Risk of kidney failure in diabetes

• May 3, 2024

After some years with excess blood glucose, the kidneys may stop working. This diabetic disorder is known as kidney failure.

When the kidneys are damaged, the protein needed to maintain good health is thrown out with urine. If the kidneys are affected they can not properly clean the waste materials and extra fluids.

Diabetic nephropathy is the term doctors use for kidney problems caused by diabetes. When the kidneys have been damaged there is no cure.

Identify it ...

We present some features to know if your kidneys are not performing their function properly:

1. Cloudy or bloody urine.
2. Pain or burning sensation when urinating.
3. Need to urinate frequently or feeling urgency to urinate.
4. Pain in the lower back, at the waist or under the ribs.
5. Fever, chills or tremors.
6. Swelling in the feet and ankles.
7. Loss of appetite.
8. Insomnia and difficulty sleeping.
9. Confusion and concentration problems.
People with diabetes who suffer kidney damage receive a treatment called dialysis (using a special machine or fluids to purify the blood), which fulfills the same function of the kidneys: eliminate waste materials and fluids that the body does not need. In the most severe cases it is necessary to perform a kidney transplant.

First of all prevention

The recommendations to avoid having problems in the kidneys, especially if you have a chronic disease such as diabetes, are:

1.- Do a urine test once a year to investigate signs of kidney injury.
2.- Take the necessary medications if you suffer from high blood pressure: good management of blood pressure helps the kidneys remain healthy.
3.- Follow the diet indicated by the doctor. Maintaining blood glucose and blood pressure levels is essential to reduce the risks of this disease.
4.- In case of smoking, it is necessary that you leave this bad habit.
5.- Do not forget to go immediately to the doctor if there is a bladder infection or in the kidneys.
 

Video Medicine: How Common is Diabetic Kidney Disease? (May 2024).