Kidney Disease

6 SURPRISING FACTS ABOUT DIABETES AND THE KIDNEYS

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Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure? Diabetes is a leading risk factor for kidney disease and is characterized by high levels of blood sugar. It occurs when your body does not make enough insulin, a hormone that regulates the amount of sugar in your blood, or cannot use normal amounts of insulin properly. High blood sugar levels have a damaging ripple effect in many parts of your body, causing harm to the kidneys. In honor of November being Diabetes Awareness Month, here are6 surprising facts about diabetes and the kidneys:

  1. Diabetes accounts for 44% percent of new cases of kidney failure and more than 35% of people aged 20 years or older with diabetes have chronic kidney disease. Controlling blood sugar levels is a key factor in protecting the kidneys and preventing or slowing kidney disease. Controlling high blood pressure is also important.
  2. Prediabetes can damage the kidneys. Prediabetes refers to the beginning stage of diabetes also called the precursor stage. At this point, blood sugar levels are not normal, but not quite at the point of having diabetes. Because people with prediabetes often do not experience any physical signs of the disease, regular check-ups are very important. The A1C (A-one-C) test is an abbreviation for hemoglobin A1C. This test measures your average blood glucose over the last 3 months. An A1c test between 5.7 and 6.4 percent indicates that you may have prediabetes. When a person has prediabetes, it is still possible to reverse the symptoms by losing weight. Changing your diet and exercise habit can make a big difference when it comes to preventing type 2 diabetes and protecting the kidneys!
  3. Protein in the urine is the earliest sign of kidney disease in those with diabetes and prediabetes. It’s easy to detect protein in the urine, but you need to know to look for it. A urine test should be done on an annual basis in all people with diabetes, so ask your healthcare practitioner to check your urine for “albuminuria.” The National Kidney Foundation also offers free kidney health screenings across the country to check for protein in the urine through its KEEP Healthy program. Find KEEP Healthy event near you!
  4. Diabetes injures the small blood vessels in the kidneys. When the blood vessels in the kidneys are injured, the kidneys cannot clean the blood properly and the body will retain more water and salt than it should. This can cause weight gain and ankle swelling, as well as waste materials building up in your blood. Diabetes can also damage blood vessels throughout the body, affecting not only the kidneys, but other organs and tissues such as skin, nerves, muscles, intestines and the heart. Damaged blood vessels can lead to high blood pressure and rapid hardening of the arteries, which can further harm the kidneys.
  5. Diabetes can damage the nerves in your body. This can cause difficulty in emptying your bladder and the pressure resulting from your full bladder can back up and injure the kidneys. Also, if urine remains in your bladder for a long time, you can develop an infection from the rapid growth of bacteria in urine that has a high sugar level.
  6. High triglyceride levels place you at increased risk for developing diabetes and prediabetes.Triglycerides are a form of stored fat found in the blood. A test for triglycerides is typically part of the panel you receive to test your cholesterol and other blood lipids. If after a routine blood test, your healthcare practitioner told you that you have high triglycerides, you are at an increased risk for developing diabetes and prediabetes as well as forms of heart disease. High triglycerides are also common in those with kidney disease, so this blood test should be on your radar.

12 Symptoms of Kidney Disease you should not ignore.

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Kidney Disease can be a silent killer and creep up on us at any age. Read this to learn why and how to minimize your risk and spot the symptoms and catch it early.

12 symptoms of kidney disease

There are multiple reasons why kidney disease is caused. Diabetes and hypertension are the most common causes . However leading an unhealthy lifestyle can play a huge part for instance eating a diet high in calories, taking certain medicines, consuming large quantities of soft drinks and high levels of sugar can also cause kidney damage.

Here is a list of twelve symptoms which could indicate something is wrong with your kidney:

Changes in your urinary function: An initial symptom of kidney disease can be changes in the volume and frequency of your urination. There can be an increase or decrease in amount and/or its frequency, more notably at night. It also has a tendency to be darker in color.

Difficulty or pain during urination: You may feel pressure or even pain while urinating. Urinary tract infections may cause symptoms such as pain or burning during urination. If these infections spread to your kidneys it cause fever and pain in your back.

Blood in your urine: This is an important symptom of kidney disease which should not be ignored. There may be other causes, but it is advisable to visit your doctor to eliminate this as one of the reasons.

Swelling: The function of the kidneys is to remove waste and extra fluid from our bodies. If our kidneys are unable to expel these, this extra fluid will build up resulting in swelling in your hands, feet, ankles and/or your face.

Extreme fatigue and generalised weakness: Kidneys produce a hormone known as erythropoietin whose purpose is to help make the red blood cells that carry oxygen. If you have kidney disease then this will result in lower levels of erythropoietin and therefore decreased red blood cells in your body which then can result in anaemia. There is decreased oxygen delivery to cells causing generalised weakness and extreme fatigue.

Dizziness & Inability to concentrate: Anaemia associated with kidney disease will deplete your brain of oxygen which may then cause dizziness, trouble concentrating, etc.

Feeling cold all the time: People with kidney disease may feel cold even in warm surroundings due to anaemia. Pyelonephritis (kidney infection) can cause fever with chills.

Skin rashes and itching: A result of kidney failure is that waste builds up in your blood. This can then cause severe itching and skin rashes.

Ammonia breath and metallic taste: Kidney failure also increases the level of urea in the blood (uraemia). This urea is then broken down into ammonia in our saliva which will cause urine-like bad breath called ammonia breath. It can also be associated with an unpleasant metallic taste (dysgeusia) in your mouth.

Nausea and vomiting: Kidney disease can also allow the build-up of waste products in your blood which can also cause nausea and vomiting.

Shortness of breath: Fluid can build up in the lungs as a result of kidney disease. In addition anaemia, which is a common side-effect of kidney disease, will starve your whole body of oxygen. Some people have trouble catching their breath as a result.

Pain in the back or sides: Sometimes kidney disease may cause pain in your back or sides. Strong cramping pain that spreads from the lower back into the groin can be a sign of a kidney stone in the ureter. In addition pain could also be related to polycystic kidney disease, which is an inherited kidney disorder, and causes several fluid-filled cysts in the kidneys.

Interstitial cystitis: this is a chronic inflammation of the bladder wall, which results in chronic pain and discomfort.

It is vital to identify kidney disease early because in most cases the damage in the kidneys cannot be reversed. To minimize your chances of suffering from severe kidney problems, see your doctor when you observe one or more of the above symptoms. If caught early, kidney disease can be treated very effectively.

Many people are unaware of these signs, so please share to help everyone learn more.