Kidney Disease Stages
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) or kidney disease has five stages. The stages of kidney disease are dependent on the eGFR test results and how well the kidneys are working to filter extra fluid and other waste products out of your blood. As the stages continue to advance, the kidney disease gets worse and the kidneys do not work as efficiently as they were in the past. It is essential to slow down the damage to the kidneys at each stage.
The five stages of kidney disease refer to how well the kidneys are functioning. Kidney disease can get bad with time. The early stages i.e., stage 1 and 3 patients are still able to filter most of the waste products out of the blood. While in the later stages, the kidneys are striving hard to filter the blood and might stop functioning altogether. Following is the detailed description of each stage of kidney disease:
- Stage 1 kidney disease: eGFR 90 or higher
Stage 1 of chronic kidney disease means a person has mild kidney damage with an eGFR of 90 or higher. An eGFR of 90 or higher means that the kidneys are working well and healthy, but there are other symptoms of kidney damage. There are some ways to slow down the kidney damage at stage 1 of kidney disease, including:
- Eat a balanced diet
- Be more active physically
- Consult a doctor for some medicines to aid with the protection of your kidneys
- Make an appointment with a nephrologist to get a more detailed consultation
- Mange your blood pressure
- Control your blood sugar levels if you are diabetic
- Avoid smoking or tobacco use
- Stage 2 kidney disease: eGFR between 60 and 89
At stage 2 of kidney disease, a person has healthy and well-functioning kidneys but there are other kidney damage signs. The signs of kidney damage at stage 2 include the presence of protein in a person’s urine or some degree of physical damage to the kidneys. It is possible to reverse further kidney damage at stage 2 of kidney disease by:
- Controlling your blood pressure
- Managing your blood sugar if you are diabetic
- Eat healthy foods only
- Do some physical activity for at least 30 minutes daily
- Avoid tobacco smoking
- Stage 3 kidney disease: eGFR between 30 and 59
At stage 3, the eGFR level indicates that there is certain degree of damage happening to your kidneys and they are not functioning normally. Moreover, stage 3 has further two sub-stages:
- Stage 3a refers to an eGFR between 45 and 59
- Stage 3b refers to an eGFR between 30 and 44
Most people at stage 3 kidney disease do not show any symptoms, but if there are symptoms, these might include:
- Back pain
- More urination than usual
- Swelling in hands and feet
Stage 4 kidney disease: eGFR between 15 and 29
Stage 4 kidney disease refers to moderate or severe damage of the kidneys. Stage 4 kidney disease patients require immediate and serious treatments as it is the last stage of kidney disease before leading to kidney failure. A majority of the people at stage 4 kidney disease experience the following symptoms:
- Back pain
- Edema
- Frequent urination
Stage 5 kidney disease: eGFR between less than 15
At stage 5 of kidney disease, a person gets very close to kidney failure or suffer from complete failure already. If the kidneys of a person fails, waste build ups in the blood and makes you sick. Some symptoms of kidney failure include:
- Suppressed appetite
- Muscle cramps
- Back pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Itching
- Severe edema
- Difficulty in breathing
- Trouble sleeping