Symptoms of chronic kidney failure are based on severity

Chronic kidney failure often doesn't show any symptoms until the condition gets worse. If the kidneys are unable to cover up the damage, the symptoms of chronic kidney failure begin to show. So, what are the characteristics of chronic kidney disease?

Why don't the symptoms of chronic kidney failure initially appear?

Most patients with chronic renal failure may not show symptoms at first. This condition can occur because the kidneys are able to adapt to minor defects and keep the body healthy.

For example, humans can donate their kidneys and stay healthy even if they only have one kidney. In fact, you may also be experiencing kidney disease without feeling any signs. This means that the kidneys can still cover up the problem.

Over time, untreated kidney damage can cause symptoms that interfere with daily activities. Therefore, examination of kidney function and abnormalities is the only way to confirm the presence of disease.

Symptoms of chronic kidney failure are based on their stage

This type of kidney disease does not occur suddenly but rather slowly damages the kidneys. Therefore, it is not surprising that many people experience no symptoms when they develop chronic kidney failure.

However, when the kidney problems get worse, you may experience problems in your body that interfere with your daily activities. Here are some signs that someone has chronic kidney failure based on the stage.

Stage 1

Source: Western Alliance

Reporting from the American Kidney Fund, chronic kidney failure at this stage does not have such severe damage to the kidneys. This stage also shows an eGFR (glomerular filtration rate) of 90 or more.

That means your kidneys are quite healthy and working well. However, you may have some symptoms of kidney disease that can lead to chronic kidney failure. Signs of damage can include protein in the urine (proteinuria) or physical injury to the kidneys.

If treated as early as possible, there is a chance that kidney function can return to almost normal. Therefore, it is important to undergo routine kidney examinations, especially when you have risk factors.

Stage 2

Almost similar to stage 1, the symptoms of stage 2 chronic kidney failure are not very visible. Those of you who have entered this stage may have an eGFR of between 60 and 89 which means the kidneys can still work properly.

Even if your eGFR is normal, signs of kidney damage such as proteinuria and physical damage to the kidneys may occur.

Stage 3

In the third stage of chronic kidney failure, you may have started to feel some quite disturbing symptoms. This is because your eGFR will likely be in the 30 to 59 range.

This range of numbers indicates some pretty worrying kidney damage. In fact, some kidney functions may not work properly.

Stage 3 renal failure is divided into two parts, namely stage 3a with an eGFR between 45 and 59 and stage 3b with an eGFR between 30 and 44.

Some people may not feel any symptoms at this stage. However, not a few also feel signs of chronic kidney failure, in the form of:

• swelling in the hands and feet due to excess fluid in the body,
• back pain due to swollen kidneys or bladder problems; and
• changes in the frequency of urinating, either more or less than usual.

Apart from the three symptoms above, there are other health problems due to the buildup of waste caused by the kidneys that don't work, such as:

• high blood pressure (hypertension),
• anemia due to insufficient production of red blood cells, and
• bone disease due to the imbalance of calcium and phosphate in the blood.

Stage 4

Patients with chronic renal failure at stage four actually have severe kidney damage. The eGFR at this stage usually shows a number between 15 and 29.

In general, patients at this stage are advised to prepare for dialysis or a kidney transplant. The symptoms of stage four chronic kidney failure are almost similar to stage three, including:

• Metallic taste in the mouth due to a build-up of waste in the blood.
• Experiencing nerve problems and difficulty concentrating.
• Loss of appetite due to increased urea levels in the blood.
• Itchy and red skin due to parathyroid hormone levels that are too high.
• Fatigue easily due to lack of red blood cell production.

Some of the symptoms above may be similar to other diseases. However, you should immediately discuss with your doctor about the preparation for dialysis and kidney transplant.

Stage 5

Chronic kidney failure at stage 5 means the kidneys are functioning only 15 percent of normal conditions. The glomerular filtration rate is also less than 15. This figure indicates that the kidneys are close to complete failure.

If the kidneys lose their function permanently, toxic substances will accumulate in the blood which has a big impact on health. There are several symptoms of chronic kidney failure that have entered the fifth stage, namely:

• itchy and reddish skin,
• muscle ache,
• skin color changes,
• feeling nauseous and vomiting,
• rarely feel hungry,
• swelling of the eyes, arms, and legs (edema),
• difficulty breathing and experiencing sleep disturbances, as well
• back pain.

At this stage, chronic kidney failure patients are also at high risk of heart disease and stroke. For patients who have experienced less than 15 percent of kidney failure, it means they need dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

When to go to the doctor

In fact, there are other symptoms related to chronic kidney failure which were not mentioned above. If you are worried about your recent body condition, consult a doctor immediately. The sooner kidney problems are detected, the lower the risk of complications of kidney disease that will be faced.

The only way to know if you have kidney problems is to have regular check-ups, whether you have symptoms or not.