Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

Our kidneys play a very important role in how adequately our body works together and functions adequately, as a whole day after day.  With precise kidney functioning, wastes and excess fluids will be filtered from your blood, which you will later urinate out to completely get rid of them in order to keep your body free of all that extra stuff that could cause problems. 

Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, is a very common condition in the United States.  CKD occurs due to a gradual loss of kidney function, which can be very dangerous to your health and cause several complications.  If your CKD reaches an advanced stage, your body would be housing dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes that have accumulated over time due to the kidneys failing, and not being able to keep up to get rid of these excess substances. 

In early stages of CKD you may have only a few signs and symptoms that you most likely will not notice.  Generally someone diagnosed with CKD may be completely asymptomatic unless they undergo episodes of increased stress such as having an infection, surgery or some type of trauma.  Otherwise, signs and symptoms of CKD may not become apparent and cause complications until your kidney function becomes greatly impaired.  Signs and symptoms may include:

• Nausea/vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Fatigue and weakness
• Problems with sleep
• Changes in urine output
• Muscle cramps and/or twitching
• Swelling in ankles and feet
• Persistent itching
• Possible chest discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• High blood pressure

The kidneys are highly adaptable organs and the body is an amazing thing because as the kidneys begin to fail, they work harder to find ways to compensate for their decline in function.  Therefore, signs and symptoms of CKD may not appear until kidney damage is irreversible.  What causes CKD may vary person to person, however there are some diseases and conditions that cause an individual to be more prone to develop CKD, these include:

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Glomerulonephritis (inflammation of the filtering system in the kidney)
• Interstitial nephritis (inflammation of the tubules and surrounding structures in the kidney)
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract (enlarged prostate, kidney stones, some cancers)
• Vesicoureteral reflux (condition where urine backs up into the kidneys)
• Pyelonephritis (recurrent kidney infections)

There are also factors that may place you at an increased risk for developing CKD in addition to the diseases and/or conditions you may already have.  Of course the more risk categories you fall into, the more your risk of developing CKD increases.  Risk factors for CKD include:

• Heart disease
• Smoking
• Obesity
• High cholesterol
• Being African-American, Native American or Asian-American
• Family history of kidney disease
• Age 65 and older

Keep in mind that your whole body must work together to provide you with an optimal balance to keep all your organ systems functioning as they should.  If you are diagnosed with CKD it can affect almost every part of your body.  You may notice the following potential complications:

• Fluid build-up that can lead to swelling in your arms and legs, high blood pressure, and even a build-up in fluid around your heart or lungs, which could result in shortness of breath.
• Sudden increase in potassium levels in your blood that could cause impairment in the way your heart functions…this could be life-threatening.
• Weakened bones, which poses an increase risk of fractures.
• Anemia.
• Central nervous system damage that may cause you to have difficulty with concentrating, personality changes or seizures.
• Decrease in immune response that can make you more vulnerable to infections and can lengthen your healing time.
• Irreversible kidney damage that could possibly require dialysis or kidney transplant for survival.

To determine whether or not you will be diagnosed with CKD you may have to undergo a few different tests, including:

-Blood Specimen Collection

·      Kidney function tests will be evaluated to look at the level of waste products in your blood, such as creatinine and urea.

-Urine Specimen Collection

·      A sample of your urine may reveal any abnormalities that point to CKD, and help your provider to better identify what is causing your condition.

-Imaging Studies

·      An ultrasound may be used to assess the structure and size of your kidneys.

-Biopsy

·      A sample of your kidney tissue may be removed and examined to determine what is causing your kidney issues.

After diagnosis of kidney disease is decided, treatment will depend on any underlying causes.  There are 5 stages of CKD; your provider will inform you of these in greater detail to determine where you stand.  Some types can be treated, while in other situations the kidney damage may already be irreversible.  Often CKD has no cure, but the goal of treatment will be to control the signs and symptoms that are already present, prevent complications and slow its progression. 

Once the underlying conditions are treated and are under control, kidney damage can still worsen over time.  There are several available treatment options such as medications for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, anemia, swelling, medications to protect your bones, and those to minimize wastes in your blood.  If your CKD worsens and has stopped responding to first-line treatments dialysis or even a transplant may be recommended for you in order to survive.

Total Home Health has a program that is right for you.  Our professionals will always strive to provide you with the most optimal care in order to keep your CKD under control.  We will work side by side with you to both continuously promote your health and prevent complications by encouraging you to do things in your home to take help further take control of your CKD such as:

• Promoting you to stop smoking.
• Helping you follow a better diet and exercise plan to control/prevent any diabetes and/or hypertension.
• Teaching you the importance of strictly taking medications as prescribed.
• Following up with your provider to monitor your CKD progression, and to adjust your treatment plan if the need arises.

Total Home Health is ready whenever you are!  Enroll today and get started on a new path that will be right for you in more ways than you could have ever imagined.