Stage 4 – 5 of chronic kidney disease

Seeing the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD)

The Five Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease3
 Stage Description Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) Kidney Function Deterioration
 1 Kidney damage (protein in urine) and normal GFR  More than 90   50% – 60%
 2 Kidney damage and mild decrease in GFR  60 – 88   60% – 70%
 3 Moderate decrease in GFR  30 – 59   70% – 77.5%
 4 Severe decrease in GFR  15 – 29   77.5% – 85%
 5 Kidney failure – End-Stage Renal Disease (dialysis or kidney transplant needed)  Less than 15   85% and above

As CKD progresses, the symptoms become increasingly evident along with the risk for kidney failure. Stages 4 and 5 typically call for more labor-intensive treatment options, such as dialysis and transplantation. Stage 4—Patients in stage 4 are considered to be in the advanced stages of CKD and are advised to begin preparing for dialysis or kidney transplantation. At this point, patients will have symptoms such as fatigue, swelling in the extremities or face because they kidneys can no longer regulate fluid in the body, changes in urination, sleep problems, bad breath, numbness or tingling in the feet or hands, and loss of appetite.Stage 4

Stage 5—Also called end-stage renal disease (ESRD), stage 5 occurs when the kidneys have lost more than 85% of their function. Patients with stage 5 CKD must be treated with dialysis or a kidney transplant. One major sign of ESRD is a change in the patient’s skin color. The buildup of toxins in the body may cause a patient’s skin to appear gray or yellowish. Dialysis can help to temporarily remove these toxins and return the patient to their normal color until the toxins begin to build back up, at which time the patient will undergo dialysis again.

It is obvious that as CKD progresses, so do the symptoms and level of danger involved with the disease. That is why it is important to begin developing good habits early, such as exercising, eating right, not smoking, and taking probiotics.

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