Chronic kidney disease includes a number of conditions that damage your kidneys, these include:
- Azotemia: A higher than normal blood level of urea or other nitrogen containing compounds in the blood. [medline medical encyclopedia]
- Symptoms include: Decreased or no urine produced, fatigue, decreased alertness, confusion, pale skin color, rapid pulse, dry mouth, thirst, and swelling
- Glomerulopathy: General disease of the renal glomeruli. [28]
- Glomerulosclerosis: Hyaline deposits or scarring within the renal glomeruli, a degenerative process occurring in association with renal arteriosclerosis or diabetes.
[medline medical encyclopedia]
Image 3. Comparison between healthy and sclerotic glomeruli (www.mayoclinic.org)
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Image 4. Histological image showing glomerular lesions caused by glomerulosclerosis (www.mayoclinic.org)
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- Nephropathy: General term for damage to or disease of the kidney [16]
- Diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease caused by diabetes) is one of the main causes of ESRD
- The 5 phases in the progression of diabetic nephropathy are:
- Hyperfiltration: This stage is marked by increased filtration rate in the glomeruli. There are seldom, if ever, any symptoms involved during this stage.
- Microalbuminuria: Stage 2 is marked by further hyperfiltration and the presence of protein (usually albumin) in the urine. Protein escapes via the damages capillaries within the glomerulus.
- The first symptoms of kidney disease occur in Stage 3. Increased protein in the urea results in edema. Also, creatine and urea nitrogen increase within the blood, leading to azotemia.
- Advanced clinical nephropathy and irreversible kidney damage. Stage 4 is marked by pronounced proteinuria and substantial loss of kidney function.
- End Stage Renal Disease. Failed kidney function, decreased GFR, and worsening hypertension mark this stage. The kidneys no longer can excrete toxins, maintain fluid, pH, and electrolyte balance nor secrete hormones (renin, vitamin D, erythropoeitin). Patients with ESRD must be put on dialysis or have a kidney transplant.
- Nephrosis: kidney disease characterized by lesions of the epithelial lining of the renal tubules, resulting in marked disturbance in the filtration function and the consequent appearance of large amounts of protein (albumin) in the urine. [medline medical encyclopedia]
- Image 1. Histological image of nephrotic syndrome (www.gamewood.net)
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- Image 2. Full size nephrotic kidney (encyclopedias.families.com)
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- Nephrosclerosis: Hardening (sclerosis) of the kidney usually due to disease of the blood vessels in it from atherosclerosis. [medline medical encylcopedia]
- Proteinuria/Albuminuria: Excess protein (most often albumin) in the urine. Some protein is normal in the urine. Too much means protein is leaking through the kidney, most often through the glomeruli. [medline medical encyclopedia]
- Uremia: a syndrome of clinical and metabolic abnormalities associated with fluid, electrolyte, and hormone imbalances, which develop in parallel with deterioration of renal function. [medline medical encyclopedia]
Living with Chronic Kidney Disease - The Struggle with Anemia
Red blood cell production is under the influence of a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO), made primarily in the kidneys. When you develop kidney disease, the production of EPO by your kidneys goes down, leading to a decrease in the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow and resulting in anemia. Once kidney function falls below about one-third of normal (GFR less than 30 ml/min), anemia develops. The symptoms of anemia depend on the severity of the anemia, the severity of kidney disease and the presence or absence of other illnesses. The most common symptoms of anemia are fatigue and a decreased ability to carry out physical activities, making it even more difficult for CKD patients to get enough exercise. Anemia is commonly treated by Iron and EPO supplementation, usually initiated in the pre-dialysis stage. [6, 27, www.kidney.org]
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