What Is Stage 5 Chronic Kidney Disease?
End-stage kidney disease (ESKD), end-stage renal disease (ESRD), and stage 5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) are all terms used to describe the end stage of the chronic kidney condition. You either have kidney failure at this point or your kidneys are soon to fail. You need to choose the top nephrologist (kidney doctor) for kidney transplant surgery in India. Also, it is at this point of time when family and friends need to be by your side while the ongoing treatment. Here are some things to expect if you have stage 5 CKD, including your life expectancy with and without dialysis or a transplant.
What is stage 5 kidney disease?
Your kidneys are performing at 15% or less and renal failure is imminent if your eGFR is 15 ml/min or fewer at Stage 5 CKD. Wastes build up in your blood and make your body toxic when your kidneys are unable to filter your blood. Additionally, the kidneys’ other functions, such as:
- Control of blood pressure
- Generating the hormone (erythropoietin) necessary for the production of red blood cells
- Using vitamin D to maintain strong bones
What are the symptoms of end-stage renal failure?
- Reduced appetite
- Nausea or diarrhoea
- Headaches
- Fatigue or exhaustion
- Back ache
- Difficulty paying attention
- Itchiness
- Being unable to urinate or urinating infrequently
- Swelling, especially around the eyes and in the ankles
- Muscle spasms
- Difficulty breathing
- Trouble sleeping
- Tingling in the feet or hands
- Skin color changes, such as a grey or yellow pallor
- Skin hyperpigmentation in the form of patches or blotches
Treatments for stage 5 CKD
If you haven’t already, you should schedule an appointment with a nephrologist right away to determine whether dialysis or a kidney transplant is the best course of action for you. A person with ESKD might occasionally receive both kinds of care. Unless you obtain a kidney transplant, you will need to be on dialysis for the remainder of your life if your kidneys have failed.
Dialysis helps to maintain healthy levels of potassium, salt, bicarbonate, and other chemicals in your blood as well as control your blood pressure. It also helps to remove waste that your kidneys are no longer able to clear on their own. Hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD) are the two basic kinds of dialysis.
A kidney transplant involves replacing your damaged kidney with a healthy kidney from a donor. To stop your body from rejecting the healthy kidney, you will need to take anti-rejection medications after the transplant. The majority of transplants are effective and last for many years. However, some people will require numerous transplants over their lives.
Your kidney condition will not be cured by either method of treatment; there is still no cure for CKD. However, both of these techniques will increase your life expectancy and let you keep a high standard of living.
Life expectancy for stage 5 kidney failure without dialysis
The decision to forego treatment—in this case, namely dialysis—is known as supportive or palliative care. However, taking this move will only let you keep your current standard of living. It won’t improve or increase your life expectancy.
The life expectancy for stage 5 renal failure without dialysis is not an exact science because it depends on the particular medical background of each kidney patient. Without dialysis, the average life expectancy ranges from days to weeks, depending on:
- Renal function level
- Magnitude of symptoms
- Overall state of health
Without treatment, fluid and toxic waste will accumulate in your body, causing discomfort that can be controlled with prescription drugs. Ultrafiltration therapy is another option you have for clearing fluid accumulation and improving breathing for you. For the best results, it is always wise to leave it to the top doctors at kidney transplant hospital in India.
Kidney Transplant