Chronic Kidney Disease Information at a Glance

Chronic Kidney Disease affects 10% of the population

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), also known as renal disease,  affects 1 in 10 Americans, ages 20 and up, and is the ninth leading cause of death in the United States.  CKD shows few warning signs at first, and then snowballs into many different problems for the affected.

However, if you are armed with guidance from the Renalus Kidney Care team and you actively choose a healthy lifestyle, you can combat CKD. Our care team is dedicated to being there at every step of your journey—supporting our patients and their families through education and the full course of treatment. Understanding the symptoms can help catch CKD early before you’re affected.

 

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Symptoms

When you are experiencing CKD, these signs can be indicating symptoms:

  • A change in the frequency and quantity of urine passed, especially at night
  • Foaming or Blood in the urine (Haematuria)
  • Puffiness around the eyes and ankles (Oedema)
  • Pain in the back (under the lower ribs, where the kidneys are located)
  • Pain or a burning sensation when passing urine
  • Shortness of breath, tiredness, inability to concentrate
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and vomiting

By recognizing the symptoms of CKD, you can prevent any further damage to your kidneys.  Look at our Kidney Disease Diet and Prevention guide for tips on slowing the damage to your kidneys.


Stages of Renal Failure

Renal failure has few symptoms at the earlier stages, check with your doctor frequently to see if you are at risk for renal failure.  To help doctors understand the timeline for CKD, the National Kidney Foundation (NFK) created a guideline to help identify each of the five stages of the CKD.The stages of renal failure are divided by Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) rating. The GFR is a formula that uses age, race, gender and serum creatinine level to measure kidney function and efficiency. These stages help guide our care team’s decision making in order to ensure the most desirable outcome for our patients.

Stage 1 with normal or high GFR (GFR > 90 ml/min)

Stage 2 Mild CKD and reduced GFR (GFR = 60-89 ml/min)

Stage 3 Moderate CKD and moderately reduced GFR (GFR = 30-59 ml/min)

Stage 4 Severe CKD and severely reduced GFR (GFR = 15-29 ml/min)

Stage 5 Kidney Failure (GFR <15 ml/min)

 

If you or a loved one is living with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), visit our living with Chronic Kidney Disease Diet guide. CKD doesn’t have to be a lonely journey. Our qualified care team at Renalus Center for Kidney Care can help. We can provide educational resources and support throughout treatment for every patient, every time. Make sure to visit our detailed explanation of CKD here.


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