Chronic kidney disease (CKD) occurs when the kidneys are damaged and unable to filter blood properly.
The DASH Diet for Kidney Disease
The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan, recommended by the National Kidney Foundation and approved by The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, The American Heart Association, and the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is considered a heart-healthy diet for people who have kidney disease.
The DASH eating plan does not require any special foods but there are daily and weekly nutritional goals. The DASH plan recommends eating the following:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Whole grains
- Nuts
- Beans
- Fat-free or low-fat dairy products
- Poultry
- Fish
- Non-tropical vegetable oils
The DASH eating plan also recommends avoiding or limiting the following foods:
- Foods high in saturated fat
- Tropical oils such as coconut, palm kernel, and palm oils
- Fatty meats
- Processed meats
- Red meat
- Full-fat dairy products
- Egg yolks
- Fried foods
- Many fast foods and frozen foods (also often high in sodium)
- Sugar-sweetened foods
- Sugar-sweetened beverages
- Salty foods (foods high in sodium)
Aside from the DASH diet, patients with kidney disease should pay attention to the amount of potassium in foods. Patients with kidney disease may need to limit the amount of potassium in their diet. Foods high in potassium to avoid include the following:
- Artichokes
- Avocados
- Bananas
- Beans (baked, black, pinto, etc.)
- Bran products such as cereals
- Brown or wild rice
- Dairy foods
- Granola
- Melons
- Nuts
- Oranges and orange juice
- Plantains
- Potatoes
- Prunes
- Raisins
- Spinach
- Tomatoes
- Whole-wheat bread and pasta
- Winter squash
Kidney Disease Treatment
In addition to diet changes, treatment for chronic kidney disease involves the following steps to prevent further damage to the kidneys:
- Monitoring kidney health and working with your medical team
- Taking medicines as prescribed
- Controlling blood pressure
- Keeping blood glucose in check, if you have diabetes
- Getting regular exercise
- Maintaining a healthy weight/losing weight if overweight
- Getting adequate sleep
- Not smoking
- Managing stress and depression
If kidney disease worsens, treatment options may include
- dialysis and
- organ transplantation.
What Are Symptoms and Signs of Kidney Disease?
Kidney disease often has no symptoms early on. As the condition progresses, fluid retention and swelling (edema) may occur, usually in the legs, feet, or ankles, and sometimes in the hands or face.
Symptoms of advanced kidney disease may include...
- Dry skin
- Chest pain
- Itching or numbness
- Tiredness
- Increased or decreased urination
- Headaches
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Sleep problems
- Shortness of breath
- Trouble concentrating
- Weight loss
What Causes Kidney Disease?
The most common causes of chronic kidney disease include the following:
Other causes of kidney disease:
- Polycystic kidney disease is a genetic disorder that causes cysts to form in the kidneys.
- Infection
- Drugs that are toxic to the kidneys
- Antibiotics
- Alcohol
- Pain medicines
- Laxatives used for cleaning the bowel (such as those used to prep for a colonoscopy)
- Contrast dye (used in some diagnostic tests such as MRIs)
- Illegal street drugs
- Lupus (lupus nephritis is the name for kidney disease caused by lupus)
- IgA glomerulonephritis
- Autoimmune conditions, such as Anti-GBM (Goodpasture's) disease
- Heavy metal poisoning, such as lead poisoning
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome in children
- IgA vasculitis
- Renal artery stenosis
- Rare genetic conditions, such as Alport syndrome
A family history of kidney failure is a risk factor for developing kidney disease.
How Do Doctors Diagnose Kidney Disease?
People who have risk factors for developing kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and a family history of kidney failure, should have their kidney function checked regularly since early kidney disease often has no symptoms.
Tests used to diagnose kidney disease include the following:
- Blood test: glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
- Urine test to check for albumin, a protein that can pass into the urine when the kidneys are damaged
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
From 
Healthy Resources
Featured Centers
Health Solutions From Our Sponsors
<https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd>.
<https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/>.