Kidney Disease

What is Kidney Disease?

Kidney disease happens when your kidneys can no longer filter waste and extra fluid from your blood properly. Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that clean about 200 quarts of blood every day. They remove toxins, balance minerals, and help control blood pressure. When they stop working well, waste builds up in your body and can make you very sick.

Chronic kidney disease develops slowly over months or years. It has five stages, from mild damage in stage 1 to complete kidney failure in stage 5. Many people do not know they have kidney disease until it reaches an advanced stage. Early detection through blood testing can help you slow or stop the damage before it gets worse.

About 37 million American adults have chronic kidney disease. Diabetes and high blood pressure cause most cases. The good news is that lifestyle changes and medical treatment can protect your kidneys and help them work better for longer.

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Symptoms

Swelling in your ankles, feet, or hands from fluid buildup
Feeling tired or weak even with enough sleep
Trouble concentrating or brain fog
Poor appetite or food tasting different
Trouble sleeping or staying asleep
Muscle cramps, especially at night
Dry, itchy skin that does not get better with lotion
Needing to urinate more often, especially at night
Foamy or bubbly urine from excess protein
Blood in your urine making it pink or cola-colored
Puffy eyes, especially in the morning
High blood pressure that is hard to control

Many people have no symptoms in the early stages of kidney disease. You can lose up to 90% of your kidney function before feeling sick. This is why regular blood testing is so important for early detection.

Causes and risk factors

Diabetes and high blood pressure cause about 7 out of 10 cases of chronic kidney disease. High blood sugar from diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in your kidneys over time. High blood pressure puts extra strain on these delicate filters and wears them down. Other causes include autoimmune diseases, infections, kidney stones, and repeated urinary tract infections that damage kidney tissue.

Risk factors include being over 60 years old, having a family history of kidney disease, and being African American, Hispanic, Native American, or Asian American. Smoking, obesity, heart disease, and certain medications like NSAIDs can also harm your kidneys. Taking care of these risk factors through lifestyle changes can help protect your kidney function.

How it's diagnosed

Kidney disease is diagnosed primarily through blood and urine tests that measure how well your kidneys are filtering waste. A creatinine test measures waste from muscle breakdown that your kidneys should remove. Your doctor uses this number to calculate your eGFR, or estimated glomerular filtration rate, which shows what percentage of kidney function you have left. An eGFR below 60 for three months or more means you have chronic kidney disease.

Additional blood tests check albumin levels, blood urea nitrogen, potassium, and other markers that reveal kidney damage. Urine tests look for protein, blood, or abnormal cells that should not be present. Rite Aid's blood testing service includes creatinine, eGFR, BUN, albumin, potassium, and many other kidney function markers in our flagship panel. Getting tested twice a year helps you catch problems early and track changes over time.

Treatment options

Control blood sugar if you have diabetes with medication, diet, and exercise
Lower blood pressure to 130/80 or below with lifestyle changes and medication
Eat less sodium, aiming for under 2,300 mg per day
Limit protein intake as advised by your doctor to reduce kidney workload
Stay active with 30 minutes of movement most days of the week
Quit smoking to improve blood flow to your kidneys
Limit alcohol to one drink per day for women, two for men
Take ACE inhibitors or ARBs to protect kidney function if prescribed
Avoid NSAIDs like ibuprofen that can damage kidneys further
Work with a dietitian to create a kidney-friendly eating plan
Treat underlying conditions like autoimmune disease or infections
Consider dialysis or transplant if you reach stage 5 kidney failure

Frequently asked questions

Acute kidney disease happens suddenly, often from infection, injury, or medication reaction, and may be reversible. Chronic kidney disease develops slowly over months or years and causes permanent damage. Acute kidney injury can turn into chronic disease if not treated quickly. Chronic kidney disease is measured in five stages based on how much function you have lost.

Early stage kidney disease can sometimes be slowed, stopped, or even partially improved with aggressive treatment. This includes controlling blood sugar and blood pressure, losing weight, and following a kidney-friendly diet. However, advanced kidney damage is usually permanent. The goal is to protect remaining function and prevent further decline.

If you have diabetes, high blood pressure, or a family history of kidney disease, get tested at least once a year. Rite Aid offers testing twice per year with our subscription, which helps you catch changes early. People with known kidney disease should test every three to six months. Your doctor may want more frequent testing if your condition is changing.

Your eGFR shows what percentage of normal kidney function you have left. A normal eGFR is 90 or above. An eGFR between 60 and 89 may indicate early damage. An eGFR below 60 for three months or more means chronic kidney disease. An eGFR below 15 means kidney failure and you may need dialysis.

Limit high-sodium foods like processed meats, canned soups, frozen meals, and restaurant food. Reduce high-potassium foods like bananas, oranges, potatoes, and tomatoes if your levels are high. Limit phosphorus from dairy, nuts, beans, and dark sodas. Your specific restrictions depend on your stage of disease and blood test results.

High protein intake makes your kidneys work harder to filter waste products from protein breakdown. If you already have kidney disease, eating too much protein can speed up damage. Most people with kidney disease should limit protein to about 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. Work with a dietitian to find the right amount for your stage.

Yes, years of high blood sugar damage your kidneys even if your levels are better now. This is why people who had poorly controlled diabetes in the past can still develop kidney disease later. However, getting your blood sugar under control now will slow or stop further damage. Early detection through regular testing is key.

NSAIDs like ibuprofen and naproxen can reduce blood flow to your kidneys and cause damage with regular use. Some antibiotics, proton pump inhibitors for heartburn, and contrast dye used in imaging tests can also harm kidneys. Always tell your doctor about kidney disease before starting new medications. Use acetaminophen for pain instead of NSAIDs.

This depends on your stage of kidney disease. In early stages, staying well hydrated helps your kidneys flush out waste. However, in advanced stages, damaged kidneys cannot remove extra fluid and drinking too much can cause swelling and breathing problems. Follow your doctor's specific fluid recommendations based on your test results and symptoms.

Dialysis is usually needed when you reach stage 5 kidney disease, also called kidney failure or end-stage renal disease. This means your eGFR is below 15 and your kidneys can no longer remove enough waste and fluid to keep you healthy. Symptoms like severe fatigue, nausea, swelling, and confusion indicate it is time to start dialysis or consider a kidney transplant.