“”Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects more than 1 in 7 U.S. adults—an estimated 35.5 million Americans.1 For Americans with diabetes or high blood pressure—the two most common causes of kidney disease—the risk for CKD is even greater. About 1 in 3 people with diabetes and 1 in 5 people with high blood pressure have kidney disease.1 Other risk factors for developing kidney disease include heart disease and a family history of kidney failure.

Despite the prevalence of kidney disease in the United States, as many as 9 in 10 adults who have CKD are not aware they have the disease.1 Early-stage kidney disease usually has no symptoms, and many people don’t know they have CKD until it is very advanced. Kidney disease often gets worse over time and may lead to kidney failure and other health problems, such as stroke or heart attack. Approximately 2 in 1,000 Americans are living with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD)—kidney failure that is treated with a kidney transplant or dialysis.”

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease NIH-NIDDK (https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/kidney-disease)”

Chronic kidney disease occurs when a disease or condition impairs kidney function, causing kidney damage to worsen over several months or years.

Diseases and conditions that cause chronic kidney disease include:

• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-low-nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli)
• Interstitial nephritis (in-tur-STISH-ul nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s tubules and surrounding structures
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, from conditions such as enlarged prostate, kidney stones and some cancers
• Vesicoureteral (ves-ih-koe-yoo-REE-tur-ul) reflux, a condition that causes urine to back up into your kidneys
• Recurrent kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis (pie-uh-low-nuh-FRY-tis)

“Kidney failure is a condition in which one or both of your kidneys no longer work on their own. Causes include diabetes, high blood pressure and acute kidney injuries. Symptoms include fatigue, nausea and vomiting, swelling, changes in how often you go to the bathroom and brain fog. Treatment includes dialysis or a kidney transplant.”

Cleveland Clinic (Kidney Failure: Stages, ESRD, Causes, Symptoms & Treatment)

Chronic Renal or Kidney Disease (CRF):

In giving a short and easily understandable definition Chronic kidney disease happens when your kidneys no longer filter your blood the way they should, so wastes (toxins, usually end products of an acid) build up in your blood. This has probably been going on for years, and it may keep getting worse over time. Just like a car engine damaged but still using the car without getting the engine repaired sooner or later in time the engine no longer functions the same with any organ of the body getting damaged by some long term condition. If your disease gets worse and worse over time, you could have kidney failure or some multi organ failure, depending on the condition causing this.

Regarding Chronic Kidney Failure the causes can be:

** Diabetes (uncontrolled diabetes (Type 1 or 2) for many years.

** High blood pressure for many years.

These are the top 2 causes of most chronic kidney disease. Controlling these diseases can help slow or stop the damage to the individual’s kidneys who has one of these, if not both.

Other common causes of chronic renal failure (CRF) include:

-recurring pyelonephritis (kidney infection)

-polycystic kidney disease (multiple cysts in the kidneys

-autoimmune disorders such as systemic lupus erythematosus.

-hardening of the arteries, which can damage blood vessels in the kidney.

-A narrowed or blocked renal artery. A renal artery carries blood to the kidneys. Know this for starters, each of your kidneys has about a million tiny filters, called nephrons. The nephron is the tiny filtering structure in your kidneys. Each of your kidneys contain more than a million tiny filtering nephrons that help clean your blood removing toxins dumping them into your urinary bladder so you can evacuate them though urine (urea, urine; get it). Your nephrons play a vital role to our essential daily living. If over a long time you have a renal artery blocked the nephrons stop their function and die.

Remember the nephrons help all humans do the following if there kidneys or one kidney is functioning properly:

-Remove excess water, wastes (like urea, ammonia, etc.) & other substances from your blood.

-Return substances like sodium, potassium or phosphorus to the body whenever any of these substances run llow in your body or do the opposite if they run high to evacuate them through voiding dumping the sodium or phosphorus or potassium in the urinary bladder through the tube from the kidneys to the urinary bladder called ureters.

**If nephrons are damaged by the high sugar content or high blood pressure in the kidneys, they stop working. For a while, healthy nephrons can take on the extra work or overload. But if the damage continues, more and more nephrons shut down. After a certain point, the nephrons that are left cannot filter your blood well enough to keep you’re blood filtered properly to keep you healthy. Just like running from a bear in the street chancing you. We can run only so long but sooner or later we will run out of energy and not be able to run anymore, same concept for the kidney nephrons when they run out of enough energy due to the kidneys not properly working.**

The symptoms can be:

Urinate less than normal.

Have swelling and weight gain from fluid buildup in your tissues. This is called edema.

Feel very tired or sleepy.

Not feel hungry, or you may lose weight without trying.

Often feel sick to your stomach (nauseated) or vomit.

Have trouble sleeping.

Have headaches or trouble thinking clearly.

So what will you do GO TO A DOCTOR OR CALL 911 AND GO TO THE ER:

Your doctor will do blood and urine tests to help find out how well your kidneys are working. These tests can show signs of kidney disease and anemia. (You can get anemia from having damaged kidneys.) You may have other tests to help rule out other problems that could cause your symptoms.

To diagnose chronic renal failure is pretty much the same tests that are listed above on acute renal failure plus:

Chronic kidney disease is also called chronic renal failure or chronic renal insufficiency.There are five stages of kidney disease, from kidney damage with normal GFR to kidney failure.  So GFR will help the MD rule out acute versus chronic to give the MD direction on Rx.Your doctor will ask questions about any past kidney problems. He or she will also ask whether you have a family history of kidney disease and what medicines you take, both prescription and over-the-counter drugs.

Diagnosis & Treatment (Rx) for Chronic Kidney (Renal) Failure (CRF):

There are things you can do to slow or stop the damage to your kidneys. Taking medicines and making some lifestyle changes can help you manage your disease, prevent further damage to the kidneys, if their functioning at all and make you possibly feel better.

Kidney disease is a complex problem. You will probably need to take a number of medicines and have many tests. To stay as healthy as possible, take your medicines just the way your doctor says to and work closely with your doctor.

Go to all your appointments for the MD to see a increase in function or decrease in function of your kidney or kidneys you have still functioning to a level. To do that you can’t just go every 6 months especially when first diagnosed with it or with a collapse of an exacerbation of kidney failure in a worse level that brought on new symptoms that brought you to the ER.

Lifestyle changes are an important part of your treatment. Taking these steps can help slow down kidney disease and reduce your symptoms. These steps may also help with high blood pressure, diabetes, and other problems that make kidney disease worse or made the kidney disease happen with the secondary diagnosis you had originally for years (ex. Hypertension or Diabetes if not both especially is uncontrolled)

Very hard, never a complete 100 % resolution. It is like emphysema done by smokers the damage is done or like a heart attack the area of the infarction=damage is already done to the heart muscle.

Scared now, understandable but unfortunately the damage is done, so its get the organ to its optimal level of functioning or replace the damaged kidney (s) through a transplant of one.  You need to know this, do it if you want to live LONGER.  Remember fear is fear itself, the fear run it over and deal with what you have and make your life longer & better!  It’s all up to you.  HANDSOME I know you can do it , I am there for you as a good friend and professional RN and I would love you to last longer John!! XO

You may have a test done that lets your doctor look at a picture of your kidneys, such as an ultrasound or CT (Cat Scan of the kidneys). These tests can help your doctor measure the size of your kidneys, estimate blood flow to the kidneys, and see if urine flow is blocked. In some cases, your doctor may take a tiny sample of kidney tissue (biopsy) to help find out what caused your kidney disease.

Chronic kidney disease is caused by damage of the kidneys whether the cause of it be primary a Renal or Kidney problem or a secondary, another disease or disorder that affects the kidneys in doing their job, like hyperglycemia related to a individual with uncontrolled diabetes, for instance.

Chronic kidney disease may seem to have come on suddenly. But it has been happening bit by bit for many years as a result of damage to your kidneys.

One way to measure how well your kidneys are working is to figure out your glomelular filtration rate (GFR). The GFR is usually calculated using results from your blood creatinine test.

Then the stage of kidney disease is figured out using the GFR (glomelular filtration rate). There are five stages of kidney disease, from kidney damage with normal GFR to kidney failure.

Your doctor will do tests that measure the amount of urea (BUN) and creatinine in your blood. These tests can help measure how well your kidneys are filtering your blood. As your kidney function gets worse, the amount of nitrogen (shown by the BUN test) and creatinine in your blood increases. The level of creatinine in your blood is used to find out the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). The GFR is used to show how much kidney function you still have. The GFR is also used to find out the stage of your kidney disease your in if you have it and its to guide decisions about treatment. *

“Acute kidney injury happens when the kidneys suddenly can’t filter waste products from the blood. When the kidneys can’t filter wastes, harmful levels of wastes may build up. The blood’s chemical makeup may get out of balance.

Acute kidney injury used to be called acute kidney failure. Acute kidney injury is most common in people who are in the hospital, mostly in people who need intensive care.

Acute kidney injury ranges from mild to severe. If severe, ongoing and not treated, it can be fatal. But it also can be reversed. People in otherwise good health may get back typical or nearly typical use of their kidneys.”

MAYO CLINIC (Acute kidney injury – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic)

Acute Renal (Kidney) Failure:

Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys lose their ability to function. To treat kidney failure effectively, it is important to know whether kidney disease has developed suddenly (acute) or over the long term (chronic). Many conditions, diseases, and medicines can create situations that lead to acute and chronic kidney disease. Acute kidney injury, also called acute renal failure, is more commonly reversible than chronic kidney failure since the chronic condition has lasted longer in the body affecting systems for several months to years (some decades). Acute Renal Failure is new to the body as opposed to chronic; making it higher odds this can be treated and cured.

When acute kidney injury (ARF) occurs, the kidneys are unable to remove waste products and excess fluids, which then build up in the body and upset the body’s normal chemical balance.*

The most common causes of acute kidney injury are:

-dehydration

-blood loss from major surgery or injury

-medicines such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), antibiotics, or the dyes (contrast agents) used in X-ray tests.

Symptoms depend on the cause of acute renal failure and can include:

• • -Little or no urine output.
  • -Dizziness upon standing.
  • -Swelling, especially of the legs and feet.
  • -Loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting.
  • -Feeling confused, anxious and restless, or sleepy.
  • -Pain in the flank, which is felt just below the rib cage and above the waist on one or both sides of the back.*

If your signs and symptoms suggest that you have acute kidney failure, your doctor may recommend certain tests and procedures to verify your diagnosis. These may include:

• Urine output measurements. The amount of urine you excrete in a day may help your doctor determine the cause of your kidney failure.
• Urine tests. Analyzing a sample of your urine, a procedure called urinalysis, may reveal abnormalities that suggest kidney failure.
• Blood tests. A sample of your blood may reveal rapidly rising levels of urea and creatinine — two substances used to measure kidney function.  Most cases of acute kidney injury occur in people who are already in the hospital for other reasons. In these people, acute kidney injury is usually diagnosed when routine tests show a sudden increase in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels.   **A buildup of these waste products in the blood points to a loss of kidney function!**
• With a patient just coming in the first time to an MD with no history of renal disease but has factors or symptoms indicating possible kidney failure involvement don’t be surprised if the doctor orders glomerular filtration rate (GFR); which is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working. Specifically, it estimates how much blood passes through the glomeruli each minute. Glomeruli are tiny filters in the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.
• Imaging tests. Imaging tests such as ultrasound and computerized tomography may be used to help your doctor see your kidneys.  Also commonly done is an ultrasound of the kidneys which may help determine whether kidney problems are acute or chronic. Normal-sized kidneys may be present in either condition, but when both kidneys are smaller than normal, chronic kidney disease is usually the problem.  This helps rule out acute from chronic.–correcting the cause and supporting the kidneys with dialysis until proper functioning is restored.
• Removing a sample of kidney tissue for testing. In some situations, your doctor may recommend a kidney biopsy to remove a small sample of kidney tissue for lab testing. Your doctor inserts a needle through your skin and into your kidney to remove the sample.

TREATMENT FOR ARF (reversible in most cases):

Treatment for acute kidney failure typically requires a hospital stay. Most people with acute kidney failure are already hospitalized. How long you’ll stay in the hospital depends on the reason for your acute kidney failure and how quickly your kidneys recover.

In some cases, you may be able to recover at home.

Treating the underlying cause of your AKF:

Treatment for acute kidney failure (AKF) involves identifying the illness or injury that originally damaged your kidneys. Your treatment options depend on what’s causing your kidney failure.

Learn tomorrow Chronic Kidney Failure (CKF).

“National Kidney Foundation Recognizes March as National Kidney Month and World Kidney Day as it Celebrates a Key Milestone

New York City, NY – (March 10, 2025) — The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is recognizing a special milestone this March during National Kidney Month. NKF is celebrating 75 years of transforming lives through kidney health advocacy, research, and innovation. As part of the celebration, NKF is launching “75+You” this Thursday, as part of World Kidney Day on March 13th, to rally communities nationwide in the fight against kidney disease and highlight how, together, we can make an impact on millions of lives.

Did you know that one in ten people will have a kidney stone over the course of a lifetime? Recent studies have shown that kidney stone rates are on the rise across the country. Those in the know believe that some major misconceptions may be the culprit.”

National Kidney Foundation (75 Years of Transforming Kidney Health | National Kidney Foundation & Six Easy Ways to Prevent Kidney Stones | National Kidney Foundation)

The kidneys are important organs with many functions in the body, including producing hormones, absorbing minerals, and filtering blood and producing urine. While they are important and kidney failure can be fatal, a human only needs one healthy kidney to survive.

The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that extract waste from blood, balance body fluids, form urine, and aid in other important functions of the body.

They reside against the back muscles in the upper abdominal cavity. They sit opposite each other on either side of the spine. The right kidney sits a little bit lower than the left to accommodate the liver.

When it comes to components of the urinary system, the kidneys are multi-functional powerhouses of activity, for if the kidneys aren’t working, meaning they don’t filter toxic wastes out of our blood stream (with other functions it does) than the waste products don’t get dumped into the urinary bladder from the renal tubes, called right and left ureters. In human anatomy, the ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle fibers that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. If the kidneys are not working they are not filtering our blood (same principle as filtering beer to make it to perfection, the kidneys do it for our blood to be able to have the cells do their function to the optimal levels with keeping toxins out of the body in preventing many blood problems with more due to acidosis (toxin build up). In the adult, the ureters are usually 25–30 cm (10–12 in) long and ~3–4 mm in diameter.

The kidneys have multiple functions! Some of the core actions of a healthy kidney or kidneys of a human body include:

• Waste excretion: There are many things your body doesn’t want inside of it. The kidneys filter out toxins, excess salts, and urea (a toxin), a nitrogen-based waste created by cell metabolism.
• * Urea is an organic chemical compound and is essentially the waste produced by the body after metabolizing protein. Naturally the compound urea is produced when the liver breaks down protein or amino acids, and ammonia, the kidneys then transfer the urea from the blood to the urine, when they do filtering of the blood.  Urea is a byproduct of protein metabolism, the ending result. Extra nitrogen is expelled from the body through urea because it is extremely soluble (solid); it is a very efficient process. The average person excretes about 30 grams of urea a day, mostly through urine but a small amount is also secreted in perspiration. Synthetic versions of the chemical compound can be created in liquid or solid form and is often an ingredient found in fertilizers, animal food, and diuretics, just to name a few . Urea is what gives our urine the color yellow.         In the gastrointestinal tract, blood proteins are broken down into ammonia (could be due to high protein eating to drugs with actual conditions); and goes to the liver converting it to Urea. It is then released into the blood stream where the kidney’s take it up and eliminate it. Urea is then eliminated by the kidney’s, but not produced by it.  Urea is synthesized in the liver and transported through the blood to the kidneys for removal.
•  A Healthy Kidney or Kidneys functions in the human body doing:
• Water level balancing: As the kidneys are key in the chemical breakdown of urine, they react to changes in the body’s water level throughout the day. As water intake decreases, the kidneys adjust accordingly and leave water in the body instead of helping excrete it which aides in electrolyte balancing in the blood with keeping the body hydrated properly.
• Blood pressure regulation: The kidneys need constant pressure to filter the blood. When it drops too low, the kidneys increase the pressure. One way is by producing a blood vessel-constricting protein (angiotensin) that also signals the body to retain sodium and water. Both the constriction and retention help restore normal blood pressure.
• Red blood cell regulation: When the kidneys don’t get enough oxygen, they send out a distress call in the form of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates the bone marrow to produce more oxygen-carrying red blood cells.
• Acid regulation: As cells metabolize, they produce acids. Foods we eat can either increase the acid in our body or neutralize it. If the body is to function properly, it needs to keep a healthy balance of these chemicals. The kidneys do that, too.Because of all of the vital functions the kidneys perform and the toxins they encounter, the kidneys are susceptible to various problems.

• Acute kidney failure is a condition in which the kidneys suddenly lose their ability to function properly. This can occur for many reasons, including:

• Infection
• Blood-clotting disorders
• Decreased blood flow caused by low blood pressure
• Autoimmune kidney disorders
• Urinary tract infections
• Complications from pregnancy
• Most people are born with two kidneys, but many people can live on just one. Kidney transplant surgeries with live donors are common medical procedures today. *
• Chronic kidney failure – same as acute in that the kidney (s) loses its function. 
• DehydrationDiseases and conditions that commonly cause chronic kidney disease include:
• Type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
• High blood pressure
• Glomerulonephritis (gloe-mer-u-lo-nuh-FRY-tis), an inflammation of the kidney’s filtering units (glomeruli)
• Interstitial nephritis, an inflammation of the kidney’s tubules and surrounding structures
• Polycystic kidney disease
• Prolonged obstruction of the urinary tract, from conditions such as enlarged prostate, kidney stones and some cancers
• Vesicoureteral (ves-ih-koe-yoo-REE-ter-ul) reflux, a condition that causes urine to back up into your kidneys
• Recurrent kidney infection, also called pyelonephritis (pie-uh-lo-nuh-FRY-tis)
• A chronic condition caused the failure to happen called a secondary diagnosis.
• Learn more about Acute  Chronic kidney failure this week coming up. 

Tips to Making Better Sleep

May is Better Sleep Month! Take advantage of this time to create better sleep habits that lead to more restful sleep for a lifetime. We’ve created a list of tips on how to encourage better, healthier sleep at night, naturally. Challenge yourself to put them in practice for the rest of Better Sleep Month—and, hopefully, thereafter.

1.)  Create a Sleep Schedule

Try going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning, even on the weekends. Sticking to a sleep schedule will train your body to recognize your set bedtime and allow you to adapt to a proper waking and sleeping cycle. If you frequently change the time you wake up or go to bed, your body won’t be able to adjust to a regular sleep schedule. Make an effort to schedule times that leave room for about eight hours of sleep each night. To help you stay on track with your new May sleep schedule, mark your calendar with the times you wake up and go to bed each day. Using your sleep calendar to log which days you aren’t falling asleep at the proper time might help you identify the reasons why—for example, drinking too much coffee late in the afternoon or stress from a big day at work. Writing out your sleep schedule and any troubles will help you visualize the steps you can take to improve your sleeping patterns.

2.)  Stick to a Rigid Bedtime Routine

Daily activities impact your circadian rhythm and allow your body to anticipate upcoming events. Our bodies crave consistency, so developing a rigid bedtime routine will help signal to your body when it’s time to rest. Create a bedtime prep checklist to ensure you are preparing your body and brain for sleep the same way nightly. Good nighttime rituals include reading, meditating, brushing your teeth, closing the blinds, and getting under the covers. Your bedtime routine is personal to you, so take some time this month to think about the steps you’ll take to prepare yourself for quality sleep most comfortably.

3.)  Turn Off Electronics

Light cues from your environment can be detrimental to your sleep patterns and circadian rhythm. The light from electronics works as a stimulant in your brain, sending a confusing signal to wake up when it may actually be time for bed. Challenge yourself to keep electronics out of your bedroom this month, and record the nights you are successful on your sleep calendar for motivation. Put your phone and laptop in another room and click off your television before beginning your bedtime rituals. Try using a traditional alarm clock instead of your phone to avoid the temptation to check your texts or emails before bed. Your body and mind will thank you for the opportunity to relax and wind down in a dark space so you can easily fall and stay asleep.

Stop Hitting Snooze

Make May the month you stop hitting the snooze button in the morning. Although getting an extra five minutes of sleep sounds pleasant, it’s actually more harmful than beneficial for your body. Snoozing your alarm is detrimental to your natural sleeping patterns and damages the consistency your body has been working so hard to achieve. It can also make you feel more tired or groggy throughout the day. If you are an avid snoozer, try putting your alarm clock on the other side of the room this month to force yourself to get out of bed to turn it off.

Make Sleep a Priority in your life

Hold yourself accountable to making better sleep a priority today and thereafter. While it’s important to do this always, concentrating on healthy sleep habits for just one month could set you up for a lifetime of quality sleep. If you succeed at doing these sleeping changes, you might just have restful nights and productive days and reach the goal you have wanted for so long, good sleep.