What Is Chronic Kidney Disease?
Your kidneys are two organs that filter waste and extra fluid from your blood, balance your minerals, and help control your blood pressure. In chronic kidney disease, this filtering ability declines slowly over time. Many people have no symptoms early on, which is why we screen for it with simple blood and urine tests.
The Two Numbers We Watch
We track kidney health mainly with two tests.
eGFR (a blood test)
This estimates how well your kidneys filter. A normal value is about 90 or above. The lower the number, the more the kidney function has declined.
Urine albumin (a urine test)
This checks for protein leaking into your urine, which is an early warning sign of kidney stress even when the eGFR still looks normal.
The Stages
CKD is divided into stages based mostly on your eGFR, from stage 1 (mild, with normal filtering but signs of damage) to stage 5 (kidney failure). Most people we care for are in the earlier stages, where the goal is to slow or stop progression.
The Most Common Causes
The two leading causes are diabetes and high blood pressure. This is why controlling blood sugar and blood pressure is the single most powerful thing you can do for your kidneys.
How to Protect Your Kidneys
- Keep your blood pressure and blood sugar in your target range
- Take kidney-protective medications if we prescribe them
- Avoid regular use of NSAID pain relievers like ibuprofen and naproxen unless we approve them
- Stay well hydrated and limit excess salt
- Tell every provider and pharmacist that you have kidney disease before starting new medications
- Do not start over-the-counter supplements without checking with us
When to talk with us
If you have diabetes or high blood pressure and have not had your kidneys checked recently, ask us. If you already have CKD, keep your lab appointments so we can track your trend and adjust your plan early.
When to seek urgent care
Get medical attention promptly for sudden swelling in your legs or face, a sharp drop in how much you are urinating, severe nausea and vomiting, confusion, or shortness of breath. These can signal a rapid change in kidney function.
Have questions about this?
Bring this guide to your next visit. We are always glad to talk through what it means for your specific situation and care plan.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Vineeth Lekkala, MD. Last reviewed Jun 14, 2026.