Did you know that diabetes can lead to renal disease or kidney disease? Diabetes can lead to chronic kidney disease in the long run. Today we will outline everything that you need to know about diabetic kidney diseases.

The main task of your kidneys is to filter out waste, toxins, and excess water from your blood in the form of urine. The kidneys also aid in controlling the blood pressure and cue hormones that a person requires to live a healthy life.

When the kidneys get damaged, they fail to filter the blood as they are supposed to, leading to waste building up in the body. Kidney damage can also lead to many health issues, while there are several causes for kidney diseases, diabetes is one of the leading causes of renal failure. Approximately 1 out of 3 adults with diabetes suffer from kidney diseases.

Kidney damage produced by diabetes occurs gradually over several years. Hence, it is possible to take preventive measures or appropriate treatment to help you cope with it. Today, we’ll be discussing all that you need to know about diabetic kidney diseases.

What is diabetic kidney disease also known as?

Diabetic kidney disease is referred to as DKD, CKD, chronic kidney disease, kidney disease of diabetes, and diabetic nephropathy.

How can diabetes lead to kidney disease?

High levels of blood glucose, also known as blood sugar, can destroy the blood vessels in the kidneys. When there is damage to the blood vessels, they stop functioning correctly. Several people with diabetes can develop high blood pressure, which can additionally accelerate kidney damage.

Is there a way for one to tell if they have diabetic kidney disease?

Most patients with diabetic kidney disease do not show any symptoms. The only way to find out if they have renal diseases is to get tested.

Healthcare practitioners and technicians use blood and urine sampling tests to detect and diagnose diabetic kidney disease. Your doctor will examine your urine sample for albumin and conduct bloodwork to check how well the kidneys filter blood in the body. One needs to get tested annually for kidney disease if they: Read more about CKD and Diabetes.

One needs to get tested annually for kidney disease if they:

• Are diagnosed with type-2 diabetes
• Have been living with type-1 diabetes for more than five years.

Symptoms of renal disease

The first few signs consist of high levels of protein in the urine, but this shows no symptoms. It may take years to have the kidneys damaged critically enough to show symptoms. Some of them may look like:

• Fluid or water retention (edema of the face or legs)
• Chronic Fatigue
• Headaches
• Vomiting
• Nausea

Diabetic kidney disease diagnosis

Kidney disease of diabetes is diagnosed using several methods, including:

1. Urine test: These tests will assess protein levels; if an abnormally high protein is found in the urine, this is one of the first symptoms of diabetic kidney diseases.
2. Blood pressure check: These tests will assess protein levels; if an abnormally high protein is found in the urine, this is one of the first symptoms of diabetic kidney diseases.
3. Blood sampling: These tests will assess protein levels; if an abnormally high protein is found in the urine, this is one of the first symptoms of diabetic kidney diseases.
4. Biopsy: A small piece of tissue is extracted from the kidney to examine whether the kidney damage has occurred because of diabetes or something else.
5. Kidney ultrasound: This method helps the kidney size be imaged while allowing the arteries to be assessed for narrowing, leading to lowered kidney function.

Treatment plan

At the moment, there is no cure for diabetic kidney diseases. The course of treatment becomes aggressive since the kidneys deteriorate, nearing failure quickly. The medical options are:

• Prevention : Prevention of DKD is the best method and includes keeping control of the blood glucose levels and blood pressure of a diabetic patient.
• Medications : Medications can help lower high blood pressure, especially angiotensin receptor blockers and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors to lessen kidney damage.
• Dialysis : An end-stage kidney failure is where the fails to function at all. Dialysis uses either shunting a patient’s blood into a special machine (hemodialysis) and removing the waste while conserving water and salts or eliminating waste through fluid injected into the abdomen (peritoneal dialysis). Dialysis is needed many times weekly for the rest of the patient’s life and can be painful to go through.
• Kidney transplant : If the patient has any healthy donor, it can replace the function of the damaged kidneys to give them a new lease of life.

Risk reduction plan

The first few signs consist of high levels of protein in the urine, but this shows no symptoms. It may take years to have the kidneys damaged critically enough to show symptoms. Some of them may look like:

• Control of blood sugar and blood pressure levels
• Steering clear of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
• Mitigating urinary tract infections quickly using antibiotic treatment
• Drinking plenty of fluids (non-alcoholic)
• Avoiding medical treatments which cause stress to the kidneys.
• Conducting regular samples and examinations to warrant the health of the kidneys.

Wrapping Up :

While diabetic kidney disease is critical to the kidneys, it does not have to be a death sentence. Watching your body if you have diabetes or have a family history of diabetes is one of the first steps to take if you’re a healthy person. If you or someone you know already has diabetes, it is necessary to get tested timely to keep tabs on the health of their renal function.