Chronic kidney disease refers to all five stages of kidney damage, from very mild damage in stage 1 to complete kidney failure in stage 5. The stages of kidney disease are based on how well the kidneys can filter waste and extra fluid out of the blood. In the early stages of kidney disease, your kidneys are still able to filter out waste from your blood. In the later stages, your kidneys must work harder to get rid of waste and may stop working altogether.
When Should I Call The Doctor
A nephrologist receives special training in kidney evaluation and treatment. You may benefit from a kidney specialists expert opinion if:
- You have trouble keeping your blood pressure levels in a normal range, even with medication.
- Your blood sugar levels fluctuate widely.
Last reviewed by a Cleveland Clinic medical professional on 01/11/2018.
References
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When Should You Call Your Doctor
or other emergency services if you have chronic kidney disease and you develop:
- A very slow heart rate .
- A very rapid heart rate .
- Chest pain or severe shortness of breath.
- Severe muscle weakness.
To check your heart rate, see the instructions for taking a pulse.
if you:
- Have symptoms of uremic syndrome, such as increasing fatigue, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, or inability to sleep.
- Vomit blood or have blood in your stools.
- Are feeling more tired or weak.
- Have swelling of the arms or feet.
- Bruise often or easily or have unusual bleeding.
- Are being treated with dialysis and you:
- Have belly pain while you are being treated with peritoneal dialysis.
- Have signs of infection at your catheter or dialysis access site, such as pus draining from the area.
- Have any other problem that your dialysis instruction manual or nurse’s instructions say you should call about.
If you have uncontrolled weight loss, discuss this with your doctor during your next visit.
How Are The Last Stages Of Kidney Failure Affect Dogs
How the Last Stages of Kidney Failure Affect Dogs Understanding kidney failure. According to Adamson Veterinary Services, your dogs kidneys fulfill many functions. The dog kidney failure stages. Newport Harbor Animal Hospital explains that kidney failure will only display clinical signs once at least two-thirds of the kidneys are dysfunctional. Symptoms of kidney failure. The end stages.
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Are You At High Risk
You can be at higher-than-average risk for kidney disease if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, a family history of kidney failure or if youre older than age 60. If you meet any of these criteria, its important to get tested for kidney disease every year. During this test, be sure to mention any symptoms youre experiencing to your healthcare provider.
What Are The Symptoms In More Advanced Kidney Disease
People with more advanced kidney disease can experience a range of physical and emotional symptoms.
Symptoms can include:
- tiredness and lack of energy
- dry skin
- poor appetite and weight loss
- bone or joint pain
- swollen ankles, feet or hands caused by water retention
- feeling sick
- finding it difficult to concentrate
- feeling sad, irritable or anxious
- headaches
- shortness of breath
In general, symptoms are more severe in more advanced kidney disease. Most people with chronic kidney disease stages G1, G2, and G3a should expect few, if any, symptoms. In stages G3b, G4 and G5, symptoms get increasingly common, but it can still be difficult to be certain whether the symptoms are due to CKD or to some other cause. Symptoms are frequent in people on dialysis and very frequent in people receiving active supportive care without dialysis. The risk of symptoms in transplant patients depends on how well the transplanted kidney is working.
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Swollen Or Puffy Face
Why this happens:
Failing kidneys don’t remove extra fluid, which builds up in your body causing swelling in the face.
What patients said:
My sister, her hair started to fall out, she was losing weight, but her face was really puffy, you know, and everything like that, before she found out what was going on with her.
My checks were always puffy and tight. Sometimes they would even hurt.