Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
What is Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)?
Chronic kidney disease is the gradual loss of kidney function over time. Your kidneys filter waste and extra fluid from your blood. When they stop working properly, toxins build up in your body.
CKD develops in five stages, from mild damage to complete kidney failure. Early stages often show no symptoms. Most people do not know they have kidney disease until it has progressed.
About 37 million American adults have chronic kidney disease. Early detection through regular blood and urine testing can slow progression. Root cause approaches focus on managing diabetes, blood pressure, and inflammation before damage becomes permanent.
Symptoms
- Fatigue and low energy levels
- Difficulty concentrating or brain fog
- Poor appetite or metallic taste
- Swelling in feet, ankles, or hands
- Dry, itchy skin
- Muscle cramps, especially at night
- Frequent urination, particularly at night
- Foamy or bubbly urine from protein
- Puffiness around the eyes
- High blood pressure that is hard to control
Many people with early stage CKD have no symptoms at all. Blood and urine tests can detect kidney damage years before you feel sick.
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Causes and risk factors
Diabetes and high blood pressure cause about two thirds of chronic kidney disease cases. High blood sugar damages the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys. High blood pressure strains the filtering units over time. Other causes include autoimmune diseases, repeated kidney infections, kidney stones, and prolonged use of certain pain medications.
Risk factors include family history of kidney disease, obesity, smoking, heart disease, and age over 60. African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans face higher risk. Chronic inflammation and metabolic syndrome also contribute to kidney damage over time.
How it's diagnosed
Chronic kidney disease is diagnosed through blood and urine tests that measure kidney function. Blood tests check creatinine levels and calculate your estimated glomerular filtration rate or eGFR. This number tells how well your kidneys filter waste. Urine tests look for protein, blood, and other signs of kidney damage.
Rite Aid offers comprehensive kidney function testing through our flagship panel at over 2,000 Quest Diagnostics locations nationwide. Regular monitoring helps catch kidney disease early when lifestyle changes can still protect your kidneys. Your doctor may also order imaging tests like ultrasound to check kidney size and structure.
Treatment options
- Control blood sugar if you have diabetes with diet, exercise, and medication
- Manage blood pressure, often with ACE inhibitors or ARBs that protect kidneys
- Follow a kidney-friendly diet lower in sodium, phosphorus, and potassium
- Limit protein intake based on your stage of CKD
- Stay hydrated but avoid excess fluid if you have swelling
- Exercise regularly to support cardiovascular health
- Quit smoking to slow disease progression
- Avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen that can damage kidneys
- Treat underlying causes like autoimmune disease or infections
- Work with a nephrologist, a kidney specialist, for advanced stages
Concerned about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)? Get tested at Rite Aid.
- Simple blood draw at your nearest lab
- Results in days, not weeks
- Share results with your doctor
Frequently asked questions
Early CKD often has no symptoms, which is why testing is critical. When symptoms do appear, they include fatigue, swelling in your feet or ankles, foamy urine, and frequent nighttime urination. High blood pressure that is difficult to control can also signal kidney problems.
Chronic kidney disease develops slowly over months or years and involves permanent damage. Acute kidney injury happens suddenly, often from infection or medication, and may be reversible with treatment. CKD requires long term management while acute injury needs immediate medical care.
CKD cannot be fully reversed, but progression can be slowed or stopped with early intervention. Managing diabetes and blood pressure, eating a kidney-friendly diet, and avoiding nephrotoxic medications protect remaining kidney function. The earlier you catch it, the better your kidneys can be preserved.
The two main tests are serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate or eGFR. Creatinine is a waste product your kidneys should filter out. eGFR calculates how well your kidneys are filtering based on creatinine, age, and other factors. Urine tests for protein and albumin detect kidney damage before function declines.
Protein in urine, called proteinuria, signals that the kidney's filtering system is damaged. Healthy kidneys keep protein in your blood. When the glomeruli or filtering units are injured, protein leaks into urine. Persistent proteinuria indicates active kidney disease and increases risk of progression.
If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or family history of kidney disease, get tested at least once a year. People with existing CKD need testing every 3 to 6 months to monitor progression. Regular testing catches changes early so you can adjust treatment before permanent damage occurs.
Limit sodium to reduce blood pressure and fluid retention. Avoid high potassium foods like bananas and tomatoes if your levels are elevated. Reduce phosphorus from processed foods, dairy, and dark sodas. Work with a renal dietitian to create a plan based on your specific lab results and CKD stage.
No, most people with CKD do not progress to dialysis or kidney failure. With proper management of blood sugar, blood pressure, and lifestyle factors, many people maintain stable kidney function for decades. Only about 1 in 50 people with CKD reach stage 5, which requires dialysis or transplant.
Yes, some medications can damage kidneys, especially with long term use. NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen reduce blood flow to kidneys. Certain antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors, and contrast dyes used in imaging can also cause harm. Always tell your doctor about kidney disease before starting new medications.
High blood sugar damages the small blood vessels in your kidneys over time. This harms the glomeruli, the tiny filtering units that clean your blood. Damaged glomeruli leak protein and lose the ability to remove waste. Controlling blood sugar with diet, exercise, and medication protects your kidneys from this damage.