Questions To Ask Your Doctor About Stage 3 Kidney Disease
- What do my lab values mean? The results of your regular bloodwork help your doctor monitor your kidney health and calculate your estimate glomerular filtration rate , which determines your CKD stage. Changes in your lab values may indicate a change in your kidney function.
- What should I expect next with CKD? A stage 3 kidney disease diagnosis doesn’t necessarily mean that your condition will progress to stage 4 or stage 5. With lifestyle changes and a treatment plan from your doctor, it’s possible to slow the progression of CKD and preserve kidney function.
- Am I doing everything I can to slow CKD progression? Your doctor may have additional guidance on what you can do to stay your healthiest, including eating well and managing your existing medicationsespecially if you are managing other health conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. Looking after your overall health can help you protect your kidney health and feel your best.
What Is The Treatment For Chronic Kidney Disease
Treatment for most cases of CKD is usually done by GPs. This is because most cases are mild-to-moderate and do not require any specialist treatment. Your GP may refer you to a specialist if you develop stage 4 or 5 CKD, or at any stage if you have problems or symptoms that require specialist investigation.
Research studies have shown that, in many people, treatment at early stages of CKD can prevent or slow down progression through to eventual kidney failure.
The aims of treatment include:
- If possible, to treat any underlying kidney condition.
- To prevent or slow down the progression of CKD.
- To reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
- To relieve symptoms and problems caused by CKD.
What Is Stage 3 Kidney Disease In Cats
The reason I asked that question is because most people dont know what stage 3 kidney disease in cats means.
I dont blame them, because when I started looking into this information, I thought it was a real mystery. I mean, a cat is a cat.
So my new look at the problem was very enlightening indeed, but it left me a little confused as to what stage three meant, and what stage one might mean.
Just when I thought the problem was too difficult to understand, the good news is that I now know!
Ill explain a bit more about what this problem is for cats. A type of cat kidney disease called ecliptic nephrosis, or EPN, is most common in older cats.
It involves swelling of the kidneys and a blockage in the urinary tract.
When the neurons are narrowed or blocked by the buildup of waste products, the kidneys cannot produce enough urine, causing the cat to pee heavily.
You might also be able to notice changes in your cats urine, asin a foul smell. This can be described as urine smelling like rotten eggs. Ifthis is the case, please take your cat to the vet immediately.
If you have noticed any symptoms of kidney disease, such as loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, or loss of sexual activity, contact your vet right away.
Kidney failure, often accompanied by dehydration, can be fatal. Do not rely on the cat to self-diagnose or treat itself it needs your help.
To figure out what stage of kidney disease in cats is currently in your cat, the vet will need to do a blood test.
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How Do I Get Help In Preventing Further Damage And Avoiding Kidney Failure
Doctors who specialize in kidney conditions, nephrologists, will work with you to create a personalized plan to fight kidney disease that includes lifestyle and diet changes, with the possibility of medication as well.
Your doctor can also help you with symptom relief. Many people in stage 3 do not have symptoms, but some experience back pain, frequent urination, or swelling in the hands and feet.
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, a nephrologist can prescribe certain kinds of blood pressure medicines that may prevent kidney disease from worsening. These medicines include ACE inhibitors and ARBs.
Addressing the disease while still in an intermediate stage like CKD3 gives you and your doctor time to support your kidney function before its too late.
Your treatment plan may involve changes in your lifestyle that can seem overwhelming, but nephrologists are there to support you and check in with you as you begin working towards improved kidney health.
Get your kidneys checked today. Visit our website to make an appointment online at flkidney.com
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Why Do I Need To Weigh Myself When On Hemodialysis
Keeping track of your weight is a good way to know if your body is holding on to too much water. Because your kidneys are not working well, your body may hold on to extra water between dialysis sessions.
Your target weight is what you should weigh after you have finished each dialysis treatment. Your doctor will work with you to figure out your target weight.
If you are on hemodialysis, you should also weigh yourself every morning and contact your doctor if your weight is much higher or lower than normal. Remember, how closely you follow your food and fluid plan and whether you take your medicines correctly will affect your weight too.
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Managing Stage 3 Kidney Failure
To keep kidney disease from getting worse, several lifestyle changes may be necessary. First, meet with a nephrologist to determine a treatment plan. These doctors are kidney experts and can help you understand what changes to make and how often youll need to get your kidneys checked. Be sure to ask your doctor about blood pressure medications that can help keep kidney disease from getting worse, particularly if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, as these can worsen along with the kidney disease.
What Are The Symptoms Of Ckd
Most people may not have any severe symptoms until their kidney disease is advanced. However, you may notice that you:
- feel more tired and have less energy
- have trouble concentrating
- have muscle cramping at night
- have swollen feet and ankles
- have puffiness around your eyes, especially in the morning
- have dry, itchy skin
- need to urinate more often, especially at night.
Anyone can get chronic kidney disease at any age. However, some people are more likely than others to develop kidney disease. You may have an increased risk for kidney disease if you:
- have diabetes
- have a family history of kidney failure
- are older
- belong to a population group that has a high rate of diabetes or high blood pressure, such as African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian, Pacific Islanders, and American Indians.
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Medical Treatments For Stage 3 Kidney Disease
Often your doctor may prescribe medicines to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and control diabetes, and other coexisting conditions.
For patients in stage 3 CKD with an eGFR below 60 mL/min, certain drugs may no longer be given because they have the potential to damage the kidneys. These substances may not be able to be eliminated and will build up to toxic levels in the body. They include:
- Pethidine
One easy thing you can do to lower blood pressure is cut back on your salt intake. Kidneys are responsible for controlling the sodium levels in your body. When you have poor kidney function cutting back on sodium can prevent fluid buildup, swelling, and high blood pressure.
The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension diet can decrease blood pressure and lower the risk of heart disease.
The DASH diet is rich in fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, whole grains, fish, poultry, dry beans, seeds, and nuts. It is low in salt sodium, added sugars, and sweet.
The American Heart Association says people with hypertension should get about 1,500 mg of sodium a day. However, your renal dietitian may have different recommendations depending on your health status.
Nutrition for Cholesterol
Nutrition can play a large role in lowering cholesterol. One thing you can do is start reading food labels. Foods with saturated fat turn into cholesterol when digested in the body. Look for foods that are low in saturated fat. Limit foods made with
- Milk
- Fish
Kidney Transplant In Children
It is estimated that each year, 1 in 65,000 children in the United States has kidney failure. Children with kidney failure have a different experience with this disease than adults. Learn about kidney transplant in children and how to prepare your child for surgery and life after transplant.
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What Are The Risks Of Kidney Disease And What Happens If I Dont Seek Treatment
If you do not see a doctor while in stage CKD3 and your disease continues to worsen, your body will reach such a critical state that you need dialysis, or an artificial means of performing the job your kidneys are meant to do.
Dialysis can be time-intensive and costly. It helps your body to continue functioning, but does not cure you. Dialysis may involve visiting the doctor three times a week to get treatments that are four hours long, where doctors use an artificial kidney to remove waste and other fluids from your body.
The other dialysis options involve buying a machine for your home that regulates your body while you sleep, or getting a catheter inserted into your peritoneal cavity so that you can administer dialysis yourself four to five times every day, the only option without machines.
Patients on dialysis live an average of 5-10 years, though some patients live longer. Dialysis is a major medical treatment needed for people whose bodies are in a critical state.
Symptoms of patients in the later stages of kidney disease include: nausea, vomiting, weakness, lack of appetite, decreased mental sharpness, persistent itching, chest pain, and sleeping problems.
Prevention Of Stage 3 Ckd
Prevention of stage 3 CKD can basically be broken down into three basic things â a proper diet, plenty of exercises and sticking to the prescribed medicines. Also, if you are in the habit of smoking, it should be immediately stopped. You should be aware of the total calories you are consuming on a per day basis. Foods such as cheese, milk, ice cream, seeds, and chocolate should be avoided as it becomes increasingly difficult for the body to process these. Maintaining a healthy weight is also important for the prevention of stage 3 CKD. At the same time, it is also important to consider your sources of nutrition. For example, there can be huge differences between the protein coming from plants and animals. You should also control your portions. It is best to eat small portions spread into 5 or 6 meals rather than stuff it all in 3 meals. As for the exercise, find activities you enjoy, such as swimming, jogging, games, and so on. This way, you will be getting your dose of recreation as well as exercise.
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How Do I Manage Stage 3 Kidney Disease After 65
In people over the age of 70 with an eGFR in the range of 45-59, who are stable and without any other evidence of kidney disease, are unlikely to be at risk for further chronic kidney disease-related complications. It’s important to address any concerns with your doctor when you are looking at how you will progress and what problems you are likely to have as each person is different. But know that you need to address the problems of high blood pressure and diabetes that you may be struggling with to ensure your health continues to be stable.
You need to consider following a kidney diet that limits protein intake and ensures that you have the right mix of nutrients to improve your condition. You are in charge of taking control of your health, regardless of your age.
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Stage 2 Kidney Disease Classification
If you have stage 2 CKD, you have moderate kidney impairment and an eGFR of 60 to 89. An eGFR of 60 to 89 usually indicates that your kidneys are healthy and functioning properly. If you have Stage 2 kidney disease, however, your eGFR is normal, but you have additional indicators of renal impairment. Protein in your urine or actual damage to your kidneys are both signs of kidney disease.
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Stage 3 Kidney Disease And Kidney Function As You Age
As you grow older, your kidney function declines. That is just part of nature, and many people over the age of 65 have a GFR that puts them into Stage 3 kidney disease. As much as 49% of adults over the age of 85 in the US may have an eGFR of less than 60 mL/min. As a matter of fact, the largest number of people with kidney disease are those over the age of 70, and most of them are in stage 3 or 4 kidney disease. So, does that mean you have to take drastic action?
Not likely, but you can do the things that you need to do to control your diabetes or cholesterol that contribute to kidney damage by following a meal plan that caters to that condition.
Preventing Or Slowing Down The Progression Of Ckd
There are ways to stop CKD becoming any worse or to slow down any progression. You should have checks every now and then by your GP or practice nurse to monitor your kidney function – the eGFR test. They will also give you treatment and advice on how to prevent or slow down the progression of CKD. This usually includes:
- Blood pressure control. The most important treatment to prevent or delay the progression of CKD, whatever the underlying cause, is to keep your blood pressure well controlled. Most people with CKD will require medication to control their blood pressure. Your doctor will give you a target blood pressure level to aim for. This is usually below 130/80 mm Hg, and even lower in some circumstances.
- Review of your medication. Certain medicines can affect the kidneys as a side-effect which can make CKD worse. For example, if you have CKD you should not take anti-inflammatory medicines unless advised to by a doctor. You may also need to adjust the dose of certain medicines that you may take if your CKD gets worse.
- Diet. if you have more advanced CKD then you will need to follow a special diet. See the separate leaflet called Diet in Chronic Kidney Disease.
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Glomerular Filtration Rate: Gfr And Egfr
The main function of the kidneys is to clear water-soluble waste products from the blood. The efficiency of clearance is measured using the GFR
- The GFR is a measure of how much blood is cleaned by the kidneys in one minute. By using a blood test to measure creatinine levels we can calculate the estimated GFR, known as eGFR. We do this using a formula that takes body size into account. The average adult body size is 1.73 m2. A normal GFR is around 100 ml/min/1.73m2
- Because the average normal eGFR is 100, the eGFR can be seen as a percentage of normal kidney function. However, values as low as 60 are considered normal if there is no other evidence of kidney disease
- The eGFR is used to calculate the G stage of CKD
- The eGFR calculation can be inaccurate in people who have much more, or much less muscle than average people of their age, sex, and ethnic origin. For instance, it can be falsely low in body builders, and falsely high in people with anorexia nervosa.
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Creatinine Stages And Risks At Each Stage
Creatinine is a metabolic waste product produced by the metabolic activity of the body muscles. Creatinine is the determining factor to detect whether the kidneys are a function or not. The kidney functions to eliminate most of the creatinine out of the body via urine. When the kidneys are working well they efficiently excrete creatinine but high creatinine levels in the blood show chronic kidney disease .
CKD is a kidney disease that gradually shows its symptoms and is classified into 5 stages according to the severity of kidney failure . The kidney function is measured by Glomerular Filtration Rate . A mathematical formula involving the age, gender, race, and serum creatinine levels is used to calculate GFR. Blood tests are thus ordered to detect the stages of CKD.
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What Does A Decreased Kidney Function Mean To My Health
It’s a natural part of aging, so your kidneys decline as you age by as much as 1 ml/min in your eGFR. You may think that means you will eventually need to be on dialysis, but for most people over the age of 65, unless they have a related condition like protein in their urine, they are unlikely to develop further problems beyond stage 3 kidney disease and progress to dialysis. When scientists’ studied who progressed to needing dialysis, they found that people who had a lower eGFR , had anemia, and more protein in their urine. Most likely to not progress to further stages of kidney disease were women, with a lower risk of high blood pressure and a lower level of protein in their urine.
This means that if you are older and have kidney disease you should continue to work with your doctors to assess what changes you can make whether it is adding a medication or seeing a specialist. You still need to be proactive with your health to keep from progressing beyond stage 3 kidney disease.