Kidney disease can come on quickly (Acute Kidney Injury/Failure) or develop slowly over months to years (Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD), with CKD being the more common form that often shows no symptoms until late stages, while acute issues require immediate treatment for sudden loss of function. The slow, gradual loss in CKD often results from conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure, making early detection crucial, though sometimes an acute event can trigger CKD.
Undiagnosed kidney disease can have sudden, devastating consequences. Knowing your risk of kidney disease could help you and healthcare professionals to protect your kidneys and prevent the need for life-limiting treatment such as dialysis.
For someone around 60, stage 1 stage 2 kidney disease life expectancy will be approximately 15 years. That figure falls to 13 years, 8 years, and 6 years in the second, third, and fourth stages of kidney disease, respectively.
There's no cure for chronic kidney disease (CKD), but treatment can help relieve the symptoms and stop it getting worse.
Two easy tests help determine if you have kidney disease or not;
Early signs of kidney disease often involve subtle changes like foamy urine, increased nighttime urination, swelling (puffy eyes, ankles), persistent fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, itching, and shortness of breath, though many symptoms only appear as kidney function declines. High blood pressure can also be both a cause and an early indicator, and some damage may only be detected through lab tests, even with no noticeable symptoms in the earliest stages (Stage 1).
You can check kidney function at home using at-home test kits for urine (detecting protein/albumin) or finger-prick blood tests (checking creatinine/eGFR), often with smartphone apps for analysis, or by monitoring symptoms like increased nighttime urination (nocturia), swelling, or changes in urine (blood, foam) and discussing results with a doctor, as home tests screen but don't replace professional diagnosis.
Symptoms of kidney disease
Acute kidney failure can be caused by factors like severe dehydration, infections, or blockages. The good news is that with the right treatment, it's often possible to reverse kidney disease in these cases. Your kidneys can return to normal function after the underlying issue is resolved.
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the top culprits damaging kidneys most, as they harm the delicate filtering blood vessels, leading to chronic kidney disease (CKD) and failure; other major factors include smoking, obesity, dehydration, poor diet (high sugar/salt/red meat), certain medications (NSAIDs), lack of sleep, and genetic conditions. These factors create a cycle where damaged kidneys worsen blood pressure, further damaging them.
Take action to prevent, delay, or manage CKD:
There is no cure for kidney failure, but with treatment it is possible to live a long, fulfilling life. Having kidney failure is not a death sentence.
With chronic kidney disease, the damage tends to happen over the course of several years. High blood pressure (hypertension) and diabetes are the two most common causes of chronic kidney disease. Other causes and conditions that affect kidney function and can cause chronic kidney disease include: Glomerulonephritis.
Kidney failure is sometimes temporary and develops quickly (acute kidney failure). Other times, it's a long-term condition that slowly gets worse over time (chronic kidney failure). Kidney failure can worsen to the most severe stage, end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) which is deadly without treatment.
Stress and uncontrolled reactions to stress can also lead to kidney damage. As the blood filtering units of your body, your kidneys are prone to problems with blood circulation and blood vessels. High blood pressure and high blood sugar can place an additional strain or burden on your kidneys.
Itching often happens on both sides of the body at the same time (for example, both arms or both legs). Itching is most common and severe in people with kidney failure,but those in the earlier stages of CKD may also notice milder itching.
Nausea and vomiting, muscle cramps, loss of appetite, swelling via feet and ankles, dry, itchy skin, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, urinating either too much or too little. However, these are usually in the later stages, but they can also happen in other disorders.
Making sure they can do their job as well as possible is important for your health. Damage to your kidneys cannot be reversed, but you can take steps to slow down the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD).
Special renal vitamins are usually prescribed to provide extra water soluble vitamins needed. Renal vitamins contain vitamins B1, B2, B6, B12, folic acid, niacin, pantothenic acid, biotin and a small dose of vitamin C.
The main test for kidney disease is a blood test. The test measures the levels of a waste product called creatinine in your blood. A doctor uses your blood test results, plus your age, size, and gender to calculate how many millilitres of waste your kidneys should be able to filter in a minute.
Early Signs of Kidney Disease
Extreme, on-going tiredness, together with a lack of energy, is often called fatigue. There are lots of reasons why you may experience fatigue with CKD. If your kidneys are not working well, toxins (waste products) build up in your blood and this can make you feel tired and weak.
A urinalysis is a simple test that looks at a small sample of your urine. It can help find conditions that may need treatment, including infections or kidney problems. It can also help find serious diseases in the early stages, like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, or liver disease.
Regular physical activity is key to potentially slowing the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD). By improving cardiovascular health, controlling blood pressure, and managing blood sugar levels, exercise reduces primary risk factors for CKD progression.