Comprehensive Guide on Chronic Kidney Disease in Brooklyn

Chronic kidney disease is a long term illness. Your kidneys do not function properly. This serious medical condition progresses over time. It can lead to kidney failure if you do not manage it from the early stages. 

Dr. Mohammed Azmir MD, a nephrologist will explain this chronic disease. He will discuss symptoms and causes. He will also let us know about available treatment options at primary care. 

What is Chronic Kidney Disease?

Kidneys are your excretory organs. These organs work like a strainer that filters extra fluid and waste elements from your blood. These filtered materials are passed out of your body through urination. This filtering process maintains your red blood cell production. Also it helps to balance your electrolyte and regulate blood pressure. 

However, you can develop some diseases in your renal organs. These illnesses are long term conditions. This means you will develop medical conditions over months or years. The progression of these chronic disorders will make your kidneys gradually lose their ability to function. Some of these common conditions are:

• Glomerulonephritis
• Kidney Stones
• Polycystic Kidney Disease
• Urinary Tract Infections
• Diabetic Nephropathy
• Hypertensive Nephropathy
• Lupus Nephritis

Symptoms 

You may not notice symptoms in the early stages. You may feel some subtle signs. But these symptoms can be related to other medical conditions. For this reason, you will not think that the symptoms are because of your diseases. Here are some symptoms you should take seriously:

Fatigue and Weakness

Swelling

Your body can swell as a result. Swelling might occur in the hands, feet, ankles, or legs. This happens because your kidney cannot remove excess salt and water from your body properly during illness. As a result, this extra fluid stays inside your body and causes fluid retention.

Changes in Urination

You may notice changes in the frequency of urination. The amount of urine may be higher or lower than usual. Color of your urine may change too. Your urine may look cloudy, foamy or dark. This is because of impurities. You can also see blood in your urine sometimes. You will have these signs when your organs begin to decline in function.

Shortness of Breath

Fluid can build up in your lungs when your chronic renal disorders progress to the advanced stages. This fluid will decrease the functionality of your lungs. You will experience difficulty breathing and shortness of breath.

High Blood Pressure

Kidney helps to maintain the balance of fluids and electrolytes in your body. Blood pressure remains stable for this reason. Your blood volume increases when your organs cannot function properly. This decreased ability to pass out sodium and excess fluids increases your blood pressure. 

Itchy Skin

Kidney disorders can result in low moisture in your body. So your skin gets dry and irritated. You can feel consistent itching on your skin.

Nausea and Vomiting

There are various health issue aries if kidneys are not functioning properly. It can lead to waste products build up in the blood. It can affect your stomach. Your normal digestion process can be interrupted. This can cause nausea and vomiting. 

Loss of Appetite and Weight Loss

You might see changes in your metabolism process. It can also decrease appetite. You do not crave food. You may not feel like eating due to nausea and vomit. You will begin to lose weight for not getting proper nutrition. 

Muscle Cramps and Twitches a

You can also feel muscle cramps and twitches. Kidney Diseases can make your calcium levels low. It can lead to high phosphorus levels. Usually, these elements remain stable when your kidneys are in healthy condition. But chronic conditions can create these imbalances. You will feel discomfort and muscle related symptoms.

Stages of Chronic Kidney Disease

There are 5 stages of Chronic kidney disease. It depends on how well your kidneys are able to filter blood. It is measured by Glomerular Filtration Rate. It tells the amount of blood your kidneys can filter in 1 minute. 

Stage 1: It is the initial stage. Kidneys function normally here or nearly normally. You may not feel any symptoms at this stage. GFR value remains 90 ml/min or more at this stage. 

Stage 2: Your damage to the organs will be mild in this stage. You may or may not experience subtle symptoms. Your GFR value will also decrease. Generally this stage has readings between 60-89 ml/min.

Stage 3: You will start to feel noticeable symptoms. Like feeling tired or having swelling in your legs. Your GFR value will decrease to 30-59 ml/min at this stage. 

Stage 4: You will feel serious symptoms in this advanced stage. You can have hypertension or bone problems. Your GFR value will drop to around 15-29 ml/min. 

Stage 5: We call this stage kidney failure. Your organ can’t function without medical help in this condition. Your GFR will result below 15 ml/min. Organ transplantation or dialysis might be needed. 

Treatment Options for CKD

Primary Care clinics consider various treatment options. These treatments help to manage your symptoms. It can slow down the progression of your condition. 

Medications

Your existing health conditions can have an impact on your kidney disease. You might have high blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol. We prescribe you medications to manage these conditions. We give you medicine to remove excess fluid from the body. This helps to keep your blood pressure stable. We also provide you with oral medicines for controlling your blood sugar. But we give insulin if your sugar level is too high. Our physicians provide you with medications to lower your cholesterol levels as well. This also helps to maintain your heart health.

Diet and Lifestyle Changes

Your food habits and lifestyle behaviors create a significant impact on your renal diseases. We recommend you avoid certain foods. Such as food items containing high sugar and salt, processed food, etc. We suggest you eat foods that are low in protein. This will decrease the workload on your kidneys. You need physical movements as well. We encourage you to exercise regularly. Daily exercise can help you maintain your weight and blood pressure. We also advise you to quit smoking and drinking. 

Dialysis 

You need dialysis to filter your blood in the advanced stage of your chronic kidney disorder. Your organs fail to function properly. That’s why we suggest dialysis to remove excess fluid and waste materials from your body. 

Kidney Transplant 

The last treatment option for you to live is through kidney transplantation. We refer you for advanced treatment and diagnosis. Nephrology specialists assess your conditions and search for a donor. They prepare for your surgery after they find the perfect donor for you. This is your best option for long term survival.

Schedule Your Appointment

Live Well Medical Care PC is a trusted and popular primary care center in Brooklyn. Our primary care physician is a nephrologist with years of experience in offering kidney care. We offer you preventive care, annual physical service and chronic disease management to ensure your overall well being. Our multilingual expert doctors can effectively communicate with our English, Hindi, Urdu and Bengali communities. We have online and walk-in appointment facilities for your convenience. We are accepting new patients. Schedule your appointment today.