Diabetes renal failure is a serious health condition seen in type-1 and type-2 diabetes patients. Diabetes immensely affects the functions of kidneys. One out, every four adults with diabetes suffer from kidney disease. Diabetes affects the ability of the kidneys draining process of wastes and liquids from the body. Metabolic disorders caused by severe diabetic conditions lead to chronic renal problems like glomerulosclerosis, tubulointerstitial inflammation, glomerular hypertrophy, etc.
What Is Diabetic Renal Failure?
There were several reasons that can lead to kidney failure and diabetes is one such condition. If the reason behind the kidney failure is diabetes, then it termed as diabetic kidney failure. Usually, kidney damage due to diabetes is a slow and progressive process, which occurs over many years. You can take the necessary preventive tips to protect your kidneys which help to delay the kidney damage.
How Diabetes Causes Kidney Diseases?
The filtering units of kidneys comprise of tiny blood vessels. It is also called blood sugar. Over time, High blood glucose levels in the blood, can damage your blood vessels in the kidneys which become narrow and clogged. Diabetes can also damage the nervous system in your body, which causes difficulty in emptying the urinary bladder. If the bladder doesn’t not empty properly, pressure from the bladder may cause damage to the kidneys.
If urine remains more time in your bladder, it may lead to urinary infection. It is rare, but the infection might spread to kidneys. Mostly the infection is caused due to bacteria.
Symptoms of Kidney Failure
Diabetic kidney failure is a chronic disease; you may not experience any symptoms in most of the cases. If you have diabetes, the best way to diagnose kidney disease is to get checked your kidneys occasionally.
The diagnostic test includes a blood test, urine test or some times kidney biopsy. They also check for albumin levels in the urine. Not everyone with diabetes has kidney failure. If you have so, proper treatment at early stages can prevent the disease from getting worse.
How To Keep My Kidneys Healthy If I Have Diabetes?
First, you need to consult a kidney specialist called a nephrologist. He will help you to create a treatment plan for you, and if you follow the things, your kidneys will function better and last longer.
- Control your blood sugar with the help of diet, exercise or if needed take insulin or hypoglycemic pills
- Controlling high blood pressure by taking ACE inhibitors or ARBs
- Limit your protein intake in your daily diet
- Limit the amount of salt in your diet
- Stop smoking and taking drugs
- Maintain proper cholesterol and lipid levels
Treatment Options For Diabetes Kidney Failure:
However, if your kidneys failed due to diabetes or any other condition, dialysis or kidney transplantation are the only options in end-stage kidney failure.
Dialysis: Dialysis procedures are of different types, and this is an artificial process of filtering blood with the help of dialysis machines called hemodialysis. During dialysis, the patient’s blood transferred to a device where the wastes and other fluids are filtered. After filtering the pure blood is sent back to the body.
Kidney Transplant: This is a process where the infected kidney is removed, and a new kidney is replaced. The new kidney is obtained from a live donor who is willing to donate, either a family member or relatives or from brain dead people. This treatment option is mainly for the people who are suffering from end-stage kidney failure problems, and when the dialysis procedures are not effective.
You no need to live with kidney problems. There are a lot of treatment options and preventive tips to maintain the health of your kidneys. If you are facing any problems associated with kidneys, consult the best nephrologist and get treated.