There are a number of people who don’t realize that they have chronic kidney disease until they are already at stage three, that is moderate loss of kidney function. People’s reaction often starts with confusion or shock but understanding kidney disease requires knowledge of this disease.
Let’s dive into the basic terminology in this blog and introduce the concept of a kidney diet so that you can eat well to avoid kidney disease becoming worse. There are a total 5 stages of chronic kidney disease which people don’t realize until they reach stage 3. Here is a summary of the stages of kidney disease.
Stages of Kidney Disease
|
Stage |
Description |
eGFR |
|
Stage 1 |
Kidney damage, with some protein in the urine, with normal GFR |
Greater than 90 |
|
Stage 2 |
Kidney damage with little fall in GFR |
60 to 89 |
|
Stage 3 |
Moderate fall in kidney functioning |
30 to 59 |
|
Stage 4 |
Severe kidney damage |
15 to 29 |
|
Stage 5 |
Kidneys close to failing or already failed |
Less than 15 |
Understanding all the stages of kidney disease is important to maintain the health of kidneys and you can even consult with the doctors at Sohana Hospital Mohali to know more about these stages. This is how you can slow down the process of kidney damage and lessen the adverse effects of the disease.
However, if you have other conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, cardiovascular disease, or obesity which can affect your chronic kidney disease, talk to your doctor about that and know how you can control and prevent these problems.
Basic Kidney Health Terminology
There are several technical terms that you must know before managing your kidney diet. Here are some basic terms.
- Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)- When your body metabolizes, it produces urea. Your BUN is the amount of nitrogen produced by the urea that is determined by the doctors after running tests. An increase in your BUN means your kidneys are not working properly.
- Creatinine- Creatinine is the waste present in your body that is filtered out by the kidneys into urine. If the amount of creatinine decreases in your kidney and increases in the blood that means the kidneys are working properly.
- eGFR- Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate (eGFR) indicates how much kidney functions you have, based on how much waste your kidneys can filter out of your blood.
Relationship Between Diet and Food
Proper nutrition for someone with kidney disease is very different from someone with healthy kidneys. A registered renal dietician can help you establish a diet designed to preserve kidney function. It’s important that you think about your diet, and control your intake of certain nutrients as soon as possible.
It’s helpful to think of your kidney diet as healthy foods you can eat, rather than a list of things you’re not allowed to enjoy anymore. A good dietitian will not only help you establish a diet that is right for you, but they’ll also help you feel good about your diet and your health.
But, with diet being essential to kidney health, building the right relationship with food is more important now than ever.
How Can We Help?
Dieticians at Sohana Hospital Mohali help you understand what you can eat to slow down the progress of chronic kidney disease and what you can substitute for food that is not allowed. Our expert dieticians also help you to identify the real food labels and provide you with a diet plan for weight loss.
Leading Kidney specialists in Mohali and dieticians help you diagnose kidney problems and prevent them from spreading fast and advise you on the best diet to maintain your healthy lifestyle without any hassle.
So if you have any doubt that you may have kidney problems, Sohana Hospital is always there to assist you.