Chronic kidney disease: How the disease progresses and steps to take

Kidney diseases can progress rapidly or slowly based on the type of underlying disorder and other medical conditions

To understand the progression of kidney disease, it is important to first understand some facts about kidney disorders.

Kidney disorders can affect people of all ages and genders, but they are more common in the elderly, women and people with pre-existing conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.

Symptoms of chronic kidney disease can be minimal at first, which is why many people tend to ignore common signs and symptoms and delay treatment.

Kidney disorders are not to be taken lightly. If not treated in time, they can progress to kidney failure causing muscle weakness, excessive fluid formation, complications due to urea disorders and even death.

Types of kidney diseases

There are different types of kidney disorders. Some of them are acute kidney disorders (short-term, due to an injury), or chronic kidney disorders (long-term, can be lifelong), Infections
of the urinary tract, kidney stones, glomerulonephritis, polycystic kidney disease, etc., these disorders share some common symptoms, such as a frequent urge to urinate, nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, inability to sleep, brain fog, loss of appetite and weakness.

In cases of acute kidney injury, kidney function deteriorates rapidly over days or even hours. Therefore, it is essential to understand how the disease progresses and what steps can be taken to manage it.

Listed below are some reasons that cause a rapid decline in kidney health:

Acute kidney injury: It occurs due to a sudden increase in kidney function due to low blood pressure, infections, toxins, or part of a multi-system organ deformity. It is usually reversible if taken care of in time.

Chronic kidney disease: It occurs due to irreversible kidney damage over a period of time. Diabetes and hypertension are the main causes of kidney disease. The patient may not experience any major symptoms initially as they tend to appear at a later stage. Therefore, it is important to get checked at regular intervals.

Genetic kidney disease: For example- Polycystic kidney disease. Patients with a family history of kidney disease should have regular check-ups.

Kidney stone disease: If kidney stone diseases are not treated in time, they lead to chronic kidney disease.

Urinary tract infections: Repeated episodes of UTI, especially in women, over the years can lead to kidney damage. /KP