he term “chronic kidney disease” means lasting damage to the kidneys that can get worse
over time. If the damage is very bad, your kidneys may stop working. This is called kidney
failure, or end-stage renal disease (ESRD). If your kidneys fail, you will need dialysis or a
kidney transplant in order to live.
What causes chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Symptoms of chronic kidney disease
Complications of CKD
Stages of CKD
How can I prevent CKD?
How do I know if I have CKD?
How is CKD treated?
Kidney-friendly diet for CKD
What causes chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Anyone can get CKD. Some people are more at risk than others. Some things that increase
your risk for CKD include:
Diabetes
High blood pressure (hypertension)
Heart disease
Having a family member with kidney disease
Being African-American, Hispanic, Native American or Asian
Being over 60 years old
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Symptoms of chronic kidney disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) usually gets worse slowly, and symptoms may not appear
until your kidneys are badly damaged. In the late stages of CKD, as you are nearing kidney
failure (ESRD), you may notice symptoms that are caused by waste and extra fluid building
up in your body.
You may notice one or more of the following symptoms if your kidneys are beginning to fail:
Itching
Muscle cramps
Nausea and vomiting
Not feeling hungry
Swelling in your feet and ankles
Too much urine (pee) or not enough urine
Trouble catching your breath
Trouble sleeping
If your kidneys stop working suddenly (acute kidney failure), you may notice one or more of
the following symptoms:
Abdominal (belly) pain
Back pain
Diarrhea
Fever
Nosebleeds
Rash
Vomiting
Having one or more of any of the symptoms above may be a sign of serious kidney problems.
If you notice any of these symptoms, you should contact your doctor right away.
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Complications of CKD
Your kidneys help your whole body work properly. When you have CKD, you can also have
problems with how the rest of your body is working. Some of the common complications of
CKD include anemia, bone disease, heart disease, high potassium, high calcium and fluid
buildup. Learn more about the complications of CKD.
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Stages of CKD
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) refers to all 5 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 do their job – to filter waste and extra fluid out of the
blood. Learn more about the stages of CKD.
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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
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How do I know if I have CKD?
CKD usually does not have any symptoms until your kidneys are badly damaged. The only
way to know how well your kidneys are working is to get tested. Being tested for kidney
disease is simple. Ask your doctor about these tests for kidney health:
eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate)
The eGFR is a sign of how well your kidneys are cleaning your blood.
Your body makes waste all the time. This waste goes into your blood. Healthy
kidneys take the waste out of your blood. One type of waste is called creatinine. If
you have too much creatinine in your blood, it might be a sign that your kidneys are
having trouble filtering your blood.
You will have a blood test to find out how much creatinine is in your blood. Your
doctor will use this information to figure out your eGFR. If your eGFR is less than 60
for three months or more, you might have kidney disease.
Urine test
This test is done to see if there is blood or protein in your urine (pee).
Your kidneys make your urine. If you have blood or protein in your urine, it may be a
sign that your kidneys are not working well.
Your doctor may ask you for a sample of your urine in the clinic or ask you to collect
your urine at home and bring it to your appointment.
Blood pressure
This test is done to see how hard your heart is working to pump your blood.
High blood pressure can cause kidney disease, but kidney disease can also cause high
blood pressure. Sometimes high blood pressure is a sign that your kidneys are not
working well.
For most people a normal blood pressure is less than 120/80 (120 over 80). Ask your
doctor what your blood pressure should be.
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How is CKD treated?
Damage to your kidneys is usually permanent. Although the damage cannot be fixed, you can
take steps to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible for as long as possible. You may even
be able to stop the damage from getting worse.
Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
Keep a healthy blood pressure.
Follow a low-salt, low-fat diet.
Exercise at least 30 minutes on most days of the week.
Keep a healthy weight.
Do not smoke or use tobacco.
Limit alcohol.
Talk to your doctor about medicines that can help protect your kidneys.
If you catch kidney disease early, you may be able to prevent kidney failure. If your kidneys
fail, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.
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Kidney-friendly diet for CKD
You need to have a kidney-friendly meal plan when you have chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Watching what you eat and drink will help you stay healthier. A kidney-friendly diet may
also help protect your kidney from further damage by limiting certain foods to prevent the
minerals in those foods from building up in your body. Learn more about the kidney-friendly
diet for CKD.
