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    1. About Kidney Disease
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      3. Kidney Disease Stages
      4. What Is a Nephrologist?
      5. What to Expect with CKD
      6. Kidney Disease Management
      7. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
      8. How Kidneys Work
      9. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
    2. Treatments
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Dialysis Basics
      3. Benefits of Home Dialysis
      4. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
      5. Home Hemodialysis
      6. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
      7. In-Center Hemodialysis
      8. Transplant
      9. Insurance & Managing Costs
      10. Choosing Not to Treat
    3. Life On Dialysis
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
      3. Staying Engaged
      4. Staying Healthy
      5. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
      6. Tips for Loved Ones
      7. PatientHub
    4. Recipes & Nutrition
      1. OVERVIEW
      2. Recipes
      3. Managing Your Diet
      4. Fluid Management on Dialysis
      5. Dialysis Diet Planning
      6. Cookbooks
    5. Thrive Central
      1. CKD
      2. Dialysis
      3. Diet & Nutrition
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    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center

    Find a Dialysis Center
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      1. About Kidney Disease
        1. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
          1. Symptoms
          2. Risk Factors
          3. Causes
          4. Diagnosis and Testing
          5. GFR Calculator
        2. Kidney Disease Stages
          1. Stage 1
          2. Stage 2
          3. Stage 3
          4. Stage 4
          5. Stage 5
        3. What Is a Nephrologist?
        4. What to Expect with CKD
        5. Kidney Disease Management
          1. Kidney Diet Basics
          2. CKD Medications
          3. Your Kidney Care Team
          4. Diabetes
          5. High Blood Pressure
        6. Understanding Acute Kidney Injury
          1. Acute Kidney Injury Treatment and Recovery
        7. How Kidneys Work
        8. Take a FREE CLASS on Kidney Disease
      2. Treatments
        1. Dialysis Basics
          1. How Does a Hemodialysis Machine Work
          2. Starting Dialysis
          3. Types of Dialysis Access
          4. Your Care Plan
          5. Dialysis Medications
          6. Monitoring Your Lab Results
        2. Benefits of Home Dialysis
        3. Home Peritoneal Dialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. PD Access
          4. PD Training
          5. PD Monitoring
          6. Your Care Team
        4. Home Hemodialysis
          1. What to Expect
          2. Getting Prepared
          3. HD Training
          4. HD Monitoring
          5. Your Care Team
        5. Sign up to Talk to a Home Dialysis Expert
        6. In-Center Hemodialysis
          1. In-Center Treatment Options
          2. What to Expect
          3. Types of Vascular Access for Hemodialysis
          4. Your Care Team
          5. How to Choose a Center
        7. Transplant
          1. Finding a Kidney Donor
          2. Considering Kidney Donation
        8. Insurance & Managing Costs
          1. Understanding Medicare Coverage
          2. Understanding Medicare Advantage
          3. Understanding Employer Plans
        9. Choosing Not to Treat
      3. Life On Dialysis
        1. Your Emotional Health While on Dialysis
          1. Managing Your Emotions
          2. Talking About Dialysis
          3. Intimacy
          4. Body Image and Dialysis
          5. Building Your Dialysis Support Network
        2. Staying Engaged
          1. Tips for Working While on Dialysis
          2. In-Center Activities
          3. Hobbies
        3. Staying Healthy
          1. Managing Your Time on Dialysis
          2. Dialysis & Exercise
          3. Weight Management
          4. Avoiding Infection
          5. Managing Multiple Conditions
          6. Fighting the Flu
        4. Dialysis Travel Services and Information
        5. Tips for Loved Ones
          1. In-Center Hemodialysis
          2. At-Home Hemodialysis
          3. At-Home Peritoneal Dialysis
        6. PatientHub
      4. Recipes & Nutrition
        1. Recipes
        2. Managing Your Diet
          1. Eating Well on a CKD Diet
          2. Eating Well on a Dialysis Diet
          3. Salt and Kidney Disease
          4. Potassium and Kidney Disease
          5. Phosphorus and Kidney Disease
          6. Talking With Your Dietitian
        3. Fluid Management on Dialysis
        4. Dialysis Diet Planning
          1. Kidney-Friendly Shopping
          2. Eating Out
          3. Holiday Diet Tips
          4. A Chef’s Advice | Chef Aaron McCargo on Kidney Friendly Meals
        5. Cookbooks
      5. Thrive Central
        1. CKD
        2. Dialysis
        3. Diet & Nutrition
        4. Stories
        5. Wellness
        6. See All
      Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      OVERVIEW Symptoms Risk Factors Causes Diagnosis and Testing GFR Calculator
      Friends discuss kidney disease.

      What Is Chronic
      Kidney Disease?

      Share:
      1. Home
      2. About Kidney Disease
      3. Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
      Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a condition that occurs when your kidneys don’t work as well as they should to filter waste, toxins, and excess fluids from your body. The word "chronic" means that the condition is ongoing and will require long-term medical care to look after your health. Kidney disease progresses in 5 stages and may eventually lead to end stage renal disease (ESRD) or kidney failure. The goal of treating CKD is to best manage your health at every stage, which can help slow progression and keep your kidneys functioning as long as possible. At ESRD, treatment options for kidney failure include a kidney transplant or dialysis, which can help people live well for decades.

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      TAKE A FREE KIDNEY CARE CLASS

      Learn how to look after your kidney health and thrive—in a class that fits your life. Choose an educator-led or self-guided format.
      Sign up now

      10 facts about kidney disease

      1. About 15% of US adults have CKD. That’s about 37 million people.

      2. The leading causes of CKD are diabetes and high blood pressure. Together they account for 73% of new diagnoses.

      3. Most people are born with 2 kidneys, and you only need 1 to live a healthy life.

      4. Early detection and treatment is key. 9 out of 10 adults with CKD do not know they have it.

      5. Chronic kidney disease progresses in 5 stages and may eventually lead to complete kidney failure.

      1. The progression of CKDmay be slowed by following a kidney-friendly diet, managing medications, and making healthy lifestyle choices.

      2. Kidney disease affects people of all ages, though people 60 and over are the most likely to develop it.

      3. Certain ethnic groups, including African Americans, Hispanics, and Native Americans, are at a higher risk of CKD.

      4. Many people with kidney disease are choosing to treat at home—nearly 61,000 people in 2017.

      5. More than 100,000 people in the US are waiting for kidney transplants. About 17,000 people a year receive one.


      CKD signs and symptoms.

      What are the signs or symptoms of kidney disease? 

      Kidney disease is hard to detect early because many people do not experience symptoms until the later stages. CKD symptoms and signs may include changes in urination, fatigue, itching, back pain, or swelling of your hands or feet. The best way to understand your kidney health is by requesting a blood test from your doctor to measure your estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Your eGFR is a measurement of how well your kidneys function to filter waste, toxins, and excess fluid from your body. Knowing your eGFR will help your doctor determine if you have kidney disease and what stage of kidney disease you may be in.

      find out aBOUT kidney disease symptoms
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      Are you at risk for kidney disease?

      There are certain factors that put you at a higher risk for CKD, including your family history, certain health conditions, ethnicity, or overuse of medications. Take action—early diagnosis is key! Get screened for CKD if you have any known risk factors, including diabetes or high blood pressure.

      KNOW THE CKD risk factors
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      What causes CKD?

      There are many factors that can contribute to kidney disease—most commonly, diabetes and high blood pressure. Even people who’ve taken excellent care of their health can be at risk for CKD.
      Discover CKD Causes
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      How is kidney disease diagnosed?

      Early detection is key to slowing the progression of CKD and preserving your kidney function. Make testing a priority! If you're at risk for CKD, talk to your doctor about monitoring your kidney health. Your doctor can determine if you have kidney disease by calculating your eGFR using the results of a creatinine blood test and other health information about you. If your eGFR falls within the later stages of kidney disease, you may receive a referral to a kidney doctor (nephrologist) to help you manage your kidney health.
      GET INFORMATION ABOUT CKD DIAGNOSIS AND TESTING

      KNOW YOUR GFR

      Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a measurement that indicates how well your kidneys are working. Knowing your eGFR can help you understand which CKD stage you’re in.
      USE OUR GFR CALCULATOR

      UNDERSTAND­ING THE STAGES OF CKD

      There are 5 stages of chronic kidney disease. Your stage is determined by your level of kidney function. Knowing  your stage and what steps to take can help you stay your healthiest.

      Learn About the Stages

      GET OUR 
      E-NEWSLETTER

      Get the latest news in kidney care and delicious kidney-friendly recipes, plus inspiring stories from people living with kidney disease.

      Sign Up Now

      UNDERSTAND­ING ACUTE KIDNEY INJURY

      Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a sudden episode of kidney failure that occurs quickly over a short period of time. It’s important to recognize the differences between AKI and CKD.
      learn more about AKI
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