If you have diabetes, it is important that you know about diabetic kidney disease symptoms since it is one of the major complications of the disease. High sugar levels in the bloodstream make the kidneys filter too much blood. This is hard on the filters of the kidneys and over the years they begin to leak. A useful protein is lost in urine in this way; this protein is called microalbuminuria. As the kidneys lose their ability to filter correctly, waste products begin to build up in the blood. Eventually the kidneys fail and a person either must have a transplant or dialysis treatments (where blood is filtered through a machine).
According to Diabetes.org, not everyone with diabetes gets kidney disease. Although there are genetic factors involved, whether or not a person will get diabetes kidney disease usually depends on how well a person’s blood sugar and blood pressure are controlled. With careful self-care most people can avoid diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease). Watching your blood sugar levels carefully, controlling your blood pressure, losing weight, eating less salt, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and getting regular exercise are ways to avoid diabetic kidney disease.
One major problem is that there usually are no apparent diabetic kidney disease symptoms until there is significant damage. Simple tests that your doctor can administer can help to detect diabetic kidney disease symptoms early on. So, it is important to see your doctor regularly and ask a lot of questions. If you are suspecting diabetic nephropathy, some symptoms of diabetic kidney disease are:
- Loss of sleep
- Poor appetite
- Upset stomach
- Weakness
- Difficulty concentrating
Treatment of Diabetic Kidney Disease
If you notice any diabetic kidney disease symptoms, it probably means that your disease is well underway, so it is important to seek treatment as soon as possible. Diabetic kidney disease treatment begins just like the treatment of any other complication of diabetes, by normalizing blood sugar levels. If tests show that there is microalbuminuria in your urine, ACE inhibitors are used. These drugs lower blood pressure and can reduce the loss of the protein albumin through your urine. Studies have shown these drugs to reduce the likelihood of dialysis and death by 50 percent in some patients.
Since there are no diabetic kidney disease symptoms until the damage is significant, it is also important to know the risk factors of diabetic kidney disease. You are most likely to develop kidney problems in diabetes, and should get tested often, if:
- You have trouble controlling your blood sugar
- You smoke
- You are a male
- You are above middle aged
- You have protein in your urine
- You have high blood pressure
- You have had diabetes a long time
- You have raised cholesterol or triglyceride levels in the blood
- You have diabetic eye disease (retinopathy)
