Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function over time. It includes conditions that damage your kidneys and decrease their ability to keep you healthy. If kidney disease gets worse,wastes may build up in your blood and make you feel sick. You can develop complications like high blood pressure, anemia (low blood count), weak bones, poor nutritional health and nerve damage. Also, kidney disease increases your risk of having heart and blood vessel disease. These problems may happen slowly over a long period of time.
Five stages of CKD
Based on glomerular filtration (GFR),CKD can be divided into five stages, as the following table.
ckd gfr
What are the causes of CKD?
Diabetes and high blood pressure are two main causes for CKD. Up to two-thirds of the CKD cases are caused by these two conditions. Other conditions that affect the kidneys are:
Glomerulonephritis, a group of diseases that cause inflammation and damage to the kidney’s filtering units. These disorders are the third most common type of kidney disease.
Inherited diseases, such as polycystic kidney disease, which causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.
Malformations that occur as a baby develops in its mother’s womb. For example, a narrowing may occur that prevents normal outflow of urine and causes urine to flow back up to the kidney. This causes infections and may damage the kidneys.
Lupus and other diseases that affect the body’s immune system.
Obstructions caused by problems like kidney stones, tumors or an enlarged prostate gland in men.
Repeated urinary infections.
What are the symptoms of CKD?
Most people may not have any severe symptoms until their kidney disease is advanced. However, you may notice that you:
feel more tired and have less energy
have trouble concentrating
have a poor appetite
have trouble sleeping
have muscle cramping at night
have swollen feet and ankles
have puffiness around your eyes, especially in the morning
have dry, itchy skin
need to urinate more often, especially at night.