Diabetes and high blood pressure can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney
disease. You need to get checked for kidney disease if you have one of these
conditions. Here are some other reasons to get checked:
Early kidney disease has no signs or symptoms. The only way to know if you
have kidney disease is to get checked for it.
Kidney disease does not go away. It may get worse over time and can lead to
kidney failure. You will need to go on dialysis or have a kidney transplant if
your kidneys fail.
Kidney disease can be treated. The sooner you know you have kidney disease,
the sooner you can get treatment to help delay or prevent kidney failure.
Treating kidney disease may also help prevent heart disease.
FACT:
Diabetes and high blood pressure are the two main causes of kidney disease.
About 7 out of 10 people with kidney failure have one or both of these
conditions.
Steps you can take to keep your kidneys healthy
Manage your diabetes and keep your blood pressure below 130/80. That means
eating healthy and cutting back on salt. It also means being active and taking
medicines as prescribed.
Get checked for kidney disease. The sooner you know you have kidney
disease, the sooner it can be treated.
SOURCE: CDC.gov. For People with Diabetes or High Blood Pressure:
Get Checked for Kidney Disease.
Diabetic kidney problems occur in about 20%-40% of all people with diabetes.
However, with early and intensive control of blood sugars,
blood pressure, and
the use of certain medications, the development and the progression of kidney
problems can be slowed.
To check for kidney problems, your health care provider can perform a urine
test that measures the amount of protein in your urine, called microalbuminuria.
Microalbuminuria occurs when small amounts of albumin (the main protein in your
blood) leak into your urine. Without treatment to slow the leakage of protein,
the kidneys may continue to be damaged and eventually fail.
This test should be performed every year, starting when you are diagnosed
with type 2 diabetes. This is because diabetes is actually present many years
before the diagnosis.
If you have type 1 diabetes, this test often isn't performed until you've had
the diagnosis for five years.
What Happens If the Microalbuminuria is Positive?
If the microalbuminuria test is positive, it indicates that the blood vessels
to your kidneys are damaged. It also reflects more widespread blood vessel
disease that can increase your risk of heart problems. Therefore your doctor may
take the following steps:
Give medications to slow kidney damage. Your health care provider may
recommend starting specific medicines to prevent further damage to your blood
vessels and kidneys. If the microalbumin level is very high, your doctor may
recommend that you have another type of urine test that involves you collecting
your urine for 24 hours to more accurately determine the extent of damage to
your kidneys and see how well they are working.
Offer more aggressive diabetes treatment. In addition, studies show that
tight control of your blood sugar can significantly decrease kidney damage, so
your health care provider may recommend more aggressive
treatment of your
diabetes.
Better blood pressure control. Controlling your blood pressure has also
been shown to reduce the risk of kidney damage related to diabetes. It is
important that your blood pressure be checked each time you have an office
visit. The recommended goal for blood pressure control in people with diabetes
is less than 130/80.
Better cholesterol control. Since the microalbuminuria suggests that you
are at greater risk of heart disease, your physician may try to get your
cholesterol and other fats into a healthier range.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
Hypoglycemia is a syndrome caused by low blood sugar. Symptoms of hypoglycemia include palpitations, trembling, intense hunger, sweating, nervousness, and weakness. Consuming lifesavers, table sugar, soda, and juice are good treatment options for hypoglycemia.
Hyperglycemia is a serious health problem for diabetics. There are two types of hyperglycemia, 1) fasting, and 2)postprandial or after meal hyperglycemia. Hyperglycemia can also lead to ketoacidosis or hyperglycemic hyperosmolar nonketotic syndrome (HHNS). There are a variety of causes of hyperglycemia in people with diabetes. Symptoms include increased thirst, headaches, blurred vision, frequent urination and more. Treatment can be achieved through lifestyle changes or medications changes. Carefully monitoring blood glucose levels is key to prevention.
The major goal in treating diabetes is controlling elevated blood sugar without causing abnormally low levels of blood sugar. Treatment for type 1 diabetes is with insulin, exercise, and a diabetic diet. Treatment for type 2 diabetes is first treated with weight reduction, a diabetic diet, and exercise. When these measures fail to control the elevated blood sugar, oral medications are used. If oral medications are still insufficient, insulin medications are considered.
Diabetic Neuropathy is a complication of diabetes that causes damage to the nerves; this is related to the blood glucose of the body being too high for a long period of time. The four types of neuropathy include peripheral, autonomic, proximal and focal.
In the United States diabetes is the most common cause of kidney failure. High blood pressure and high levels of blood glucose increase the risk that a person with diabetes will eventually progress to kidney failure. Kidney disease in people with diabetes develops over the course of many years. albumin and eGFR are two key markers for kidney disease in people with diabetes. Controlling high blood pressure, blood pressure medications, a moderate protein diet, and compliant management of blood glucose can slow the progression of kidney disease. For those patients who's kidneys eventually fail, dialysis or kidney transplantation is the only option.
Managing your diabetes is important. The goal of diabetic therapy is to control blood glucose levels and prevent the complications of diabetes. Information about exercise, diet diet, and medication will help you manage your diabetes better. Blood glucose reagent strips, blood glucose meters, urine glucose tests, tests for urinary ketones, continuous glucose sensors, and Hemoglobin A1C testing information is also provided in this article.
Having diabetes can mean early onset and increased severity of bladder symptoms (urinary incontinence and urinary tract infections) and changes in sexual function. Men may have erectile dysfunction; and women may have problems with sexual response and vaginal lubrication. Keep your diabetes under control, and you can lower your risk of sexual and urologic problems.
Taking care of a disease such as diabetes is a life-long process. Learn how to care for yourself or loved one with diabetes in situations such as illness, work, school, travel, or a natural disaster.
Hypoglycemia is the clinical syndrome that results from
low blood sugar. The symptoms of hypoglycemia can vary from person to person, as
can the severity. Classically, hypoglycemia is diagnosed by a low blood sugar
with symptoms that resolve when the sugar level returns to the normal range.
Who is at risk for hypoglycemia?
While patients who do not have any metabolic
problems can complain of symptoms suggestive of low blood sugar, true
hypoglycemia usually occurs in patients being treated for diabetes (type 1 and
type 2). Patients with pre-diabetes who have insulin resistance can also have
low blood sugars on occasion if their high circulating insulin levels are further
challenged by a prolonged period of fasting. There are other rare causes for
hypoglycemia, such as insulin producing tumors (insulinomas) and certain
medications. These uncommon causes of hypoglycemia will not be discussed in this
...
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