Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney disease. About 1 in 3 adults with diabetes has kidney disease...
The main job of the kidneys is to filter waste and excess water from your blood through urine. Your kidneys also help control blood pressure and produce the hormones your body needs to stay healthy. High blood sugar can damage the blood vessels in your kidneys. This may impair your kidneys' ability to cleanse the body and cause waste and fluid accumulation in the blood. If high blood sugar continues for a long time, kidney failure may develop. Kidney damage caused by diabetes usually occurs gradually over many years.
Diabetes is one of the leading causes of kidney disease. About 1 in 3 adults with diabetes has kidney disease
Being diabetic for a long time increases your risk of kidney damage. In addition, some malpractices and dietary habits increase the risk of developing kidney disease in diabetics. Some risk factors are:
-Not being able to control blood sugar, so blood sugar is too high
-High blood pressure-Smoking
-Not following the diabetes diet plan
-Eating foods high in salt-Not exercising, not being active
-Excessive weight
-Having heart disease
-Having a family history of kidney failure
How Is Diabetic Kidney Disease Diagnosed?
Most people with diabetic kidney disease do not have symptoms. Kidney disease develops over a long time in diabetic patients and usually does not show any symptoms. The only way to find out if you have diabetic kidney disease is to have your kidneys checked. For this purpose, some urine and blood tests are performed and this diagnosis is made by your doctor. If you have Type 1 diabetes for more than 5 years or if you have Type 2 diabetes, it is recommended to have your kidneys checked every year.
What Can Be Done to Protect your kidneys ?
You can prevent diabetes from damaging your kidneys with some precautions and awareness. You can help keep your kidneys healthy by managing your blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol level. Some ways to protect your kidneys are:
- Being physically active, exercising regularly,
-Targeting blood sugar levels as much as possible.
-Doing sugar and kidney checks at the frequency determined by your doctor. More...