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What is chronic kidney disease?
It is a long-term condition where your kidneys don't work as well as they should. Many people with CKD live long lives with it.1
Symptoms usually appear only at a later stage
1Headaches
2Shortness of breath
3Feeling sick
4Blood in your urine
5Swollen ankles, feet or hands
The most common causes
- Diabetes: too much sugar in your blood can damage the kidneys' tiny filters.1,3
- High blood pressure.3
How is it treated?
There is no cure, but treatment can ease symptoms and stop CKD getting worse. Treatment is mainly lifestyle changes and medicines for blood pressure and cholesterol. Some medicines help your kidneys keep working for longer. In advanced CKD, you may need dialysis or a kidney transplant.1,2
What you can do every day
- Keep your blood pressure well controlled to protect your kidneys.3
- Your doctor will tell you your blood pressure target.3
- Keep your blood sugar under control.3
- Don't take anti-inflammatory painkillers like ibuprofen unless a health professional says so.2
- Ask your doctor before any over-the-counter medicine, vitamin, herb or supplement.3
CKD leads to kidney failure in only about 2 in 100 people with it.1
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