Chronic Kidney Disease damages kidney function over time. Explore CKD stages, causes, treatment options, and how Renal Care Foundation provides free dialysis care for patients in need.
Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a serious illness that damages the kidneys and gradually loses their ability to work properly over time. The kidneys are important organs that filter waste and excess fluids from the blood. They also help keep the body's minerals, electrolytes, and hormones in balance. If your kidneys stop working properly, it can cause serious health problems, such as kidney failure. At first, CKD may not show any obvious signs, but it can get worse over time and may require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
There are five stages of chronic kidney disease, based on how much kidney function is left. The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is used to determine the stages. This test shows how well the kidneys are filtering blood. Finding and treating CKD early on really slows down how fast it gets worse.
Most people with this stage don't show any obvious symptoms. The kidneys are still working normally at this point (with a GFR of 90 or higher), but there may be signs of damage, like protein in the urine or small changes in how they work. Even though this is the least severe stage, finding it early can help stop the disease from getting worse. Most of the time, treatment is aimed at controlling conditions that can damage the kidneys, like high blood pressure or diabetes.
Stage 2 chronic kidney disease is when the kidneys are damaged but not too badly, with a GFR between 60 and 89. Kidney function is slowly getting worse, even though symptoms may still be mild or not present at all. People with stage 2 CKD may start to notice more serious symptoms, such as needing to pee more often or having their hands and feet swell. To slow the disease's progress, it's more important than ever to keep your blood pressure under control and make changes to your diet, like eating less sodium. During this stage, it is very important to keep an eye on kidney function regularly to see if it gets worse.
Stage 3 is a more advanced, with a GFR between 30 and 59. At this point, kidney function has dropped a lot, and symptoms may become more obvious. People with stage 3 CKD may feel tired, have swelling, high blood pressure, and changes in how often they urinate. Stage 3 is divided into two parts: stage 3A (GFR 45–59) and stage 3B (GFR 30–44). At this point, the chance of complications like heart disease and bone problems goes up.
The ICD-10 code for stage 3 chronic kidney disease is N18.3. Healthcare providers use this code to organize and keep track of stage 3 CKD cases in medical records and billing systems. Using this coding system, healthcare professionals must correctly diagnose and treat CKD to make sure that patients get the right care and treatment.
By stage 4, kidney function has gotten worse (GFR between 15 and 29), and the symptoms are worse. People with stage 4 CKD may feel tired, have trouble breathing, have very swollen limbs, feel sick, throw up, and not want to eat. At this point, patients are very likely to have problems like kidney failure, heart problems, and anemia. The goal of treatment is to get the patient ready for dialysis or a kidney transplant and to help with their symptoms.
Many things can cause Chronic Kidney Disease to happen. The most common reasons are:
1. Diabetes: Over time, high blood sugar levels can hurt blood vessels in the kidneys, making them less able to work.
2. High Blood Pressure: If you don't control your high blood pressure, it can put too much stress on your kidneys and make them weaker.
3. Glomerulonephritis: Inflammation of the kidney's filtering units can hurt the tissue in the kidneys.
4. Polycystic Kidney Disease: This genetic disorder causes cysts filled with fluid to form in the kidneys, which can damage the kidneys.
5. Obesity: Being overweight can raise the risk of diabetes and high blood pressure, which can harm the kidneys.
6. Smoking: Smoking can hurt blood vessels and make the kidneys work less well over time.
There is no cure for Chronic Kidney Disease, but treatment can help slow its progress and ease its symptoms. The main goal of treatment is to keep conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol under control.
1. Medications: Doctors may give you medicines to help with swelling and anemia, or to keep your blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels in check.
2. Changes to the diet: To manage CKD, it's important to eat a kidney-friendly diet that limits sodium, potassium, and phosphorus intake.
3. Dialysis: If CKD gets really bad, you might need dialysis to filter waste from your blood artificially. When the kidneys can't do their job well enough anymore, dialysis is usually required in stage 4 or 5 CKD.
4. Kidney Transplantation: If a person has end-stage renal disease (ESRD), they may be able to get a kidney transplant if they are eligible and can find a good donor.
Renal Care Foundation (RCF) is very important in Pakistan because it helps people who need it get free treatment for kidney disease. RCF provides dialysis to people who can't afford the high costs of treatment. The foundation works in Lahore to help people with CKD manage their condition and keep their quality of life up.
RCF depends on donations from kind people and groups to keep its mission of providing free treatment going. The foundation's dialysis services are meant to give patients the best care possible while making sure they get the treatment they need without having to pay for it.
You can also help this great cause by giving money to the Renal Care Foundation, which will help them keep doing their life-saving work.
Chronic Kidney Disease is a disease that gets worse over time, so it's important to find it early, treat it, and take care of it. To get better results, it's important to know the stages, symptoms, causes, and treatment options for CKD. Renal Care Foundation provides free, high-quality dialysis care to people who need it but can't afford it. The foundation relies on donations to carry out its mission. RCF is here to help people with kidney disease live healthier lives, whether you are a patient looking for help or someone who wants to support a cause.
What is the newest way to treat Chronic kidney disease?
The newest treatments for CKD are aimed at slowing down the disease's progress. Some of these are newer drugs like SGLT2 inhibitors, which help lower blood sugar levels and protect the kidneys from damage. Also, kidney transplant procedures and dialysis technology are always getting better.
What is the first sign that your kidneys are having problems?
The first signs of kidney problems may not be obvious. They can include swelling in the hands, feet, or face, changes in how often you urinate (more or less often), tiredness, and trouble breathing. As the disease gets worse, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and back pain may become more obvious.
What is the best drug for people with kidney disease?
The best medicines for kidney disease depend on what caused it and how far along it is. ACE inhibitors and ARBs are two types of medications that help control blood pressure. Cholesterol-lowering drugs and medications that help manage blood sugar levels for people with diabetes are also common treatments.
What kind of diet is good for treating kidney disease?
A diet for kidney disease is meant to make the kidneys work less and help with symptoms. Some important things to remember are to cut back on protein, sodium, and foods that are high in potassium and phosphorus. Patients are encouraged to work with a dietitian to make a meal plan that works for them.
