Chronic Kidney disease - Stages, Symptoms & Treatment


Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means kidney damage, the kidney stops working flawlessly and stops filtering blood the way it should. The disease slowly grows over time and the damage becomes severe leading to kidney failure in most of the cases. As the kidneys stop functioning so the wastes accumulate in your body and lead to multiple health complications. There are multiple Chronic Kidney disease stages and in most cases, especially in the early stages, there are no symptoms that can reveal kidney damage. The symptoms start to appear in the advanced stages where kidneys are afflicted with severe damage. The only way to know if the kidneys are damaged is by getting lab tests like a blood or urine test. 

Stages of Chronic kidney disease 

Chronic Kidney disease refers to all kind of kidney damage, varying from mild kidney damage to extreme or severe kidney damage. Now, how do we differentiate between stages? Chronic Kidney Disease stages are judged on the measures of how well the kidney is performing its functions and how well it is excreting fluids and wastes from the blood. The best way to know how well the kidney is functioning is to consult a doctor and get the kidneys tested. 

Before we get to the Chronic Kidney disease stages, we should know the causes for the same. The most common causes for the kidney damage are Diabetes, Heart disease, High blood pressure (also known as Hypertension), Chronic kidney disease could be carried forward in genes as well. There are 5 stages of CKD starting from very mild damage to kidney failure. 

CKD Stage 1

In this stage, the damage level of the kidney is very mild and low, kidneys can function almost completely fine without showing any major symptoms, and the eGFR estimation of glomerular filtration rate is above 90 which means the kidneys are functioning well. Although the disease is chronic so the damage will automatically grow over time.

The only way to find out the level of damage is to get tests such as blood and a urine test. If there is a high amount of protein found in the urine then there is a chance that the kidneys are damaged.

CKD Stage 2

Early Chronic kidney disease stages are usually similar to each other but the damage surely increases over time. In the second stage of CKD, the GFR level is between 60 to 89 but due to ill functionality of the kidneys, the wastes start building up in your body which leads to health complications like irregular urine cycle or blood in your urine.

If you have second stage chronic kidney disease, it is advised to consult your doctor for appropriate treatment. Meanwhile, you can follow some measures to slow down the kidney damage:

1. Control blood sugar if you have diabetes
2. Maintain a healthy diet
3. Exercise daily for almost an hour
4. Keep your blood pressure in control   

CKD Stage 3

This Chronic Kidney disease stage is divided into two parts based on the damage and eGRF levels; the stages are named as 3a and 3b. The GRF level in 3a is somewhere in between 45-59 while in 3b the level is in between 30-44. Stage 3 Chronic kidney disease means the damage is moderate and the kidneys are not capable of functioning as well as they are supposed to be. Most of the people suffering from this condition do not feel any symptoms but the most common symptoms for this stage are:

1. Swelling in hands, legs, and ankles
2. Back pain
3. Urinating more or less than usual

This stage leaves most people with health complications due to waste accumulation in the body; the health complications usually are:

• High blood pressure
• Anemia
• Bone disease

The person suffering from this disease is advised to meet a doctor to get suitable treatment and the person can also follow stage 2’s lifestyle to slow down the kidney damage.

CKD Stage 4

This stage is highly severe and is also one step prior to kidney failure, the physical damage on the kidney is very high and the wastes accumulate at a fast pace in the body as the kidneys are not performing well. The eGRF level is between 15-30 mg/dL and there are many health-related issues such as Anemia, High blood pressure and bone diseases. 

Most of the Chronic kidney disease stages do not show any kind of symptoms but stage 4 shows many symptoms such as swelling in arms, legs and ankles, extreme back pain and irregular urine cycle.  When you have stage 4 CKD, you should consult with a nephrologist and should set up regular appointments for treatment.  As stage 4 is one step closer to kidney failure so you should also prepare for kidney failure.

CKD Stage 5

Stage 5 chronic kidney disease means kidney failure; either your kidneys are very close to failing or they have already failed. The eGRF level in this stage is less than 15. 

Most common symptoms of kidney failure are:

1. Itching
2. Body cramps
3. Vomiting
4. Swelling in hands and legs
5. Extreme back pain
6. Trouble breathing and sleeping   

Once your kidneys have failed, the most common treatment is either dialysis or kidney transplant,  but there are several downfalls of both the treatments. In the case of a kidney transplant, the body can reject the donated kidney. The condition requires anti-rejection medicines and many side-effects are associated with these medications. Dialysis is an artificial procedure that carries out some of the functions of the kidneys. There is a whole different treatment for your kidneys, which have has been proven to be successful in thousands of cases. The treatment is completely Ayurveda, regardless of the chronic kidney diseases stages, the damage can be cured with the help of certain herbs and natural remedies health by the proper treatments and effective diet plans. Chronic disease treatment in Ayurveda has helped numerous CKD patients who were looking forward to dialysis or a kidney transplant.  

To save yourself from the painful procedures and heavy medications which somewhat deteriorates the body, you should search for a leading Ayurvedic kidney treatment center. Karma Ayurveda has earned its reputation as a leading Ayurvedic Kidney Treatment Center through many years of experience. Karma Ayurveda has been relentlessly working since 1937 to cure thousands of people from their disease and their grief. Led by Dr. Puneet Dhawan, Karma Ayurveda has successfully treated over 35,000 kidney patients and saved them from the procedure of kidney Transplant. 

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