Kidney failure is a progressive condition that can lead to a number of serious complications over time.
Yourkidneysfilter excess waste and fluid to prevent the buildup of toxicity within the body.
In time, kidney failure can be fatal.
Find out how kidney failure happens and what to expect if you have this condition.
Your kidneys are no exception.
AKIs can be resulting from a serious illness or certain medications, among other things.
Chronic kidney disease isn’t usually diagnosed until your kidney function drops below a certain level of function.
In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you may not have any symptoms at all.
This is called yourglomerular filtration rate (GFR).
Your GFR measurement is an estimate of what percentage of your kidneys are still functioning.
By the time you reach Stage 5, however, yoursymptomshave usually become severe and may even be debilitating.
By this point, your kidneys are barely functioning, or are not working at all.
As fluid builds, your tissues become swollen and your blood pressure can increase to dangerous levels.
People with kidney disease usually work closely with a team of doctors that includesnephrologists,cardiologists, and more.
There are, however, a number of things that can lead to kidney failure that are preventable.
Summary
Chronic kidney disease can cause gradual loss of kidney function, leading to complete kidney failure.
Dialysis treatments can be difficult to maintain, but a kidney transplant is not an option for everyone.
Talk to your doctor about your lifestyle and the overall goals for your treatment.
Having a strong support system is important when it comes to coping with kidney failure.
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National Kidney Foundation.Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).
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Causes of chronic kidney disease.
National Kidney Foundation.Peritoneal dialysis: What you oughta know.
National Kidney Foundation.Kidney transplant.
Nagasawa H, et al.The effect of quality of life on medical compliance among dialysis patients.Front.
June 5, 2018. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00488
