Early signs of kidney damage due to diabetes

Key points
- Diabetes is today, one of the most wide spread diseases that affects people all over the world.
- When the filtering system breaks down due to diabetes it may cause substantial destruction to the kidneys.
- There are two major types of diabetes; viz Type I and Type II diabetes.
- Among other ailments, diabetics are highly prone to kidney problems, a condition called as diabetic nephropathy.
Diabetes is today, one of the most wide spread diseases that affects people all over the world. Diabetes is caused if your body is unable to produce the desired quantity of insulin required to convert glucose (sugar), starch and other food equipment into energy. Diabetes is also caused if your body is unable to use the insulin produced by your body by the book.
When the filtering system breaks down due to diabetes it may cause substantial destruction to the kidneys. It is very vital that we be with you the signs of kidney destruction caused due to diabetes.
There are two major types of diabetes; viz Type I and Type II diabetes. Type I diabetes generally occurs in children and is commonly called juvenile commencement diabetes. The pancreas do not produce necessary amount of insulin for the body, and this has to be supplemented by taking insulin injections. The Type II diabetes, which generally occurs in people higher than the age of 40, is commonly called late commencement or adult commencement diabetes. Type II diabetes is mostly caused due to excessive weight, poor diet, high blood difficulty and sedentary lifestyle. Early signs of Type II diabetes are hard to come by and by the time symptoms do appear the destruction might have already been done.
Among other ailments, diabetics are highly prone to kidney problems, a condition called as diabetic nephropathy. Nearly half the people suffering from kidney problems are diabetics. Kidneys play an vital part in the well being of the human body. There are tiny filters in the kidneys, called glomeruli, which keep proteins inside your body. They remove waste from your blood and return clean blood to your kidney. Diabetes causes destruction to these filters. Due to the destruction kidneys are unable to cleanse blood by the book as well as retain proteins inside the human body. As a result proteins flow out along with urine. This is the very first sign of kidney destruction due to diabetes.
The initial sign of kidney destruction is water retention. As the kidneys work hard to compensate for the failing capillaries not many warning signs of kidney destruction are known in anticipation of nearly all functioning fails. Among other signs of kidney destruction due to diabetes you may notice swelling of hands, feet and face, weight gain, loss of sleep, poor appetite, upset stomach, feeling of weakness and very seldom even blood in urine. But, in the end stages of kidney disease you may find extreme dryness and itching of skin, feeling of drowsiness, muscle twitching and abnormalities in heart’s regular rhythm due to increased potassium levels in blood.
It is very hard to notice kidney diseases in the early stages. Medical professionals can gauge its incidence by measuring protein in the urine. In the later stages measuring the waste products in the blood gives an indication of how far kidney disease has progressed. Sign of kidney destruction due to diabetes usually occur in late stages of the disease when kidney function deteriorates to 10 to 25 percent of normal capacity
Written and revised by
Gerald Hurowitz, M.D.
Our doctors write and review articles for accuracy and keep them up to date.
health.am provides general information, not medical advice. Always consult a qualified health professional about your own health.
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