Chronic Kidney Disease
What is chronic kidney disease (CKD)?
Healthy kidneys function to remove extra water and wastes, help control blood pressure, keep body chemicals in balance, build strong bones, tell your body to make red blood cells and help children grow normally. Chronic kidney disease occurs when kidneys are no longer able to clean toxins and waste product from the blood and perform their functions to full capacity. This can happen all of a sudden or over time.
What are the symptoms of CKD?
- Changes in urination - making more or less urine than usual, feeling pressure when urinating, changes in the color of urine, foamy or bubbly urine, or having to get up at night to urinate.
- Swelling of the feet, ankles, hands, or face - fluids the kidneys can't remove may stay in the tissues.
- Fatigue or weakness - a build-up of wastes or a shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can cause these problems when the kidneys begin to fail.
- Shortness of breath - kidney failure is sometimes confused with asthma or heart failure because fluid can build up in the lungs.
- Ammonia breath or an ammonia or metal taste in the mouth - waste build-up in the body can cause bad breath, changes in taste, or an aversion to protein foods like meat.
- Back or flank pain - the kidneys are located on either side of the spine in the back.
- Itching - waste build-up in the body can cause severe itching, especially of the legs.
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- More hypoglycemic episodes if diabetic
If you believe you have any of these symptoms talk to your doctor about your concerns.
What is acute renal failure?
"Renal" means related to the kidneys. "Acute" means sudden. So acute renal failure means the kidneys have failed suddenly, often due to a toxin (a drug allergy or poison) or severe blood loss or trauma. If the cause is treated the kidneys may be able to recover some or all of their function.
What is hemodialyis ("dialysis")?
Dialysis is an artificial/mechanical form of cleansing the body's blood and fluids. It is used regularly to clean the blood and give the kidneys a rest.
What is PTH?
What is PTH? Parathyroid hormone (PTH) is produced by several small, bean-like parathyroid glands in your neck. Its "job" is to tell your bones to release calcium into your bloodstream. Too much PTH can become a problem in people with kidney disease. A blood test can show if your PTH levels are above normal. If they are your doctor may prescribe a form of active vitamin D.
This is especially important if you have a close family member who has kidney disease, or if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, which are the main causes of kidney failure.
How can you find out if you have kidney disease?
Kidney disease can be found through lab tests or by symptoms. High blood levels of creatinine and urea nitrogen (BUN) or high levels of protein in your urine suggest kidney disease. Diabetics should have a yearly urine test for microalbumin, small amounts of protein that don't show up on standard urine protein tests.
If you have signs of kidney disease, what should you do?
After you have basic screening tests done by a physician, if you have signs of kidney disease, you should ask for a referral to a nephrologist, a specialist in treating kidney disease. A nephrologist will perform an evaluation then suggest medications or lifestyle changes to help slow the progression of kidney disease.
Where can I learn more about kidney disease?
Contact the National Kidney Foundation.
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