Chronic kidney disease (CKD) happens if your kidneys have been damaged. Kidneys can become damaged from a physical injury or a disease like diabetes or high blood pressure. Once your kidneys are damaged, they are not able to filter blood or do their other jobs well enough to keep you healthy. 

Some of the important jobs kidneys do are:

• Filter blood
• Balance your body’s fluids
• Regulate hormones
• Help keep blood pressure under control
• Keep bones healthy
• Help make red blood cells.

There are five stages of chronic kidney disease. The mildest are stages 1 and 2. In these early stages of kidney disease, the kidneys are damaged and not working at full strength. At stage 3, about half of kidney function has been lost. This can cause other problems, like high blood pressure or bone problems. 

Treatment of these problems is very important, and it can even help slow down the loss of kidney function. At stage 4, severe kidney damage has happened. At this stage, it is very important to slow the loss of kidney function by following your treatment plan, and managing other problems like high blood pressure or heart disease. 

Stage 5 is kidney failure. If kidney failure happens, you will need a kidney transplant or dialysis to live.