There are multiple conditions and diseases that overtime can reduce the function and damage your kidneys. Once your kidneys are damaged, waste products build up in your body and make you feel sick. Contributing factors and diseases are high blood pressure, diabetes, heart diseases, etc. Kidney diseases increase your risk of having heart diseases and strokes. In some people these problems may happen quickly or slowly over a long period of time. Should kidney disease progresses, it could lead to kidney failure, which requires dialysis or kidney transplantation to maintain life. This progression can be monitored by regular checkups, diagnostic testing and nutritional education.
Stages of CKD:
Stage 1 – Normal kidney function but urine findings or structural abnormalities or genetic trait point to kidney disease.
Stage 2 – Mildly reduced kidney function, and other findings suggest kidney disease.
Stage 3 – Moderately reduced kidney function.
Stage 4 – Severely reduced kidney function.
Stage 5 – Very severe or approaching end stage renal disease and dialysis.