4 Stages of Kidney Disease: An Essential Guide to the Symptoms
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Kidney disease is a serious condition that should never be ignored. The kidneys are what filter out toxins and keep the body hydrated, so when they stop functioning properly it can lead to kidney failure. This blog post will discuss the various stages of kidney disease, what symptoms you should watch for in each stage, what treatments are available, and what steps to take if your doctor diagnoses you with any stage of kidney disease.
Table of Contents
What is Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease is what happens when the kidneys stop working as well as they should.
The kidneys filter blood and remove waste products, such as urea from the body. When kidney function decreases, these wastes build up in your bloodstream until there are too many to be removed by normal means. This leads to a buildup of toxins in the blood and makes you sick.
When kidney disease is not treated, it can lead to serious problems such as high blood pressure, heart failure, or even death.
What are the different stages of kidney disease?
In order to understand what symptoms you should watch for in different stages of kidney disease, it’s important to know what those stages are. There are four main stages that every patient will experience as their condition worsens: stable, microalbuminuria (mild), renal insufficiency (moderate), renal failure (severe), and end-stage renal disease.
- Stage One:
This is one of the earliest stages of kidney disease, and what sufferers are most likely to ignore. During stage one there isn’t a lot of pain or discomfort, but people with this condition will notice that they start feeling tired more often than usual and have trouble getting up from their chair when sitting for long periods. Some may also notice that they’re not feeling hungry and drinking less than usual, which is an important symptom to be aware of.
- Stage Two:
Stage two is when the kidneys start malfunctioning and what people with this condition are most likely diagnosed with. Once upon a time, there were no symptoms for stage one kidney disease either, but now it’s easier to diagnose. Stage two is what people with kidney disease are most likely to be diagnosed with because of the noticeable symptoms that come along with it: blood in the urine, swelling, and pain from the fluid buildup around their feet or legs, itching all over for no reason (called pruritus), feeling dizzy when they’re standing up too quickly, nausea, and fatigue.
- Stage Three:
This is what happens when the kidneys stop functioning properly altogether, which leads to kidney failure. It’s what people with this condition are most likely diagnosed as because of how debilitating it can be. Stage three is what often leads to dialysis (a treatment process where a machine does some or all of the work the kidneys would do in order to filter out toxins and stay hydrated) or a kidney transplant. Some of the symptoms that come with Stage three are what we’ve already discussed: blood in the urine, swelling from the fluid buildup around their feet or legs, dizziness when standing up too quickly, nausea, fatigue, pruritus (itching all over), and the need to pee often.
Stage Four: This is what happens when someone with kidney disease progresses to Stage four, which can be fatal without treatment if it’s not caught in time. The symptoms for this stage are what we’ve already discussed plus confusion or altered mental status (when they’re having trouble thinking clearly), shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, and what’s called central sleep apnea (when they’re having trouble sleeping due to the need for their brain to focus on figuring out how to breath).
I personally have stage 3 kidney disease. I did not know there were different stages of kidney disease when I was first diagnosed. I have suffered from high blood pressure for a long time, and that is the cause of my kidney disease.
I am now on a low sodium diet. It is helping to keep me healthy and not to advance to stage 4 kidney disease.
Who Gets Kidney Disease and Why?
A number of factors can lead to kidney disease, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity. It is most commonly diagnosed at age 60 or older but people as young as 30 have been known to develop what’s called “insulin-dependent” type I diabetes which leads to chronic renal failure.
People who suffer from hypertension for a long time can also develop what’s called “hypertensive nephropathy.”
In the most severe cases, kidney disease often causes anemia and protein loss. This is because as your kidneys are damaged by chronic renal failure, they start to work less efficiently. The urine becomes more concentrated which means there’s a decrease in fluid volume in your body.
Treatment Options for the different stages of kidney disease
The treatment for kidney disease depends on which of the stages of kidney disease the person is in. If they’re in the early stages of chronic kidney disease, their doctor will prescribe a low protein diet and lifestyle changes to control blood pressure or diabetes that may have caused it. In later stages, when dialysis might be necessary, treatments can include medications like diuretics and ACE inhibitors to help get rid of fluid that has built up, as well as medications like erythropoietin for anemia.
Preventing and Managing Kidney Problems
The best way to prevent and manage kidney problems is through what’s called “disease management.” This means being proactive about preventing risk factors for chronic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. Disease management can also help you catch early signs of a disease before it becomes severe, which then may lead to the need for dialysis or a transplant.
If you have already developed kidney disease, what’s called “disease management” may help manage your condition and prevent complications from developing. Once diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD), it is important that patients understand what this means in the short-term and long term.
As your kidney function declines, there may be a need for adjustments in what you eat and drink on a day-to-day basis to keep blood pressure stable or manage the symptoms of anemia. You should also get regular check-ups with your health care provider who can monitor changes in your condition over time, as well as make recommendations for what to do next.
If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, it is important that your physician be notified as soon as possible so an appropriate workup can be initiated and treatment started if necessary.
How to slow down the stages of kidney disease
As kidney disease progresses, what can you do to slow its progression? Here are a few tips on how to slow down the rate of kidney failure.
Limit salt intake and avoid processed foods that contribute to high sodium content in your diet.
If you are a smoker, consider quitting to prevent additional damage to your kidneys.
Exercise regularly and increase protein intake through what you eat or what is in supplements if needed to compensate for the lower levels of kidney function that come with chronic disease. If exercising is not possible, then focus on weight lifting exercises since this does not put the same level of stress on your body as what is associated with other types of physical activity.
If you have decreased kidney function, make sure to drink plenty of water and avoid constipation.
There are also medications that can slow down the rate of kidney failures, such as ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers. Consult your physician about what options are available to you and what the risks and benefits of each medication may be.
When to see a doctor about your symptoms for the different stages of kidney disease
A person should see a doctor if they have any of the following signs or symptoms:
- frequent urination
- decreased appetite
- weight loss without dieting
- lethargy or fatigue.
Complications Associated with Chronic kidney disease (CKD)
If left untreated, chronic kidney disease (CKD) can lead to heart failure, high blood pressure, and stroke.
Kidney stones are the most common complication of CKD with around 64% of people suffering from them over their lifetime.
It is possible for a person who doesn’t have any symptoms yet to have CKD.
In the later stages of chronic kidney disease, a person may experience dehydration due to an inability to produce enough urine and in extreme cases can lead to death if not treated quickly.
The stages of chronic kidney disease can be difficult to understand. We hope that this article has helped shed some light on the different levels and prognosis for these diseases, so you have a better understanding of what’s going on with your body.
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