How Can My Doctor Tell If I Have Kidney Disease?

Early kidney disease is a silent problem, like high blood pressure, and does not have any symptoms. You may have it, but not know it, because you don't feel sick.

To detect the disease doctors can do very simple tests that include:

• Measure the level of serum creatinine in your blood to estimate your glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
• Measure the level of protein in your urine (increased levels of protein show your kidneys are not working right)
• Checking your blood pressure