Chronic kidney disease, also known as chronic kidney failure, is the gradual loss of kidney function. The kidneys filter wastes and excess fluids from the blood, which are then excreted in the urine. When chronic kidney disease reaches an advanced stage, dangerous levels of fluid, wastes, and electrolytes can build up in the body.

In the early stages of chronic kidney disease, there may be only a few signs or symptoms. It may not become apparent up until the kidney function is significantly impaired.

The treatment for chronic kidney disease focuses on slowing down the progression of kidney damage. Usually, this is done by controlling the underlying cause. Chronic kidney disease may progress to end-stage kidney failure, which is fatal without dialysis (artificial filtering) or a kidney transplant.

Symptoms
If kidney damage progresses slowly, the signs and symptoms of chronic kidney disease develop over time. The signs and symptoms of kidney disease may include:

• Nausea
• Hypertension (high blood pressure), which is difficult to control
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath (if fluids build up in the chest)
• Loss of appetite
• Chest pain (if fluids build up around the lining of the heart)
• Fatigue and weakness
• Persistent itching
• Sleep problems
• Swelling of feet and ankles
• Decreased mental sharpness
• Change in how much one urinates

The signs and symptoms of kidney disease are often nonspecific, which means they can also be caused by other illnesses. As the kidneys are highly adaptable and able to compensate for lost function, the signs and symptoms may not appear until irreversible damage has occurred.

Causes
When a disease or condition impairs kidney function, causing kidney damage to worsen over several months or years, chronic kidney disease occurs.

The diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease are:

• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Glomerulonephritis, which is an inflammation of glomeruli (kidney’s filtering units)
• Interstitial nephritis, which is an inflammation of the kidney’s tubules and surrounding structures
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, which can be caused because of conditions like an enlarged prostate, kidney stones, and some cancers
• Vesicoureteral reflux, a condition that causes urine to back up into the kidneys
• Pyelonephritis (recurrent kidney infection)

Risk factors
Some factors that may increase an individual’s risk of suffering from chronic kidney disease are:

• Diabetes
• Older age
• High blood pressure
• Abnormal kidney structure
• Heart and blood vessel (cardiovascular) disease
• Family history of kidney disease
• Smoking
• Being African-American, Asian-American, or Native American
• Smoking
• Obesity

Complications
Chronic kidney function can affect almost every part of the body. The potential complications associated with this health condition may include:

• Fluid retention, which could cause swelling in the arms and legs, high blood pressure, or pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs)
• Hyperkalemia, a sudden rise in the potassium levels in the blood, which could impair the heart’s ability to function and may be life-threatening
• Cardiovascular (heart and blood vessel) disease
• Weak bones and an increased risk of suffering from bone fractures
• Anemia
• Erectile dysfunction, decreased sex drive, or reduced fertility
• Damage to the central nervous system, which can cause difficulty in concentrating, personality change, or seizures