Chronic Kidney Disease

This diagnosis may have surprised you, because it is likely not causing any symptoms, meaning that you feel no different than you did before you found out you had CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE. What this diagnosis means is that, while your kidneys have not completely failed, they are not functioning as well as we would like or expect. Everyone will have some age related changes in the kidney function but once your kidneys are functioning at less than 60% it means that something other than age has effected your kidneys ability to function normally. The main causes for this are Diabetes, Hypertension and NSAID (Ibuprofen, Aleve, Advil, Aspirin, Goody’s powder etc.) use. These, however, are not the only causes. The reason we like to follow this condition so closely is that, since you will not have any noticeable symptoms and you will continue to urinate normally, the only way we can tell if things are staying stable (meaning not getting any worse) is through your blood work. If you start to develop symptoms from this disease it means you are quite close to needing dialysis, so we would prefer to watch your lab work closely to try to avoid that if we can. The following link takes you to a Mayo clinic informational page on chronic kidney disease (also called chronic kidney failure, although remember your kidneys are working well enough at this time to not need dialysis). It covers a lot of different areas including causes, tests, and how to prepare for your upcoming visit with us. Hopefully this page will answer a lot of questions you may have, but it may also generate new questions and we would be happy to answer any that you have at your next appointment with us. Write them down and bring them in.

Mayo Clinic – Chronic Kidney Failure (AKA Chronic Kidney Disease)