What is Kidney Disease Stage 3?

If you have been a CKD patient for a while, you may be wondering, just what is kidney disease stage 3? If you reach this portion of the medical condition, you are said to have moderate kidney damage.

Because different patients may have different degrees of kidney function, CKD has been segregated into 5 stages. Each stage corresponds to a different glomerular filtration rate (GFR), which is essentially a measurement of how well the kidneys are able to filter wastes from the blood.

Glomerular Filtration Rate in Kidney Disease Stage 3

A formula has been devised to get an accurate view of just how well a patient’s kidneys are functioning. This formula also takes age, gender, and other demographics into concern when finding the GFR of a particular patient.

Kidney disease stage 3 indicates kidney damage with a glomerular filtration rate of 30-59…compared to the stage 1 rate of 90 or above.

Symptoms of Kidney Disease Stage 3

Someone with chronic kidney disease may begin to notice more symptoms of the condition as they enter stage 3. These can include:

• Fluid retention and swelling
• Fatigue
• Changes in urine (color and/or amount)
• Lower back pain
• Changes in appetite or food may taste funny
• Trouble sleeping

Seeing the Doctor with Stage 3 Kidney Disease

You will likely be referred to a nephrologist, a specialist that treats kidney disorders, when it has been found that you are in the third stage of chronic kidney disease. This doctor will better determine how fast your kidneys are declining and what changes should be made for your overall health.

The doctor’s goal will be to slow the progression of your kidney failure once you reach stage 3. They will also look for underlying issues such as high blood pressure, anemia, and diabetes. Modifications may be made for pre-existing conditions if they are thought to be contributing to the decline of kidney function.

It’s likely that the monitoring of your renal function will increase once you have made it to the third stage. Your doctor must stay informed on how well your kidneys are working to help prevent any additional issues. Blood pressure will also be regularly monitored, since the advancement of CKD can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

In fact, more patients with stage 3 kidney disease die from cardiovascular issues than they do end-stage renal failure. It’s important that you eat healthy, exercise regularly and avoid tobacco and alcohol to reduce the risks for your heart.

Renal Diet for Kidney Disease Stage 3

For those that are in the third stage of CKD, you will likely be focusing on eating lots of protein to meet your daily goals. You may also have stricter limits on potassium, or increasing your potassium if your levels are too low.

Lowering your sodium intake can also help you slow down the CKD, and it may also help with the swelling or fluid retention you may start to experience in this stage.

Hopefully this answers the questions of “What is Kidney Disease Stage 3?” At this stage, there is moderate kidney damage but it can be slowed if caught in time – and if the doctor is able to change treatments or add new ones to reduce your risks of continuing decline, as well as any cardiovascular complications.

Also published on Medium.