CHRONIC kidney disease, also called chronic kidney failure, involves a gradual loss of kidney function.

According to Mayo Clinic, your kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from your blood, which are then removed in your urine. Advanced chronic kidney disease can cause dangerous levels of fluid, electrolytes and wastes to build up in your body.

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, you might have few signs or symptoms. You might not realise that you have kidney disease until the condition is advanced.

Usually individuals with comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes are at an increased risk of developing kidney disease. Based on the incidence of both conditions in Jamaica, it is safe to say about one-third of the population is at risk of developing kidney disease if the prevalence of these diseases increase, and if these diseases remain uncontrolled in the population.

A progressive loss of kidney function is a feature of chronic kidney disease.

Further, Mayo Clinic says wastes and extra fluid are removed from your blood by your kidneys and then passed through your urine. Your body may accumulate hazardous amounts of fluid, electrolytes, and wastes if you have advanced chronic renal disease.

The goal of chronic renal disease treatment is to slow the development of kidney damage, usually by addressing the underlying cause. However, even stopping the cause of kidney disease could not stop the damage from getting worse. Without mechanical filtering (dialysis) or a kidney transplant, end-stage renal failure from chronic kidney disease is fatal.

If kidney damage advances gradually, signs and symptoms of chronic renal disease appear over time. A accumulation of fluid, a build-up of body waste, or electrolyte issues can all be brought on by kidney failure. Loss of kidney function can lead to any of the following depending on its severity: nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, fatigue and weakness, sleep problems, urinating more or less, decreased mental sharpness, muscle cramps, swelling of feet and ankles, dry, itchy skin, high blood pressure (hypertension) that’s difficult to control, shortness of breath if fluid builds up in the lungs, chest pain if fluid builds up around the lining of the heart.

Kidney disease symptoms and signs are frequently vague. They can therefore also be brought on by different diseases.

Factors that can increase your risk of chronic kidney disease include:

Diabetes

High blood pressure

Heart (cardiovascular) disease

Smoking

Obesity

Being black, Native American or Asian American

Family history of kidney disease

Abnormal kidney structure

Older age

Frequent use of medications that can damage the kidneys

To reduce your risk of developing kidney disease it is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle through maintaining a healthy weight, not smoking, and managing other medical conditions that increase your risk of kidney disease.

If you experience any kidney disease symptoms or signs, schedule an appointment with your doctor. If renal illness is caught early enough, kidney failure might be avoided.

During office visits, your doctor may check your blood pressure and kidney function using urine and blood tests if you have a medical condition that raises your risk of renal disease. Find out from your doctor if you require these tests.