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If you have stage 4 kidney disease, it is important for you to:
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) happens if your kidneys have been damaged. Kidneys can become damaged from a physical injury or a disease like diabetes or high blood pressure. Once your kidneys are damaged, they are not able to filter blood or do their other jobs well enough to keep you healthy. Some of the important jobs kidneys do:
There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. The mildest are stages 1 and 2. In these early stages of kidney disease, the kidneys are damaged and not working at full strength. At stage 3, about half of kidney function has been lost. This can cause other problems, like high blood pressure or bone problems. Treatment of these problems is very important, and it can even help slow down the loss of kidney function. At stage 4, severe kidney damage has happened. At this stage, it is very important to slow the loss of kidney function by following your treatment plan, and managing other problems like high blood pressure or heart disease. Stage 5 is kidney failure. If kidney failure happens, you will need a kidney transplant or dialysis to live. Learn About Kidney FailureEven if you get treatment in stage 4 and are careful about your health, your kidneys may still fail. Kidney failure happens when:
There is no cure for kidney failure, but with treatment it is possible to live a long, fulfilling life. Having kidney failure is not a death sentence. People with kidney failure live active lives and continue to do the things they love. Treatments for Kidney FailureThe two treatments for kidney failure are kidney transplantation and dialysis. Two different types of dialysis can be done - hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.
To learn more about each type of treatment, see "Choosing a Treatment for Kidney Failure" in the A-to-Z Guide. Can You Change Treatments for Kidney Failure?If you start on one type of treatment for kidney failure but feel you would like to try something else, you can speak to your healthcare professional about changing. For most people, it is often possible to change treatments. For example, if you choose hemodialysis, it doesn't mean you can't switch to peritoneal dialysis at a later date. Even if you choose to have a kidney transplant, you may need a period of dialysis until you can be transplanted with a new kidney. It is not uncommon for people who have had kidney failure for many years to have had more than one type of treatment in that time. Help Keep Your Kidney Disease from Getting WorseGood self-management will help you to live a long, fulfilling life and continue to do the things you love. It can also help to slow or even stop kidney disease from getting worse - and it may even stop or delay kidney failure. Good self-management starts with:
Control Other Health ProblemsYou may have other disorders, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, which can damage your kidneys. One of the goals of your treatment is to make sure these are well-controlled. Ask your healthcare professional what you can do to keep these conditions under control - and do it! Some of the things your healthcare professional may ask you to do:
Do What You Can to Manage the Complications of Kidney DiseaseKidney disease can cause other health problems throughout your body including:
If you have stage 4 kidney disease, you are probably experiencing some of these problems already. Your healthcare professional will work with you to develop a treatment plan to help manage these problems and keep them from getting worse. Treatment may include diet, exercise, and medications. It is very important that you follow your treatment plan because it can greatly improve your quality of life and how long you live. It can also help to slow or even stop kidney disease from getting worse - and it may even stop or delay kidney failure. Manage or Prevent Heart DiseasePeople with stage 4 kidney disease have a high risk of having heart disease. In fact, most people with kidney disease do not die of kidney failure - they die of heart disease. Why? Because, in addition to kidney disease, they usually have one or more of the following health risks:
You can help slow - or possibly prevent - heart problems by following your treatment plan. Ask your healthcare professional what you need to do to keep your heart healthy. Tools to HelpUse these self-management tools to help you track your progress and improve your quality of life. To learn moreYou can learn more about managing stage 4 kidney disease in the A-to-Z guide: |