Stage 4 Kidney Disease

There is no likelihood of both kidneys failing at once when a case of chronic kidney is reported. There is always a slow progression of the disease over a period of years. This means that doctors have an opportunity to do something in order to prevent the chronic kidney disease situation from getting worse in case there is early diagnosis.

The National Kidney Foundation has come up with subdivisions that describe five stages through which patients of kidney disease go through. This demarcation of stages is meant to enable caregivers to do their work more efficiently in order for patients to live a higher-quality life.

Each level of the kidney disease requires special forms of treatment and care. Glomerular filtration rate is a measure of kidney function, which enables doctors to know the stage of disease that the patient is in. This function requires many variables include ones age, gender, race, and serum creatinine. This means that a doctor should order that a blood test be done. Creatinine is a waste product of muscular activity in the body. As the kidney continues to fail, levels of creatinine continue to rise.

Stage 4 kidney disease is characterized by advanced damage to the kidney. The decrease in Glomerular filtration rate that is recorded confirms that the patient's disease is in stage 4. Such a patient requires dialysis. Moreover, a kidney transplant should be carried out within the shortest time possible.

When there is a decline in kidney function, it results in a build-up of wastes in the patient's blood. This condition is known as uremia. At stage 4, many complications arise. Some of the problems experienced relate to anemia, high blood pressure, heart and bone diseases.

The symptoms that characterize stage 4 kidney disease include fatigue, sleep problems and nausea. Anemia makes patients feel very tired. This is because the kidney is unable to control the amount of fluid that is retained by the body. The legs swell, a condition known as edema. If there are protein deposits in the urine, it becomes very foamy. In case it contains blood, it turns reddish or tea-colored. A person urinates less often or he might urinate too often.

At stage 4, many patients experience kidney pain. One can easily locate the source of pain by touching the region that is near the kidneys. It also becomes difficult to get any sleep. One may also experience itchy feelings, restlessness and general discomfort that make it difficult to get sleep.

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