Can CKD Stage 1 Cause Itchy or Dry Skin

It isn’t so common that CKD stage 1 and itchy or dry skin appears hand in hand. This is because kidneys can still work normally even though they are damaged slightly. Can CKD Stage 1 cause itchy or dry skin?

How about the answer?

Normally, every person has two kidneys, which are so great that can still work quite well with 50% kidney function. In Stage 1 Chronic Kidney Disease, patients’ kidney function is above 90%, so kidneys are commonly able to purify blood and keep electrolyte balance. However, some patients who have CKD stage 1 indeed suffer from skin problem.

What is the reason?

Firstly, we would like to introduce the causes of itchy skin. When the kidney is damaged slightly, it may not keep the balance of calcium and phosphorus optimally, resulting in low calcium level or high phosphorus level.

Low calcium level is more likely to trigger parathyroid glands in the neck to produce more parathyroid hormone. Then, the high parathyroid hormone causes skin itching easily. Some patients find that their skin problem is alleviated largely after removing their parathyroid glands.

High phosphorus level is another cause of itchy skin. With kidney damage, excess phosphorus may build up in the blood, thus leading to this symptom. Often, limiting the intake of foods high in phosphorus and taking some medications, called phosphate binders, can be helpful to ease skin itching.

Secondly, we will say something about the causes of dry skin in CKD stage 1. When our body loses more fluid that it takes in, dehydration will happen. Dehydration is the common cause of dry skin. Besides, damaged kidneys may also inhibit the activity of oil-producing glands. Without enough oil, patients’ skin will become dry.

Summary

Itchy or dry skin is rare but indeed can happen in CKD stage 1. Their onset reveals much more severe healthy problems. Find out the root causes and then manage them promptly. At last, we want to say if you want to get rid of these symptoms and discomforts completely, a treatment that can reverse your condition is needed urgently.