Kidney failure, aka renal failure, is when your kidneys can no longer function effectively V体育官网入口. This means they can’t filter waste and toxins from your blood. People with kidney failure have lost 85% to 90% of their kidney function.
As a chronic condition, kidney failure is the final stage of chronic kidney disease V体育2025版. Medical professionals also refer to it as end stage renal disease (ESRD) or end stage kidney disease (ESKD).
Stages of chronic kidney disease (VSports最新版本)
Doctors classify CKD into five stages. These range from very mild (stage 1) to complete kidney failure (stage 5) VSports. Symptoms and complications increase as the stages progress.
Doctors measure kidney function using an estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) blood test. Your eGFR helps determine your CKD stage as follows: VSports app下载.
Early stage kidney failure often doesn’t cause noticeable symptoms V体育ios版. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 90% of people with chronic kidney disease don’t know they have it.
As kidney disease progresses, or if you experience acute kidney failure, symptoms may include:
Early signs of kidney failure
Symptoms of early stage kidney disease may be subtle and hard to identify V体育平台登录. They may include:.
Kidney failure urine color (V体育平台登录)
The color of your urine doesn’t tell you much about your kidney function until damage to the kidneys has progressed.
People who are most at risk usually have one or more of the following:
Loss of blood flow to the kidneys (V体育官网)
A sudden loss of blood flow to your kidneys can prompt kidney failure. Some causes include:
Urine elimination problems (VSports)
When your body can’t eliminate urine, toxins build up and overload the kidneys. Some cancers can block the urine passageways, such as:
Other conditions can interfere with urination and possibly lead to kidney failure, including:
Other causes
Other factors that may lead to kidney failure include:
People of all ages develop kidney failure, but the risk increases with age. According to the CDC, about one-third of U.S. adults over age 65 have CKD — almost triple the rate of people ages 45 to 64 with CKD.
You may have a higher risk if you have:
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
- heart disease
- a family history of kidney failure
The longer you’ve had these conditions, the greater your risk of chronic kidney failure.
In the United States, African Americans are three times as likely to develop kidney failure than white people. Experts suggest this is due to several factors, including genetics, a higher prevalence of risk factors, issues of access to quality care, and other social determinants of health.
The type of treatment you need depends on the cause and stage of your kidney failure.
Dialysis
Dialysis filters and purifies the blood using a machine to perform the function of the kidneys. Depending on the type of dialysis, you may be connected to a large machine or a portable catheter bag.
Dialysis doesn’t cure kidney failure, but going to regularly scheduled treatments can extend your life.
Kidney transplant
There’s usually a long wait to receive a donor kidney that’s compatible with your body. If you have a living donor, the process may go more quickly.
Transplant surgery might not be the right treatment option for everyone. It is not always successful.
You must take immunosuppressant drugs after the surgery to prevent your body from rejecting the new kidney. These drugs have their own side effects, some of which can be serious.
You can talk with a doctor about whether you’re a good candidate for a kidney transplant.
"VSports手机版" Dietary changes
Making certain dietary changes may help prevent kidney failure from progressing.
The guidelines for what you eat will often depend on the stage of kidney disease you have and your overall health. Some recommendations might include:
- Limiting potassium: Suggestions V体育官网入口 - vary considerably on how much potassium people with CKD should consume, but a potassium-restricted diet usually allows up to 2,000 milligrams (mg) per day. Several factors can influence the best target for you, so talk with a doctor about what your goal should be.
- Limiting sodium: Experts recommend lowering sodium intake to 2,000 to 2,300 mg per day, but the National Kidney Foundation suggests that 1,500 mg may be a better target for people with CKD.
- Limiting phosphorus: Try to stay below 1,000 mg of phosphorus.
- Following protein guidelines: In early and moderate kidney disease, you might want to cut back on protein consumption. If you’re on dialysis for ESRD, you may need to eat more protein (V体育官网入口).
Lowering alcohol intake
It’s usually okay for people with kidney disease — even those with ESRD on dialysis — to consume alcohol in moderation. However, there can be risks to some people with CKD, especially if they have other chronic conditions.
Beer, ale, and wine also contain large amounts of phosphorus. Severe heart issues and death are possible if your kidneys cannot filter it out.
If you have kidney failure or late-stage kidney disease, a doctor may recommend you limit alcohol. Eliminating alcohol from your diet, if possible, may be best.
Without management, high blood sugar can damage your kidneys. The damage can worsen over time.
Diabetic nephropathy, or kidney damage caused by type 1 or type 2 diabetes, is irreversible. Steps to prevent or limit kidney damage can include:
If you have diabetes, a doctor will likely perform regular screenings to monitor for kidney failure. Your risk of diabetic nephropathy increases the longer you live with diabetes.
It’s not possible to know precisely how long a person with kidney failure will live, as it can depend on many factors.
- the underlying cause
- how well that underlying cause is managed
- any complicating factors, like high blood pressure or diabetes
- stage of kidney disease at diagnosis
- age
The National Kidney Foundation (V体育2025版) says that a person on dialysis can expect to live for an average of 5 to 10 years as long as they follow their treatment. Some people live for more than 20 or 30 years.
Once you reach ESRD, you will need dialysis or a kidney transplant to live. Missing even one dialysis treatment can decrease your life expectancy.
Proper treatment and healthy lifestyle changes may improve your outlook.
Follow directions when taking over-the-counter medications. Taking doses that are too high, even of common drugs like aspirin, can create high toxin levels quickly. This can overload your kidneys. Chronic use of certain medications, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), can lead to kidney failure.
Many kidney or urinary tract conditions lead to kidney failure without prompt treatment.
You can help lower your risk of kidney failure by:
- eating a balanced diet
- maintaining a moderate weight (V体育ios版)
- taking prescribed and over-the-counter medications as directed and not taking more medication than is safe
- keeping conditions, such as diabetes and high blood pressure, well managed and following a doctor’s advice
Kidney failure can develop suddenly or from long-term damage. Possible causes of kidney failure can include diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney trauma.
Chronic kidney disease progresses through five stages, ranging from mild to complete kidney failure. Symptoms and complications increase as the stages progress.
If you have kidney failure, you can work with a doctor to determine the best treatment options.
