A Patient’s Guide
Leaflet
A Patient’s Guide (PDF)Anaemia
During routine monitoring of your chronic kidney disease, it may be identified that you have anaemia. Anaemia is the medical term used to describe when you do not have enough red blood cells circulating around your body.
If a blood test has confirmed that you are anaemic, your clinician will carry out an in-depth history and examination followed by relevant investigations to determine what is the most likely cause.
If the underlying cause of your anaemia is thought to be chronic kidney disease, you may be commenced on medication which helps stimulate production of red blood cells.Management
Once a diagnosis of chronic kidney disease has been confirmed, you may require further investigations in order to identify a cause for your impaired kidney function. However more often than not once a diagnosis has been made, the focus will be placed on to how to keep you and your kidneys healthy.
The vast majority of those that have chronic kidney disease are managed within general practice. However, there may be some cases where a referral to a specialist is required hence why it is important to ensure you actively engage with ongoing monitoring for your kidneys.
Once a cause has been established, your clinician will discuss with you how often you should undergo ongoing monitoring (a blood test and urine sample) to check how stable your chronic kidney disease is. You may already have ongoing monitoring already set up in routine appointments if you attend diabetic check-ups for instance.Next steps
It is important to know why we as healthcare professionals are interested in helping you manage your chronic kidney disease.
Firstly, it should be acknowledged that most people who have chronic kidney disease carry on with their day-to-day life without noticing any symptoms. Despite this, the condition may result in causing you to develop other health issues such as heart problems. We are invested in helping you to understand and look after your kidney health because we want to reduce your risk of developing further long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease, increased risk of developing an acute kidney injury and ultimately to prevent the progression of chronic kidney disease.
If this resource has raised some questions or worries about your kidneys, please feel free to get in touch with us and we are more than happy to discuss these with you.Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also referred to as hypertension, can cause damage to your blood vessels. The long term consequences of high blood pressure can present in various ways from heart disease to strokes to impaired kidney function. The ideal blood pressure target is generally considered to be 140 mmHg/90 mmHg and under however this figure can vary depending on various factors. For example, if you have diabetes we try to aim for a lower blood pressure target.
Your clinician will consider what your average clinic and home blood pressure readings are alongside your degree of kidney impairment and recent blood tests in order to make an informed and safe decision on which blood pressure medication to start, if any.
Once you are commenced on a blood pressure medication, the dose may be gradually increased over time to achieve the ideal blood pressure. Any potential dose changes will be done slowly and with caution to avoid any potential side effects.