The kidney is the vital organ that performs many jobs to maintain our good health. It acts as a filter for your blood and removes harmful waste and toxins. Kidney failure is the condition in which one or both kidneys stop working. Chronic kidney disease can be life-threatening; hence should be treated on time.
Here’s the comprehensive guide to the different stages of kidney failure, their symptoms, and treatment. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
What Causes Kidney Failure?
There are two primary causes of Kidney or renal failure, namely Diabetes and High Blood Pressure.
The major causes that lead to the acute kidney failure are:-
- Autoimmune Kidney Diseases
- Severe dehydration
- Medications
- Uncontrolled systematic disease
- A urinary tract obstruction
The causes leading to chronic kidney disease are:
- Diabetes
- High Blood pressure
- Polycystic kidney disease
- Lupus
- Glomerular diseases
A Detailed Overview on Stages of Kidney Failure
Stage 1: This stage simply means when the damage to the kidneys is not that serious and has the scope of Kidney treatment. This stage is a sign that you are likely to have a regular glomerular filtration rate of 90 or even more. CKD is likely to get discovered at this stage during urine or blood test.
Symptoms:
- Swelling in your hands
- Protein in your urine
- High blood pressure
- Urinary tract infections
- Blood in your urine
- Swelling in Feet
Treatments:
- The doctor would advise you on a healthy diet plan to control diabetes if you have. You can also seek ayurvedic treatment of kidney.
- There would be a change in medications.
- Avoid using tobacco.
- Keep the body weight in control.
Stage 2: In this stage, patients usually have GFR between 60 and 89 percent. It means that the kidneys are functional only to filter the blood. Keep in mind that if any damage to the kidney happens in this stage, it is not possible to reverse it. However, you can bring many healthy changes to slow down the further damage.
Symptoms:
- High blood pressure
- Urinary tract infections
- Sleep problem
- Fatigue and weakness
- Itching and swelling
Treatments:
- You can take a healthy diet plan or opt for ayurvedic treatment of kidney.
- Follow the doctor’s advice to control diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure.
Stage 3: At this stage, the kidney is not that operational and likely to have faced moderate damages already. It may not be able to filter out the water in a complete way which is why you may notice some blood in your urine.
This stage is further classified into two parts, namely Stage 3A and Stage 3B. Stage 3A means that the kidney is functioning between 45 to 59% while Stage 3B means that the kidney is functioning only between 30 to 44%.
Symptoms:
- Changes in urine
- Hands and feet swelling
- Weakness
- Dry skin
- Itchiness
- Pain in the back
- Muscle cramps
- Problem while sleeping
- Leg syndrome
Treatments:
- There is no specific kidney treatment available at this stage, and doctors can only recommend certain medications to keep other problems in control.
- You will be advised to take certain BP medicines such as ACE or ARB so your blood pressure doesn’t shoot up.
- Diabetes medicines would be advised to keep your blood sugar under control
Supplements of Vitamin D and calcium are also prescribed by doctors. - Phosphate binders are recommended to avoid calcification in the blood vessels.
- Your doctor may advise you to opt for ayurvedic treatment of kidney and refer to a dietician to make sure you’re getting all the essential nutrients.
Stage 4: At this stage, your kidneys are functioning between 15 and 29 percent. There would be noticeable proteins in the Urine, making it important to take precautionary measures so the kidney damage process can be slowed down.
Stage 4 means that you are suffering from moderate to severe kidney damage and are not able to flush out toxins and waste from the body.
Symptoms:
- Feeling weak
- Urinating more or less than usual
- Chest pain
- Persistent itching
- Nausea and vomiting
- Muscle twitches
- Lower back pain
- Arms and legs swelling
Treatments:
- Medicines to control BP and diabetes will be prescribed.
- Diuretics will be advised so swelling could be brought under control
- Iron supplements will be given so the patient does not become anemic.
- In addition to medications, you should start thinking about dialysis and kidney transplant.
Stage 5: This is the last and might further lead to kidney failure. It indicates that your kidney is working less than 15 percent and is badly damaged to perform any of the vital functions. There is a scope of waste products to get built up in the blood which would cause be life-threatening.
Symptoms:
- Weakness
- Lower back pain
- Arms and legs swelling
- Headaches
- Muscle cramps
- Problem in breathing
Treatments:
- Patients will be advised to opt for dialysis treatment to clean the blood.
- A kidney transplant would be recommended by doctors.
The Bottom Line!!
That’s all about different stages of kidney failure. Remember that there’s no exact cure to this problem; hence you should be mindful of early symptoms. People with kidney diseases can live an active life as long as they take the right medications and treatment. If your kidneys are damaged fully, find the best dialysis center near me and opt for this treatment to avoid further complications.