The kidneys filter waste and excess fluid from the blood. As kidneys fail, waste builds up. Symptoms develop slowly and aren't specific to the disease.

Who is more likely to develop CKD?

  • Diabetes

Diabetes is the leading cause of CKD. High blood glucose, also called blood sugar, from diabetes can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. Almost 1 in 3 people with diabetes has CKD.1

  • High blood pressure

High blood pressure is the second leading cause of CKD. Like high blood glucose, high blood pressure also can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. Almost 1 in 5 adults with high blood pressure has CKD.

  • Heart disease

Research shows a link between kidney disease and heart disease. People with heart disease are at higher risk for kidney disease, and people with kidney disease are at higher risk for heart disease. Researchers are working to better understand the relationship between kidney disease and heart disease.

  • Family history of kidney failure

If your mother, father, sister, or brother has kidney failure, you are at risk for CKD. Kidney disease tends to run in families. If you have kidney disease, encourage family members to get tested. Use tips from the family health reunion guide and speak with your family during special gatherings.

  • Age

Your chances of having kidney disease increase with age. The longer you have had diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart disease, the more likely that you will have kidney disease.

  • Being Black, Native American

African Americans, Hispanics, and American Indians tend to have a greater risk for CKD.2 The greater risk is due mostly to higher rates of diabetes and high blood pressure among these groups. Scientists are studying other possible reasons for this increased risk.

What does a kidney infection feel like?

  • Pain

This is often a dull, aching type of pain that most commonly affects the back, side, or abdomen.

  • Urine changes

If you have a kidney infection, you may notice that your urine is cloudy, smells bad, or contains blood.

  • Urgent, painful urination

A UTI can irritate the lining of your urinary tract. As a result, you may feel the urgent need to urinate and experience a painful, burning sensation when you do so.

  • Fever

People with a kidney infection typically develop a fever, which can often be high. A raised temperature is one of your body’s ways of trying to fight the infection.

  • Chills

Chills are a feeling of being cold without any apparent cause. For example, you could be wrapped up under a blanket and still shiver or feel very cold. In extreme cases, chills may lead to episodes of strong, uncontrollable shaking, which are known as rigors.

  • Nausea or vomiting

The infection may cause you to feel nauseated or to vomit.

What are other conditions that affect the kidney?

  • Glomerulonephritis:

Glomerulonephritis is a group of diseases that cause inflammation and damage the kidney's filtering units. These disorders are the third most common type of kidney disease.

  • Inherited diseases:

Polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, is a common inherited disease that causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.

  • Kidney and urinary tract abnormalities before birth:

Malformations that occur as a baby develops in its mother's womb. For example, a narrowing may occur that prevents normal outflow of urine and causes urine to flow back up to the kidney. This causes infections and may damage the kidneys.

  • Autoimmune diseases:

When the body's defense system, the immune system, turns against the body, it's called an autoimmune disease. Lupus nephritis is one such autoimmune disease that results in inflammation (swelling or scarring) of the small blood vessels that filter wastes in your kidney.

  • Other causes:

Obstructions caused by kidney stones or tumors can cause kidney damage. An enlarged prostate gland in men or repeated urinary infections can also cause kidney damage.

What are the symptoms of CKD?

  • chest pain.
  • dry skin.
  • itching or numbness.
  • feeling tired.
  • headaches.
  • increased or decreased urination.
  • loss of appetite.
  • muscle cramps.
  • nausea.
  • shortness of breath.
  • sleep problems.
  • trouble concentrating.
  • vomiting.
  • weight loss.
  • People with CKD can also develop anemia, bone disease, and malnutrition.

Some less known facts, you should know about!!

  • 37 million American adults have CKD, and millions of others are at increased risk.
  • Early detection can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to kidney failure.
  • Heart disease is the primary cause of death for all people with CKD.
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