Learn About Chronic Kidney Disease & Support Kidney Transplant Recipients
KIDNEY DISEASE
WHY ARE KIDNEYS IMPORTANT
Your kidneys are 2 fist size organs that are at the bottom of your rib cage. Both kidneys are on each side of your spine.
- You need your kidneys to function properly in order to have a healthy body. They filter waste products, excess water, and other impurities out of the blood. All of these toxins are stored in your bladder and then are removed during urination. If your kidneys can't do this, it will lead to chronic kidney disease.
- A healthy kidney function is imperative for your life expectancy. Kidneys manage your pH, sodium and potassium levels in your body. They also produce hormones that control blood pressure and the production of red blood cells. To help your body absorb calcium, your kidneys will also activate a form of vitamin D. You may need a kidney transplant if you reach the last stages of kidney failure.
Keep your kidneys healthy
High Blood Pressure and Diabetes are the 2 most common causes of chronic kidney disease. To help your kidney function better and avoid the lasts stages of kidney failure, try the following:
Water helps remove waste from your body and also carries nutrients to your kidneys. Water also helps prevent kidney stones and urinary tract infections. Generally, 13 glasses of water for men and 9 glasses of water for women are recommended for optimal daily consumption. REMINDER- consult your doctor before trying anything on this site that has to do with your mental and/or physical health.
Keeping your weight down is important. Your weight can affect your kidneys. More weight around your waist can increase the risk of other conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes. If these 2 aliments are out of control, it can lead to kidney disease.
To avoid the risk of high blood pressure, aim to keep your blood pressure in range. To aid in keeping your blood pressure down, try the following:
* eat healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean meats, and low fat dairy.
* eat less sodium (salt)
* increase potassium in your food or take a potassium supplement.
Exercise will help strengthen your cardiovascular system so that it can pump blood throughout your body. This action helps prevent cholesterol and plaque buildup in your arteries. It is recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise 5 days a week.
smoking cigarettes and using smokeless tobacco increases the risk of high blood pressure. Nicotine causes your blood vessels to tighten. Narrow blood vessels makes your heart work harder to pump blood, thus increasing your chances of heart disease and high blood pressure, which can lead to kidney disease.
* Cook with a mix of spices and fresh herbs, not salt.
* Choose veggies toppings on pizza.
* Try baking or broiling your meats instead of frying
* Eat foods with little or no added sugar.
* Eat foods made from whole grains like brown rice, oats, etc.
* Keep snacks to a minimum.
* Read the food labels to choose foods low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt and added sugars.
* You should aim to get between 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night. If you have trouble sleeping 😴 take steps to improve your sleep habits.
* Drinking alcohol can increase your blood pressure and add extra calories. Try limiting yourself to one drink a day.
Warning Signs
SYMPTOMS
The following symptoms may occur if you have chronic kidney disease or if you are approaching the last stages of kidney failure:
- muscle cramps
- nausea
- vomiting
- loss of appetite
- swelling in feet and ankles
- dry itchy skin
- shortness of breath
- problems sleeping
- urinating too much or not enough
EARLY WARNING SIGNS
You should not wait for symptoms to occur before taking action. Even if you have no symptoms, It is recommended that you should get tested once a year for kidney disease. Early detection of Chronic Kidney Disease helps your doctor come up with an early treatment plan to preserve your kidneys to help avoid dialysis and needing a kidney transplant.
TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR- if you notice theses early warning signs:
- Changes in urination
Healthy kidneys help filter blood to create urine. Sound the alarm if you see blood in your urine, urinate too much, or have foamy or bubbly urine- these are early warning signs of too much protein in your urine.
- Fatigue
When your kidney function is reduced, it can lead to a build up of toxins that will cause you to have lack of energy/always feeling tired. Anemia is a by product of CKD that can also make you feel weak.
- Itching
Itching is usually caused by high levels of phosphorus in the blood. This signals an imbalance of minerals and nutrients in your blood.
- Swelling In Your Hands, Feet, and Legs
If your kidneys are not removing extra fluid or sodium from your body, swelling may occur. This is also called edema. This generally occurs in your lower extremities first.
- Shortness Of Breath
If your kidneys are not removing enough fluid from your body, fluid can build up in your lungs, which then causes you to be short of breath. CKD induced anemia- shortage of oxygen carrying your red blood cells. This can also make it difficult to breath.
- Pain In The Small Of Your Back
If you have pain near your kidney area and in the small of your back, that stays the same or gets worse when you stretch or move, it may be a sign of kidney disease.
- Decreased Appetite
Toxin build up can make you feel full or sick which can lead to a lose of appetite.
- Puffiness Around Your Eyes
When kidney damage is present, protein will leak into your urine. This event will cause puffiness around the eyes.
- Abnormal Levels Of Phosphorus, Calcium, or Vitamin D
When your kidneys are not functioning properly, it can cause electrolytes to become imbalanced. Low calcium levels or high phosphorus levels can lead to cramping.
- Abnormal Urine Test
When there are high amounts of protein in the urine, it is called proteinuria. Healthy kidneys will filter out waste and fluid - letting the protein return to the blood. When kidney disease is present, protein is diverted and leaks into the urine.
- High Blood Pressure
As a result of kidney disease, excess sodium and fluid can build up. When this happens, it can lead to high blood pressure. High blood pressure damages the blood vessels in the kidneys. This can lead to kidney disease that worsens over time.
Kidney/Renal Failure
Currently, there are only 2 TREATMENT OPTIONS for Kidney Failure- dialysis or a kidney transplant. The first one is very difficult mentally and physically to deal with. However, the second option also has it's own set of issues and side effects to deal with. From personal experience, I will take the side effects and the issues of a kidney transplant over dialysis any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Some people who were receiving dialysis at the same center that I was in, opted not to get on the transplant list. Some cited their age and others cited their fear of dying if something went wrong. But, you will need one of these options in order to live.
Kidney failure is a condition when one or both of your kidneys can no longer work on their own. Without the kidneys removing waste and balancing fluids in your body, a person will probably have a few days to a few months to live. Without any type treatment, kidney failure is FATAL.
Five Stages Of Kidney Failure
Kidney disease was divided into 5 stages of kidney failure by The National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Knowing what stage you are in helps doctors provide the best care for your kidney disease- different stages may call for different tests and treatments.
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) determines the stages of kidney disease. GFR is a math formula that uses a person's age, gender, and their serum creatinine level to determine which stage of kidney failure a person may be in. This is done through a blood test. CREATININE is a waste product that comes from muscle activity. It is a key indicator of your kidney function. When your kidney function is working well, they remove creatinine from the blood. When your kidney function worsens, creatinine levels in your blood rises.
STAGE 1
eGFR 90 or greater-
kidneys working normally
STAGE 2
eGFR 60 to 89-
mild kidney damage
STAGE 3a
eGFR 45 to 59-
mild to moderate kidney damage
STAGE 3b
eGFR 30 to 44-
moderate to severe kidney damages
STAGE 4
eGFR 15 to 29-
severe kidney damage
STAGE 5
eGFR less than 15-
kidney failure
**However, in some cases, you can still have CKD even if your eGFR is in the normal range. The existence of protein in your urine makes this possible. Speak to your doctor, especially if you have some of the symptoms listed above.**