Chronic Kidney Disease
What is Chronic Kidney Disease ?
Chronic kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, involves a gradual loss of kidney function. Your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then removed in your urine. Advanced chronic kidney disease can cause dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes to build up in your body. In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you might have few signs or symptoms. You might not realize that you have kidney disease until the condition is advanced.
Treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing the progression of kidney damage, usually by controlling the cause. But even controlling the cause might not keep kidney damage from progressing. Chronic kidney disease can progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without artificial filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant.
Symptoms
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sleep problems
- Urinating more or less
- Decreased mental sharpness
- Muscle cramps
- Swelling of feet and ankles
- Dry, itchy skin
- High blood pressure that's difficult to control
- Shortness of breath, if fluid builds up in the lungs
Cause
Chronic kidney disease occurs when a disease or condition impairs kidney function, causing kidney damage to worsen over several months or years. Diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease include: Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. High blood pressure. Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-low-nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli). Interstitial nephritis (in-tur-STISH-ul nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s tubules and surrounding structures. Polycystic kidney disease or other inherited kidney diseases. Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract can occur from conditions such as an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and some cancers. Vesicoureteral (ves-ih-koe-yoo-REE-tur-ul) reflux, a condition that causes urine to back up into your kidneys. Recurrent kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis (pie-uh-low-nuh-FRY-tis).
Risk Factors
Factors that can increase your risk of chronic kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart (cardiovascular) disease, smoking, obesity, being Black, native American, or asian American, family history of kidney disease, abnormal kidney structure, older age, frequent use of medications that can damage the kidneys.
When to see a Doctor
Make an appointment with your doctor if you have signs or symptoms of kidney disease. Early detection might help prevent kidney disease from progressing to kidney failure. If you have a medical condition that increases your risk of kidney disease, your doctor may monitor your blood pressure and kidney function with urine and blood tests during office visits. Ask your doctor whether these tests are necessary for you.