Kidney Failure

Kidney Failure is a complex disorder that affects every system in the body. It is also known as Renal Failure and is characterized by an inability of the kidneys to properly filter the blood, which leads to blood with increased levels of chemicals and toxins circulating through the body.

Symptoms vary greatly from person to person. Some individuals may barely feel the effects of kidney failure while other are too fatigued and sick to leave their beds.

In general, the most common symptoms include upset stomach, swelling in the feet and other extremities, fatigue, and muscle soreness or cramping.

In some cases, abnormal heart rhythms and dozens of other symptoms may occur. Causes of this condition can also vary greatly based on the medical history of the individual, but in America the most common causes of kidney failure are hypertension, glomerulonephritis, and diabetes.

Diagnosis is based upon analysis of an individual's GFR, or glomerular filtration rate, which refers to the speed at which the kidneys clean the blood.

Treatment options for kidney failure are somewhat limited. The preferred option is a kidney transplant. While a transplant offers the recipient a chance at a normal life, it also has the considerable life-time risk of rejection of the new kidney, which can potentially result in death.

The other option is dialysis. This is involves using a machine as an artificial kidney to filter the blood. When an individual is on dialysis they will be required to be hooked up to this machine for hours at a time as many as seven days per week. This will obviously greatly impact the ability of these people to maintain any sort of employment.

There are five stages of kidney failure. According to Nephcure Kidney International, 1 in 10 people worldwide have some kind of kidney disease.

A normal functioning kidney will filter anywhere from 120 to 150 quarts of blood to produce 1 to 2 quarts of urine made up of extra fluid and waste. Kidneys help with blood pressure regulation, waste and water removal, red blood cell production, and help regulate growth in children.

There are five stages of kidney disease or kidney failure. The accepted measure for kidney functioning is Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), and this determines how well your kidneys are cleaning your bloodstream.

To estimate GFR, a blood test is done to determine creatinine in blood, which is called serum creatinine. The levels of creatinine increase as functioning of the kidneys decreases.

  • Stage 1 – Kidney functioning is at more than 90 percent, meaning that you have normal or high functioning kidneys.
  • Stage 2 – At this stage, kidney functioning is from 60 to 89 percent and there is mildly decreased functioning of the kidneys.
  • Stage 3 – At this point, kidney functioning ranges from 30 to 59 percent of its normal level and you experience mild to moderately decreased functioning of the kidneys.
  • Stage 4 – You have severely decreased functioning with your kidneys at 15 to 29 percent.
  • Stage 5 – Kidney failure is in full force with kidney functioning now at less than 15 percent its normal level.

Listings 6.03, 6.04, and 6.05 grant disability benefits automatically for poor kidney functioning caused by any chronic disease just so long as one of the following are present:

  • Kidney transplantation
  • Ongoing peritoneal dialysis – dialyzing solution being put into and removed from the peritoneal cavity intermittently or continuously
  • Ongoing hemodialysis – removes toxins from the blood via artificial kidney machine OR
  • Reduced glomerular filtration

You can prove reduced glomerular filtration by providing test results that reveal low creatinine clearance levels, persistently high levels of serum creatinine, or a low estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR).

In addition to showing that you have reduced glomerular filtration, you must show that you suffer from one of the following – bone pain and renal bone degradation, peripheral neuropathy, or fluid overload syndrome despite taking prescribed medications.

Listing 6.06 for nephrotic syndrome covers a group of kidney diseases that are apparent because of excess protein in the urine and edema of differing levels.

If you need help applying for Social Security Disability or SSI, please contact me at joshben99@gmail.com. I have over 22 year's experience with Social Security Disability cases. I handle cases all over the United States. 

Home - Allan W. Ben, PC (allanwbenpc.com)


Location: Michigan, USA

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