Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) occurs when the kidneys can no longer clean the toxins and waste products found in the blood. This condition can occur suddenly or even gradually over a long period of time.
One of the things you need to know is, this kidney disease has multiple stages and knowing which stage of your disease is important to determine how you treat it. CKD has five stages, starting with stage 1 where the kidneys are still functioning close to normal, to stage 5 damage and is known as end stage renal disease (ESRD). At this stage, the patient’s kidneys are only functioning at 10-15 percent of their normal capacity and the patient will need to undergo dialysis treatment or a kidney transplant.
In most cases, ESRD (stage 5) only occurs years after the patient has had kidney disease. But there are also cases where the kidneys stop functioning suddenly and this condition is known as ‘acute kidney failure’. No matter what your condition is, if you have been diagnosed with ESRD, then it is necessary for you to undergo dialysis or a kidney transplant so that you can live a healthy life. At DaVita we provide a variety of services to suit your lifestyle.
There are various ways to treat ESRD (stage 5). The most common treatment is dialysis. If you and your nephrologist agree to choose a kidney transplant as a way to treat ESRD, chances are you will still need to undergo dialysis while waiting to get a kidney from a suitable donor.
What are the symptoms of chronic kidney disease?
Symptoms of chronic CKD vary and depend on the severity of the kidney damage. CKD is divided into five stages based on the level of kidney function or glomerular filtration rate. The glomerular filtration rate can be estimated from the blood creatinine level and is usually above 90 ml/min.
Signs and Symptoms of CKD
Most patients do not experience symptoms in the early stages. If kidney function is less than 30%, the following signs and symptoms may occur:
- Foamy urine (protein in the urine)
- Swelling of the legs, face and eyes
- Hard to breath
- Tired and exhausted
- Lack of appetite, nausea and vomiting
- Itchy skin