fresenius-headless

Stages Of Kidney Disease

Popular Categories

More from this category

1
00:00:10,960 --> 00:00:16,480
Let's talk about the stages of chronic

2
00:00:12,639 --> 00:00:18,400
kidney disease or CKD.

3
00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:20,160
Kidney disease is divided into five

4
00:00:18,400 --> 00:00:22,480
stages based on your level of kidney

5
00:00:20,160 --> 00:00:24,880
function. Your stage is determined by

6
00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:26,480
your estimated glomeular filtration rate

7
00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,240
which measures how well your kidneys are

8
00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,560
cleaning your blood.

9
00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:33,440
Kidney disease is progressive, meaning

10
00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:35,760
kidney function may decline over time.

11
00:00:33,440 --> 00:00:37,600
Knowing your GFR will help you know and

12
00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:38,879
track which stage you're in and the

13
00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:40,480
steps you can take to slow the

14
00:00:38,879 --> 00:00:43,680
progression and keep your kidneys

15
00:00:40,480 --> 00:00:45,600
working as long as possible. In stages 1

16
00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:48,399
and two, your kidneys still function

17
00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:50,800
pretty well. In these early stages, you

18
00:00:48,399 --> 00:00:52,239
may not notice any symptoms at all. This

19
00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:54,960
is a great time to start making

20
00:00:52,239 --> 00:00:57,840
lifestyle changes like eating well,

21
00:00:54,960 --> 00:01:00,000
staying active, reducing stress, taking

22
00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:01,920
your medications as prescribed, and

23
00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,879
managing other health conditions such as

24
00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:06,479
diabetes and/or high blood pressure.

25
00:01:04,879 --> 00:01:08,080
Taking care of your health can make a

26
00:01:06,479 --> 00:01:10,479
big difference in helping slow kidney

27
00:01:08,080 --> 00:01:12,880
disease progression. By the time you

28
00:01:10,479 --> 00:01:14,799
reach stage three, your kidney function

29
00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:17,680
has declined and you might start

30
00:01:14,799 --> 00:01:20,080
noticing symptoms like fatigue, dry,

31
00:01:17,680 --> 00:01:23,759
itchy skin, swelling in your hands and

32
00:01:20,080 --> 00:01:26,720
feet, back pain, muscle cramping, or

33
00:01:23,759 --> 00:01:28,560
changes in urination. If you aren't

34
00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:30,560
already seeing a nefologist by this

35
00:01:28,560 --> 00:01:34,000
point, it's important to talk to your

36
00:01:30,560 --> 00:01:35,280
primary care physician about a referral.

37
00:01:34,000 --> 00:01:37,759
The best time to start seeing a

38
00:01:35,280 --> 00:01:42,640
neurologist is when your GFR is between

39
00:01:37,759 --> 00:01:45,439
30 and 44. stage 3B or if you start

40
00:01:42,640 --> 00:01:48,079
experiencing any symptoms,

41
00:01:45,439 --> 00:01:50,240
a nefologist or a kidney doctor is the

42
00:01:48,079 --> 00:01:52,399
most qualified doctor to help you manage

43
00:01:50,240 --> 00:01:54,640
your kidney disease.

44
00:01:52,399 --> 00:01:57,040
By stage 4, there's severe loss of

45
00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:59,200
kidney function. Symptoms may become

46
00:01:57,040 --> 00:02:01,680
more noticeable for you, and you should

47
00:01:59,200 --> 00:02:02,960
share these with your doctor. It's

48
00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,479
important to learn how to take care of

49
00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:07,439
your health and prioritize your

50
00:02:04,479 --> 00:02:08,959
well-being. As your symptoms progress,

51
00:02:07,439 --> 00:02:11,440
it's a good time to start talking to

52
00:02:08,959 --> 00:02:13,200
your kidney doctor about your options.

53
00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:15,599
Together, you'll want to discuss the

54
00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:17,440
option of starting dialysis gradually to

55
00:02:15,599 --> 00:02:19,200
help reduce your symptoms and give your

56
00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:22,080
body more time to adjust while still

57
00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:24,000
living life on your own terms.

58
00:02:22,080 --> 00:02:27,680
Planning at stage 4 will give you more

59
00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:30,640
options and time to prepare. At stage 5,

60
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:33,120
or when GFR is less than 15, the kidneys

61
00:02:30,640 --> 00:02:35,440
are failing or close to failing. This is

62
00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:37,200
known as endstage kidney disease or

63
00:02:35,440 --> 00:02:38,800
ESKD.

64
00:02:37,200 --> 00:02:40,480
If you don't already know the treatment

65
00:02:38,800 --> 00:02:42,959
option best for you and have your

66
00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:44,800
dialysis access placed, you should talk

67
00:02:42,959 --> 00:02:46,959
to your doctor and start planning to

68
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:49,920
avoid being hospitalized due to kidney

69
00:02:46,959 --> 00:02:51,840
failure. There are several treatment

70
00:02:49,920 --> 00:02:54,640
options to help you feel your best and

71
00:02:51,840 --> 00:02:57,120
keep living a full life. While you wait

72
00:02:54,640 --> 00:02:59,360
for a transplant, your kidney doctor may

73
00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:01,200
prescribe dialysis.

74
00:02:59,360 --> 00:03:03,920
While it can sound overwhelming at

75
00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:06,640
first, your doctor and your care team

76
00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:08,480
will support you every step of the way,

77
00:03:06,640 --> 00:03:11,519
making sure your treatment fits into

78
00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,120
your life, not the other way around.

79
00:03:11,519 --> 00:03:15,840
You've taken the time to learn about the

80
00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:17,840
stages of kidney disease, a step that

81
00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:20,239
can help you feel more prepared for what

82
00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:22,480
could be ahead. The healthy choices you

83
00:03:20,239 --> 00:03:25,680
make today can have a big impact in the

84
00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:27,599
future. So, take some time to dive in

85
00:03:25,680 --> 00:03:30,799
and learn more about eating well,

86
00:03:27,599 --> 00:03:33,120
staying active, and treatment options.

87
00:03:30,799 --> 00:03:35,280
Remember, the more you understand about

88
00:03:33,120 --> 00:03:39,159
kidney disease, the more confident

89
00:03:35,280 --> 00:03:39,159
you'll feel on your journey.



Stages of Kidney Disease

/content/dam/fresenius-kidney-care/pdf/what-is-anemia-es.pdf

Kidney-friendly eating is about small, manageable changes, not giving up the foods you love.

Eating Well with Kidney Disease

With chronic kidney disease (CKD), the way your body handles medications can change.

Managing Medications with Kidney Disease

Staying active with kidney disease doesn't have to be overwhelming. In this video...

Staying Active with Kidney Disease

A nephrologist, or kidney doctor, plays an important role in managing chronic kidney disease (CKD).

Video Categories

Key takeaways:

Resources

More from this category

How Kidneys Work

What Causes Kidney Disease

Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease

Explore more

Explore more

Eating Well with Kidney Disease

Managing Medications with Kidney Disease

Staying Active with Kidney Disease

Importance of Seeing a Nephrologist