Primary Care

Are Your Kidneys Healthy? Find Out Before It's Too Late

March is National Kidney Month, a time to raise awareness about one of the most overlooked organs in the body. Nearly 1 in 3 American adults is at risk for kidney disease, yet most people do not know it until significant damage has already occurred.

The good news is that with regular checkups and early intervention, kidney disease is largely preventable and manageable — especially when caught early through primary care.

What is the Kidneys job?

Your kidneys are two fist-sized organs that filter about 200 quarts of blood every single day, removing waste and excess fluid through urine. They also regulate blood pressure, balance electrolytes, and help produce red blood cells. When kidneys stop working well, harmful waste builds up in the body and can eventually lead to kidney failure, requiring dialysis or a transplant.

Kidney disease progresses slowly and silently — often with no symptoms in the early stages — which is why routine lab tests during primary care visits are so important for catching problems before they become serious.

Who Is Most at Risk?

The two leading causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure — both conditions that are diagnosed and managed right in primary care. Other risk factors include:

A family history of kidney disease

Being over age 60

Heart disease

Obesity

A history of recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Certain medications taken long-term (like NSAIDs such as ibuprofen)

If you have any of these risk factors, talking to your primary care provider about kidney screening is one of the most important steps you can take this March.

What Are the Warning Signs?

The two leading causes of chronic kidney disease are diabetes and high blood pressure — both conditions that are diagnosed and managed right in primary care. Other risk factors include:

A family history of kidney disease

Being over age 60

Heart disease

Obesity

A history of recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Certain medications taken long-term (like NSAIDs such as ibuprofen)

If you have any of these risk factors, talking to your primary care provider about kidney screening is one of the most important steps you can take this March.

What Are the Warning Signs?

Because kidney disease often shows no symptoms early on, many people are not diagnosed until the disease is advanced. When symptoms do appear, they may include:

Swelling in the feet, ankles, or hands

Fatigue or weakness that doesn’t go away

Frequent or decreased urination, or foamy/dark urine

Difficulty concentrating or feeling “foggy”

Nausea, vomiting, or loss of appetite

Persistent itching or dry skin

Muscle cramps, especially at night

If you experience any of these symptoms, do not wait — schedule a primary care visit as soon as possible.

How Is Kidney Disease Diagnosed?

Two simple, low-cost tests can detect kidney disease early:

Blood test (eGFR): Measures how well your kidneys are filtering waste from the blood. A lower number indicates reduced kidney function.

Urine test (ACR): Checks for albumin (a protein) in the urine — a key early sign that kidneys are being damaged.

Both of these tests can be ordered during a routine primary care visit and are covered under Medi-Cal for eligible patients.

How Our Clinics Can Help

At Center for Family Health and Education and Priority Care Medical Group, your primary care provider can screen for kidney disease through routine blood and urine tests, manage the underlying conditions — like diabetes and high blood pressure — that cause most kidney damage, and coordinate referrals to specialists when needed.

Because kidney disease is so closely tied to chronic conditions your doctor is already monitoring, your regular checkup is the most powerful tool you have for protecting your kidneys. Learn more at Primary Care Services page.
As a Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC), we accept Medi-Cal and offer a sliding-fee scale for uninsured and low-income patients, so cost does not have to be a barrier to protecting your kidneys.

References

National Kidney Foundation – Kidney Disease Facts : kidney.org/news/newsroom/factsheets/FastFacts

CDC – Chronic Kidney Disease Basics : cdc.gov/kidneydisease/basics.html

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – Kidney Disease : niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease

American Kidney Fund – Kidney Disease Risk Factors : kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/risk-factors

National Kidney Foundation – Signs and Symptoms of Chronic Kidney Disease : kidney.org/atoz/content/signs_symptoms_ckd

References

Pregnancy test: when to take, types & accuracy [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. [cited 2023 Jan 18]. Available from: my.clevelandclinic.org/ health/articles/9703-pregnancy-tests
What’s an IUD insertion like? [Internet]. [cited 2023 Jan 18]. Available from: plannedparenthood.org/ learn/birth-control/iud/whats-an-iud-insertion-like

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