Diabetic nephropathy is a complication which may occur in a diabetic’s lifetime. Diabetic nephropathy treatment is therefore needed to keep the condition under control or from getting worse. The cause is still unknown, but poor blood sugar is thought to be the cause of kidney damage, and in people with high blood sugar the damage is also more likely. Smokers or people whose type 1 diabetes started prior to age 20 are also at a higher risk of this kidney damage.
Our kidneys are made of hundreds of thousands of nephrons. These are small units which filter blood and remove waste from the body. In diabetic nephropathy, the nephrons thicken and become scarred overtime. This causes the kidneys to begin to leak and a protein called albumin begins to pass into the urine.
The best diabetic nephropathy treatment, of course, is to prevent it from occurring by eating healthily, not smoking, and not drinking alcohol. Once it occurs, however, the goal is to not allow the condition to get worse. The best way to do this is to keep your blood pressure under control. Doctors will therefore begin your diabetes nephropathy treatment with medicines to lower your blood pressure. These usually include ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).
The Diabetic Nephropathy Lifestyle
Unfortunately, diabetic kidney disease is a major cause of the sicknesses and deaths of people with diabetes. Overtime, larger amounts of proteins begin to appear in the kidney and the damage will get worse. This will often lead to the need for dialysis or possibly a kidney transplant.
If the condition is caught early, the condition can be slowed with treatment for diabetic nephropathy. The tests your doctor orders can usually detect the kidney problems fairly early on. For diabetics, urine tests should be given at least once a year. Too much protein in the urine is usually the sign that leads to a kidney problem diagnosis. High blood pressure is a sign that this problem is occurring as well. A kidney biopsy is what confirms the diagnosis, but usually the doctor can diagnose the condition without the use of this.
Treatment which diabetic nephropathy needs expands outside of the hospital into our own homes. Lifestyle changes are the most critical component of treatment. This includes changing your diet and taking the basic steps to manage your blood sugar levels at home. Taking your diabetic medications correctly and making routine visits with your doctor is crucial in keeping this condition under control. You should be sure to check your blood sugar levels regularly and keep a record of them so that your doctor can review them at your visit.
