Damaged kidneys and kidneys with reduced function cause renal disease. Renal disease is also called chronic kidney disease, or CKD. In 2002, the National Kidney Foundation classified renal disease into 5 stages. Treatment of renal disease depends on the stage of renal disease. Renal disease causes complications such as high blood pressure, anemia, bone disease, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Treatment and prevention of heart disease is extremely important in patients with renal disease because patients are more likely to die of heart disease than progress to renal failure.
Identification
If you have early stages of CKD, CKD 1 or 2, you may feel quite normal. Many patients with CKD are detected only shortly before the onset of kidney failure. By the time you reach kidney failure, dialysis or transplantation are the only options to stay alive.
Earlier detection allows for more time for treating your disease and slowing your kidney function decline. The National Kidney Foundation's Kidney Early Evaluation Program offers free screening for those at risk for kidney disease.
5 Stages of Renal Disease
Renal disease is classified into 5 stages based on glomerular filtration rate, or GFR, and other signs of kidney damage. GFR is the best numerical estimate of kidney function. It indicates how good or how badly your kidneys work. A level of 90 mL/min or more represents a normal GFR. Your doctor will tell you which stage of renal disease you have and treat you accordingly. The five stages of renal disease progress up to CKD 5, which means you will require dialysis. If you have been diagnosed with renal disease, know your GFR and know what stage of renal disease you have.
Symptoms
If you have CKD stage 1 and 2, you may have very few symptoms and feel normal. However, by the time you reach stage 3 CKD your symptoms will become much more pronounced and you may feel quite sick. Some symptoms of renal disease include the need to urinate more often or less often, fatigue and tiredness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, swelling in the hands, itchy or numb, drowsy or have trouble concentrating, muscle cramps. These symptoms become more severe and more numerous as you approach CKD stage 5.
Prevention/Solution
In most cases, once you have kidney damage it is not possible to reverse the damage. Your main goal is to prevent your kidney disease from getting worse.
Renal patients have a 10 to 30 times higher risk of dying from heart disease than progressing to Stage 5 or renal failure. Cholesterol abnormalities, if detected and treated early, can reduce the risk of heart disease. If you have CKD, ask your doctor to check your cholesterol levels.
If you have diabetes and renal disease, make sure your glucose levels are controlled within normal range. High blood glucose levels can damage blood vessels in your kidneys. Maintaining normal blood glucose levels will help slow down the loss of renal function.
Renal disease causes high blood pressure. Over 50 percent of patients with kidney disease have high blood pressure. According to guidelines issued by the National Kidney Foundation in 2005, if you have renal disease, your target blood pressure should be below 130/80 mm Hg.
Complications such as bone disease, anemia, poor nutritional health and nerve damage are far more common in mid to late stages CKD. If you have reached stage 3 CKD, ask your doctor to check for these complications.
Diet (Reference 6)
Diet plays a critical role in the treatment of renal disease. Your type of diet will depend on the stage of renal disease you have. Maintaining the right balance of calories, proteins, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, vitamin D and salt are essential for the proper treatment of renal disease.
Your doctor will refer you to a dietitian who will choose the right foods and drinks for you to maintain normal levels of minerals and hormones.
Take charge of your disease. Avoid alcohol and cigarettes. Keep healthy and maintain a normal weight. Medication, diet and exercise play a huge role in preventing you from progressing to later stages of renal disease.
