In stage 1 of CKD, the kidney is normal. eGFR of 90 or greater means that the pair of kidneys is healthy and working fine, but the patient has other signs and symptoms that damage the kidney. Usually, a person with CKD stage 1 does not realize that they have it until they go through a test for some conditions like high bp or diabetes and are diagnosed for it. It is because the level of functioning is almost as good as 100 eGFR. Physical damage to the kidneys and the presence of protein in the urine are also signs of damage to the level of filtration. A family history of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) can also lead to CKD.

  Below we have mentioned some of the ways and precautions one must take if they are diagnosed with CKD stage 1:

• Eat a healthy diet – it helps the overall body to function and nourish rightfully as required.
• Check your diabetes- keeping a check on diabetes can also help you in stage 1 CKD.
• Maintaining blood pressure – is another important indirect function that can help the kidneys.
• Stop smoking- inhaling smoke will only worsen your situation. 
• Be active and maintain weight- the body is strengthened, and stamina helps the kidney recover if possible.
• Refer to a nephrologist- an expert is always the right person to go to than a general physician they can prescribe you the correct medicines and help you reduce symptoms.

In stage 2 of CKD, the kidney is mildly damaged and still does all the work functionally, and the patient might not even know that his filtration has gone down because the kidney still does a pretty good job at that level. The patient might find out about stage 2 again through other conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes or signs like protein in their urine. 

  Below we have mentioned some of the ways and precautions one must take if they are diagnosed with CKD stage 2:

• Eat a healthy diet – it helps the overall body to function and nourish rightfully as required.

• Check your diabetes- keeping a check on diabetes can also help you in stage 2 of CKD.

• Maintaining blood pressure – is another important indirect function that can help the kidneys.

• Stop smoking- inhaling smoke will only worsen your situation. 

• Be active and maintain weight- the body is strengthened, and stamina helps the kidney recover if possible.

• Refer to a nephrologist- an expert is always the right person to go to than a general physician they can prescribe you the correct medicines and help you reduce symptoms.

In stage 3, the nephrologists have further subdivided the condition according to the further decline in eGFR. When the eGFR is between 45 to 59 ml/min, the disease is said to be in stage 3 A, and a further decline of eGFR to between 30 – 44 ml/min indicates that it is stage 3 B. in this stage, the kidney is moderately damaged. They stop working as efficiently as they should, showing us the signs of kidney damage. These signs and conditions can include high blood pressure levels, anemia (fewer blood cells in a unit of blood than required to provide oxygen efficiently ), and/or bone diseases. A condition of ‘uremia’ also develops if a person reaches this stage.

Since kidneys are so efficient that a person can live a long life even on one healthy kidney, the patient might not show any symptoms. But if there are any, they might be as below:

• Swelling of hands and feet 
• Kidney pain in the back 
• Urination level is less or more than usual
• Fatigue
• Fluids might even start retaining the body itself
• Muscle cramps, especially leg cramps 

  Below we have mentioned some of the ways and precautions one must take if they are diagnosed with CKD stage 3:

• Eat a healthy diet – it helps the overall body to function and nourish rightfully as required.

• Check your diabetes- keeping a check on diabetes can also help you in stage 3of CKD.

• Maintaining blood pressure – is another important indirect function that can help the kidneys.

• Stop smoking- inhaling smoke will only worsen your situation. 

• Be active and maintain weight- the body is strengthened, and stamina helps the kidney recover if possible.

• Visit a nephrologist- a kidney nephrologist is the one who can give you a plan for correct and effective treatment and will tell you the number of times you need to get checked.

• Opt for a dietician: it becomes critical to follow a good diet for better treatment and recovery.

• Take the prescribed medicine and ask for ACE inhibitors and ARBs- surveys have shown that certain medicines slow the damage of the kidney from getting worse. Medicines should be taken as prescribed. 

In stage 4, the kidney is severely damaged and might even need dialysis after consulting a nephrologist or a kidney donor for transplantation. Since it’s the stage before the kidney disintegrates and fails, it should be taken very seriously. Apart from the conditions of uremia, high blood pressure, anemia, and bone weakening, cardiovascular diseases and heart disease can also knock on the door of the patient.

At Stage 4, a person can see clearer symptoms and a larger number of them in patients with CKD. Some of them are as follows:

• swelling of hands and feet 
• Kidney pain in the back 
• Urination level is less or more than usual
• Fatigue
• Fluids might even start retaining the body itself
• Muscle cramps, especially leg cramps 
• Vomiting and a feeling of nausea
• Metallic taste in mouth after taste change
• Breath stinks as the level of urea increases in blood
• Loss of hunger 
• Concentration is a struggle 
• Nerve issues: toe and/ or fingers go numb or tingling sensation.

Since it’s a very grave issue to have stage 4 CKD, one must take more steps than just what they should generally take in stages 1,2 &3. Below, we have mentioned the important steps one must take if they are diagnosed with CKD stage 4:

• Eat a healthy diet – it helps the overall body to function and nourish rightfully as required.

• Check your diabetes- keeping a check on diabetes can also help you in stage 4 of CKD.

• Maintaining blood pressure – is another important indirect function that can help the kidneys.

• Stop smoking- inhaling smoke will only worsen your situation. 

• Be active and maintain weight- the body is strengthened, and stamina helps the kidney recover if possible.

• Schedule regular appointments with a nephrologist- a kidney nephrologist, is the one who can give you a plan for correct and effective treatment and will tell you the number of times you need to get checked.

• Opt for a dietician: it becomes critical to follow a good diet for better treatment and recovery.

• Take the prescribed medicine and ask for ACE inhibitors and ARBs: surveys have shown that certain medicines slow the damage of the kidney from getting worse. Medicines should be taken as prescribed. 

The patient must also be ready for kidney failure and discuss how to prepare for it and deal with it with the nephrologist. Post kidney failure, the patient has two options to live further: Dialysis and Kidney Transplant. Both the options must be discussed with the patients, and the best suited should be pursued, as at this level, it’s very hard to live for a very long time without either.

In stage 5 of CKD, the kidneys are on the verge of failing or have already failed and are not working anymore, after which the water starts building up in the body, and severe symptoms rise along with it. 

Some of the symptoms of kidney failure are:

• Itch develops
• Muscle cramps
• Feeling sick and vomiting 
• Hunger vanishes
• hands and feet swell up along with eyes and ankles
• severe Back pain
• Breathing issues
• Sleeping issues 
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Decreased concentration
• Making little or no urine
• Skin color disfiguration 
• Inclined skin pigmentation

At stage 5 of CKD, the patient needs dialysis after consulting a nephrologist, followed by a kidney transplant to survive. It is the last stage, post which the situations are fatal.