What is Kidney Disease?

Kidney disease is the damage and function loss of the kidneys.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is when the kidneys progressively deteriorate overtime. The degeneration can take anywhere from months to years. CKD is mainly caused by high blood pressure, diabetes, and an inflammatory condition known as glomerulonephritis. In the early stages of CKD, the symptoms may not be noticable. For this reason, CKD is often referred to as a silent condition because more often than not, by the time the symptom becomes evident, it is already fatal.

The kidneys are made up of millions of nephrons. Each nephron contains two parts, the glomerulus and the tubule.

Both parts have important roles. The glomerulus filters your blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to the blood and removes waste. The blood circulates through the kidneys multiple times a day. Kidneys filter about 150 quarts of blood of toxins and waste a day.  Along with that, kidneys are resposible for filtering out acids produced by cells and maintaining a heathly balance of substances in our bodies. If that balance is not regulated, the muscles, nerves and other tissues in our body could lose function.

When kidneys are not able to filter, dangerous amounts of fluid, electrolytes, toxins, and waste build up in your body.  This can quickly become detrimental to the entire body, thus it is imperative that the kidneys are in good heatlth and function properly.

If not treated, kidney disease can lead to:

• Early cardiovascular disease
• Toxins, and fluid will build up in your body
• Ultimately, kidney failure

The long delay between the onset of disease to when symptoms begin showing makes CKD a very unpredictable disease. Waiting for late-stage symptoms is not a recommended way to spot kidney diseases. Because of that, it is recommended that people who have diabetes, or high blood pressure get tested once a year as a precaution.  

Important Kidney Disease Facts

• Chronic kidney disease is found slightly more common in women, although chronic kidney disease in men is much more likely to escalate to kidney failure.
• CKD affects about one in seven U.S adults. Which is about 37 million, it is one of the most common diseases in the United States.
• Affects one in three adults with diabetes.
• Affects one in five adults with bad blood pressure.
• An estimated one million people worldwide die from untreated kidney failure each year.

Symptoms of Kidney Disease

• Swelling of feet or ankles, due to execss water, enemia 
• Change in Urine
• Having puffiness around the eyes
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Shortness of Breath