What is CKD? How prevalent is it?

The kidney’s primary functions are to filter out extra waste & water from your blood, regulate your blood pressure, maintain your body’s chemical balance, keep your bones strong and inform your body of the need for more red blood cells. When your kidneys can no longer perform one or more of these functions to total capacity, it could result in the development of a Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Such conditions could develop gradually or suddenly, based on each individual’s circumstances.

Today, the prevalence of CKD in India is 17.2%. It accounts for chronic kidney disease in its various stages – 1 to 5. One such result of chronic kidney disease is acute renal failure.

What is acute renal failure?

Acute renal failure means a sudden failure of your kidney function. It is often due to a toxin such as a drug allergy or poison, severe blood loss, or trauma. Dialysis treatment cleans the blood, giving the kidneys a rest. If you treat the cause, the kidneys may be able to recover some or all of their function.

Common symptoms to watch out for

Knowing the symptoms of kidney disease can help people detect it early enough to get treated. The most common symptoms include:

• Irregular 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.
• Swollen feet, ankles, hands, or face — fluid the kidneys can’t remove may stay in the tissues.
• Frequent weakness & fatigue — a build-up of wastes or a shortage of red blood cells (anemia) can cause these problems when the kidneys begin to fail.
• Frequent loss or shortness of breath — kidney failure is sometimes confused with asthma or heart failure because fluid can build up in the lungs.
• 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.
• Frequent back aches or flank pain — uneasiness caused by the kidneys as they are located on either side of the spine in the back.
• Abnormal or unusual itching — waste build-up in the body can cause severe itching, especially of the legs.
• Frequent loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting

Talk to your doctor about your concerns if you believe you have any of these symptoms. It is even more imperative if you have diabetes or high blood pressure, which are the most common causes of kidney failure.

Testing for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Kidney disease can be found through lab tests or by displaying the above symptoms consistently. High blood levels of creatinine & urea nitrogen or high levels of protein in your urine could mean kidney disease. People with diabetes should have a yearly urine test for microalbumin, the smaller protein particles that don’t appear on standard urine protein tests.

Essential questions to ask your doctor

Here are a few questions to ask your doctor to better understand your risk of CKD and how you may be able to lower it.

Does family history play a significant role in the risk of CKD?

Please inform your doctor about your family’s health history and lifestyle patterns, as they impact your risk level. It can be helpful to put together a list before your appointment.

What tests diagnose CKD?

CKD can be diagnosed with a simple blood test by measuring your blood’s creatinine levels (a muscle waste product) to determine if the kidneys are filtering as they should. It measures your kidney’s ability to filter blood optimally, ultimately calculating the stage of kidney disease (1-5).

What are the risk factors of CKD?

The two leading causes of CKD are diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). Other causes of CKD include medical, lifestyle, and demographic factors. Consult with your doctor to understand the different ways you could manage some of these risk factors.

How can I reduce my risk of CKD?

Your risk of developing CKD can drop drastically with a few changes to your lifestyle, such as your diet, physical activity, sleeping patterns, and mental health. Ask your doctor for a healthy course of action to help lower your risk of CKD.

If I have signs of kidney disease, what should I do?

Once you have done your basic screening tests, if you have signs of kidney disease, you should consult with a nephrologist, who is a specialist in treating kidney diseases. The nephrologist will run a diagnostic & perform an evaluation, followed by a suggested course of action. Based on your requirements, they may prescribe specific medication and lifestyle changes to help slow the progression of kidney disease.

Chronic Kidney Disease has varying levels of seriousness. If left untreated, it can progress to kidney failure and early cardiovascular disease. When the kidneys stop working, dialysis or kidney transplant is needed for survival. 

Not all patients with kidney disease progress to kidney failure. To help prevent CKD and lower kidney failure risk, a few simple practices are all it takes. They include regular testing, necessary lifestyle changes, medicating as needed, and regular visits to the doctor and other healthcare specialists.