Treatment
With chronic kidney disease,
treatment depends on the underlying cause and the stage at which it was
diagnosed. The stages range from 1 to 5, with 1 being the earliest stage and
five being end-stage kidney disease.
There is no cure for chronic
kidney disease and treatment usually aims to control symptoms, impede
complications and slow progression of the disease.
Treatment of earlier stage kidney
disease typically focuses on:
- Reducing high blood pressure. Keeping your blood
pressure under control can slow the progression of chronic kidney disease.
“One of the most important treatments for any kind of kidney disease is to
get your blood pressure under excellent control,” Rovin says. “Blood
pressure that is not well-controlled is one of the major reasons that
kidney disease can progress to failure and dialysis and transplantation.
By controlling that blood pressure, we can slow the progressive kidney
disease down and preserve native function as long as possible.” This means
not only taking any blood pressure medication your doctor prescribes, but
also exercising more and reducing salt intake.
- Reducing cholesterol levels. Because high cholesterol
can contribute to cardiovascular disease controlling these if they’re high
may slow the progression of kidney disease.
- Treating anemia. Low iron levels are a
problem with some kidney disease patients, and boosting levels can help
improve symptoms of fatigue and weakness that might develop alongside
kidney disease.
- Reducing swelling. People with kidney
disease have difficulty clearing excess fluid from the body, so diuretics
that help move that fluid along may be prescribed.
- Protecting the bones. Calcium and vitamin D
supplements can help reduce the risk of bone fractures that can arise
because of kidney disease.
Eventually, chronic kidney
disease may lead to late-stage kidney disease, also called end-stage kidney
disease or renal failure. If you have late-stage, chronic kidney disease, that
means your disease has progressed to a point where you’ll need more intensive
interventions. There are two options:
- Dialysis. Dialysis is a mechanical means
of filtering the blood of wastes. It must be performed several times per
week and often requires that patients spend several hours attached to a
hemodialysis machine, which filters waste and excess fluid from the blood,
at an outpatient clinic.
- Kidney transplant. For some patients, a kidney
transplant may be recommended. It involves replacing the diseased kidney
or kidneys with a kidney or kidneys from a healthy donor. It’s major
surgery that can be difficult to organize because of the need for a
genetic match from a suitable donor. It also requires that the recipient
stay on anti-rejection medications for the rest of his or her life to
prevent the body from destroying the new organ.
