How does Diabetes cause Chronic Kidney Disease?

 

How does Diabetes cause Chronic Kidney Disease

Global prospectus of Diabetes

Diabetes is a slowly progressive disease that is characterized by elevated levels of glucose in the blood, which has a serious impact on various organs like the heart, eyes, kidneys, and nerves.

According to a report published by WHO, there are around 423 million diabetes patients globally, and this will go up to 700 million by the end of 2025. This data itself is shocking enough to depict how dangerously this disease is spreading worldwide.

Diabetes is the primary cause of kidney damage. Diabetic nephropathy affects the kidney’s ability to function appropriately and hampers the process of removing waste and additional fluid from the blood. Over many years, Diabetes slowly deteriorates the kidneys. Early treatment can prevent or slow down the progress of further damage to the kidneys.

In this article, we try to cover how diabetes affects your kidneys. Read this content till the end:

1. What is Diabetes?
2. How does diabetes cause kidney disease?
3. What are the symptoms of diabetic kidney disease?
4. How can we prevent diabetic kidney disease?
5. What can be the complications?
6. When to see a doctor
7. Treatments for kidney disease
   . Self-care
   . Drugs
   . Diet
8. Kidney failure
9. Conclusion

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is basically when your body cannot make required insulin or cannot utilize insulin properly. Insulin is a hormone that is responsible for controlling how much sugar is in your blood. A high sugar level in your blood can hamper many parts of your body, including your heart, kidneys, eyes, and brain. After a certain period, this can result in kidney disease and kidney failure.

Diabetes is classified into two types. Type 1 diabetes generally begins when people are young. In this situation, the body doesn’t make sufficient insulin. Type 2 diabetes is generally found in grown-ups more than 40. However, it is turning out to be more regular in more younger individuals. It is generally connected with being overweight and tends to run in families. In type 2 diabetes, the body produces insulin yet can’t utilize it well.

How does Diabetes Cause Kidney Disease?

Our bodies process the protein that we eat, and the process produces waste products. There are many tiny vessels biologically known as capillaries in the kidneys, and smaller openings are known as filters. As blood moves through the veins, byproducts squeeze through these small openings. These byproducts become part of the urine. Valuable substances, like protein and red blood cells, are more significant in size, and the filters don’t allow them to pass, and they stay in the blood.

Diabetes can hamper this system of filtration. High sugar levels make the kidneys filter to get damage, which is difficult for the filters. These filters begin to leak throughout some undefined time frame, and helpful protein is lost in the urine.

When kidney disease is diagnosed, during microalbuminuria(small measures of protein), specific treatments might hold the kidney to get worse. Having a more significant amount of protein in the urine is called macroalbuminuria. It usually follows when the kidney disease is looked up during macroalbuminuria, end-stage renal sickness, or ESRD.

Meanwhile, the burden of overwork causes the kidneys to lose their filtering ability. Waste products then accumulate in the blood. Finally, the kidneys fail. This failure, ESRD, is severe. A person suffering from ESRD will need to have a kidney transplant or dialysis.

What are the symptoms of diabetic kidney disease?

The signs and symptoms may not be visible in the early phase, but in the later stage, the symptoms may include:

• Unbalanced blood pressure control
• Loss of protein in the urine
• Swollen legs and ankles
• Breathing issues
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Continuous itching in the body

How can we prevent diabetic kidney disease?

To prevent diabetic kidney disease:

1)Take treatment for Diabetes: An effective treatment of Diabetes is necessary to prevent kidney disease.

2) High blood pressure or other medical conditions should be managed: If someone has high blood pressure or other medical conditions, then you should consult with your doctor to control them.

3) Maintain a healthy body weight: Regular exercise will help to maintain a healthy body weight. Unhealthy body weight will invite several medical conditions.

4) Quit smoking: If someone is habitual of smoking, it’s better to quit smoking as it allows many toxins to enter the body and damage the kidneys.

What can be the complications?

The complications of diabetic kidney disease may be seen over months or years.

They may include:

1) Swelling in arms and legs, fluid in your lungs due to water retention in the body.

2) The level of potassium rises, which is known as hyperkalemia.

3) Cardiovascular and blood vessel disease that may result in a stroke.

4) Anemia

5) Severe damage to kidneys, eventually needing either dialysis or kidney transplant to survive.

When to see a doctor

Consulting a doctor depends on the condition that you are facing. Make an appointment with your doctor if you face any signs or symptoms of kidney disease. If you have Diabetes, then yearly urine tests are highly recommended to detect your blood’s protein and creatinine levels. These tests further determine how well the kidneys are functioning.

Treatments for kidney disease

Self-care

Essential treatments for kidney disease are tight control of and blood pressure. Blood pressure has a dramatic effect on the rate at which the disease progresses. Even a mild rise in blood pressure can quickly make kidney disease worsen. Specific ways to lower your blood pressure are losing weight, eating less salty food, avoiding alcohol and tobacco, and exercising regularly.

Drugs

When these strategies fizzle, certain drugs might have the option to bring down blood pressure. There are a few kinds of blood pressure drugs. In any case, not all are similarly useful for individuals with Diabetes. Some raise blood glucose levels or cover a portion of the indications of low blood glucose. For the most part, specialists lean toward individuals with Diabetes taking blood pressure drugs called ACE inhibitors.

ACE inhibitors are suggested for the vast majority with Diabetes, hypertension, and kidney disease. Recent studies recommend that ACE inhibitors, which incorporate captopril and enalapril, slow kidney infection and bring down blood pressure. Indeed, these medications are useful even in individuals who don’t have hypertension.

Diet

Another treatment a few specialists use with macroalbuminuria is a low-protein diet. Protein appears to build how hard the kidneys should function. A low-protein diet can diminish protein loss in the urine and increase protein levels in the blood. Never start a low-protein diet without conversing with your medical care group.

Kidney failure

If kidneys fail, dialysis is necessary. The person must choose whether to continue with dialysis or to get a kidney transplant.

Conclusion

Diabetes is a slowly occurring disease that can hamper the kidney over some time. It’s highly recommended to control Diabetes to prevent chronic kidney disease because if it is not cured on time then it can be life-threatening

Source of Content: How does Diabetes cause Chronic Kidney Disease?

What are the Main Causes of Kidney Disease?

Every human is born with a pair of kidneys. These are fist-sized organ but is considered as the third-most important organ. But why? Kidneys perform different functions inside our body, including:

1. Removing waste compounds through Urine
2. Producing life-saving hormones
3. Producing red blood cells
4. Controlling Blood Pressure
5. Producing Vitamin D
6. Making Immune System stronger
7. Making bones and teeth stronger
8. Producing proteins that make cells and tissues stronger
9. Filtering blood from toxins and other compounds, etc.

However, when a patient suffers from kidney disease, it hampers all kinds of kidney functions mentioned above. Damaged kidneys do not filter out and remove the waste compounds from the body. Hence, several fluids can start accumulating inside your body. Once the level of fluids rises, it doesn’t just affect the kidneys, but other organs inside the body, including lungs, heart, etc.

What are the Main Causes of Kidney Disease

Once other parts inside your body are affected, you can experience complications like:

1. Inflammation in hands or legs
2. Nausea
3. Tiredness
4. Weakness
5. Insomnia (lack of sleep)
6. Breathing difficulties
7. Pain in abdomen
8. Rashes on the skin
9. Itchy skin
10. Impaired vision
11. Irregular heartbeats, etc.

Though many of these symptoms might not affect severely, some complications could be life-threatening quickly. Hence, it is essential to get proper treatment for kidney disease before it gets too late. However, it is essential to understand and know the exact cause of kidney disease for the perfect treatment. Since there are various causes, in this article, we have discussed some of the major causes that affect the kidneys, resulting in Kidney Disease.

Causes of Kidney Disease and Their Effect on the Kidneys

Before we begin with the causes, it is essential to understand the types of kidney diseases. Though there are various types of Kidney Diseases, all of them are clubbed into two major types. These are:

1. Acute Kidney Disease — Acute Kidney Disease is the case when the kidneys stop working suddenly. It might lead to kidney failure if proper treatment is not taken in due time.
2. Chronic Kidney Disease — Chronic Kidney Disease is when the kidneys are working well for more than three months. Usually, it is difficult to notice its signs earlier, it could lead to permanent kidney damage if you fail to get its treatment in due time.

Now that we know the types of Kidney Diseases, let us discuss their significant causes.

Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

In 80 percent of the total number of kidney disease cases, Hypertension or High Blood Pressure has been considered one of the major causes of Kidney Disease. Whenever a person is under stress or depression, he overthinks. As a result, the heartbeats increase rapidly, which increases the blood pressure in the arteries.

The increased blood flow in the arteries exerts heavy pressure on the arteries or blood vessels that carry the blood to all body parts. Since the kidneys have blood vessels within them that filter the blood from toxins, High Blood Pressure causes severe damage to these blood vessels. Once these blood vessels become damaged, kidneys are unable to receive enough quantity of clean blood that affects their functioning. It thus leads to kidney disease.

Diabetes

Just like Hypertension (High Blood Pressure), both Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes are also considered significant reasons behind kidney disease. If you have a habit of consuming sweets or sugar drinks, you consume excessive amounts of sugar content that get dissolved in the blood. Whenever the level of sugar content increases in the blood vessels or arteries, it ends up damaging them.

High Sugar Levels hampers these blood vessels to carry and clean the blood throughout the body. As a result, the kidneys cannot receive enough clean blood that is very required for their functioning. It thus leads to various kidney diseases. Moreover, Diabetes is also known to cause High Blood Pressure that can further deteriorate the condition.

Glomerulonephritis

Glomerulonephritis is the third major cause of kidney diseases. In most cases, it has been observed that patients with Glomerulonephritis suffer from End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), also referred to as CKD Stage 5 is the stage when the kidneys get permanently damaged, and patients are advised for kidney dialysis or kidney transplant.

Kidneys have tiny filtering units within them, known as Glomeruli. These filtering units filter the blood coming to the kidneys by removing toxins and other waste compounds from the blood. However, when these Gloemruli or Filtering units get damaged, they do not perform their functions, making it very hard to carry forward their functions. The exact cause of Glomerulonephritis is still unknown.

Genetic Disorder

In many cases, people become a victim of kidney disease because of a genetic disorder. They either get kidney disease from one of their parents or both of them. Kidney Disease like Polycystic Kidney Disease (CKD) is the best example of kidney disease caused by a Genetic Disorder. The patients who have defective genes either suffer the symptoms during birth or after reaching 40–50 years of age.

Hence, it does not necessarily mean that a patient with High Blood Pressure, Diabetes, or Glomerulonephritis can only get affected by kidney disease. If your parents have a history of kidney disease, there are chances that you will also suffer from such disease in the near time. Also, it must be noted that in some cases, patients get defective genes from their parents that also result in damaging the kidneys.

Wrapping Up!

These were some of the significant causes of kidney disease. Though some of them might be asymptomatic, there are many that result in severe symptoms. Hence, it is better to take a treatment for such symptoms before the problem becomes severe and results in Kidney Failure. I hope that this article must have explained to you everything about the major causes of kidney disease.

Source of Content: What are the Main Causes of Kidney Disease?

What is The Best Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease?

Diet is both the cause and solution of most of the diseases or medical complications people suffer from. When it comes to the prevention of kidney problems, your diet plays a significant role. Millions of people worldwide suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). It is among those non-communicable diseases that get affected by your eating habits. Thus, by following a balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease, you can heal your problem to a greater extent.

Best Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease

This article is meant for all Chronic Kidney Disease patients. I will be sharing specific facts and essential details related to your diet plan. Especially if you are a kidney patient or know someone who suffers from CKD, you must read this article to its end. However, this is not medical advice; hence, every information mentioned here should only be taken as an essential guide.

Before consuming anything, you must consult a healthcare expert to offer the best diet for renal problems. Now, let me start by introducing the importance of having a balanced diet plan and how does it prevent you from severe medical conditions. This article includes the following points:

• Your Diet Reflects Your Health
• Nutritional Facts You Must Know
• Vitamin
• Minerals
• Protein
• Fats
• Carbohydrates
• Water
• Sodium
• What to Avoid
• What to Eat
• Conclusion

Your Diet Reflects Your Health!

The above heading can be used as the summary of this article. The foods you eat or drink reflect your health and lifestyle. Whatever you eat or drink, it directly affects your well-being. With a balanced diet plan and healthy lifestyle, you can control the body’s level of nutrients and protein. By consuming foods low in salt and fat, you can maintain a healthy blood pressure that also keeps your heart strong.

Moreover, if you are suffering from Diabetes, bringing certain changes in your diet can help you control the sugar content inside the blood. If you don’t know, Hypertension (High Blood Pressure) and Diabetes are the two major causative factors of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). Hence if you keep them under control, you will automatically stay away from all kinds of non-communicable diseases, including CKD.

By having a balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease, you can limit the intake of excessive minerals, proteins, and other compounds that might otherwise deposit inside your blood vessels, resulting in various medical complications. This is why we say your diet is the cause and solution to all kinds of problems.

Let’s understand the importance of diet with the help of an example. If you love eating Pizza, Burgers, Processed food items, and other kinds of Junk food, you are only making your body full of junk. Most of these ‘delicacies’ have zero nutritional values. Whereas, if you consume green vegetables, foods rich in plant fiber, you will only end up enjoying a healthy body free from all diseases. And that’s how your diet reflects your health and overall well-being.

Nutritional Facts You Must Know!

As you might have observed, we have emphasized the term “balanced diet.” What does that exactly mean?

Though you might be consuming all kinds of healthy food products, it might also lead to various problems if you are not monitoring the number of nutrients you are consuming. There are seven essential nutrients. These are:

1. Vitamins

These are micro-nutrients that are beneficial for our bodies in many ways. By consuming a diet rich in green vegetables and fruits, your body gets sufficient vitamins. These vitamins are helpful in improving the functions of our organs and preventing us from various diseases. The deficiency of vitamins in the body could give rise to various complications.

Benefits of Vitamins

• Making immune system much stronger
• Prevention from cancers (including prostate cancer)
• Making teeth and bones strong
• Better absorption of Calcium
• Making skin nourished
• Metabolizing proteins and carbs inside the body
• Regulating a healthy blood flow throughout the body
• Facilitating Nervous System functioning, and many more.

If you suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), you must limit food products rich in Vitamins. Since the kidneys won’t perform their functions, consuming too many Vitamins might result in more complications.

2. Minerals

The second type of micro-nutrient, Minerals, are equally important as Vitamins. Minerals can be differentiated into two groups, namely: Major Minerals and Trace Minerals. Your body needs to balance both of these categories as it helps maintain good health. Major minerals include magnesium, calcium, phosphorus, sulfur, sodium, potassium, and chloride. Major minerals help in:

• Balancing water levels inside the body
• Maintaining a glowing and nourished skin
• Making bones stronger, etc.

Trace minerals include Iron, Selenium, Zinc, Iodine, Fluoride, Copper, Manganese, Molybdenum, etc. These help in:

• Making bones stronger
• Prevention from blood clothing
• Making teeth stronger
• Carrying oxygen throughout the body
• Boosting the immune system, etc.

The best sources of these minerals include:

• Seafood
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Egg yolk
• Bread
• Cereals
• Beans
• Legumes
• Whole Grain, etc.

If you suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), you must limit the intake of food products rich in Minerals. Since the kidneys won’t perform their functions, consuming too many Minerals might result in more complications.

3. Protein

Protein can be referred to as a building block of life. The body requires them for proper functioning. Some of the significant benefits of protein include:

• Making bones, hair, skin, and muscles stronger
• Formation of antibodies and hormones that help in fighting off viral and bacterial diseases
• Formation of cells and tissues with robust cell membrane

The best sources of protein include:

• Red Meat
• Chicken
• Seafood
• Dairy products
• Nuts
• Soya, etc.

If you suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), you must limit food products rich in protein. Since the kidneys won’t perform their functions, consuming too much Protein-rich food might result in more complications.

4. Fats

A balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease should also include some Fat. Fat provides you energy and helps in the utilization of food products. However, the content of Fat should be limited since the damaged kidneys might not filter out its excessive quantity. It could thus lead to obesity or heart disease. Make sure you only add God Fat food products that include:

• Olive Oil
• Peanut Oil
• Corn Oil

Make sure you consume more or Unsaturated Fat than Saturated Fat. A high quantity of both these types could lead to health problems. Saturated or Bad Fat is much more harmful than Unsaturated Fat. You get saturated Fat from:

• Butter
• Meats
• Lard, etc.

5. Carbohydrates

Another source of energy, Carbohydrates or Carbs, is also essential for a healthy body. The best sources of Carbohydrates include:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• Honey
• Candies
• Soft Drinks, etc.

However, if you have Chronic Kidney Disease, your diet should only include carbs with zero artificial sugar content. Also, many CKD patients have Diabetes. Hence consuming these sugary products rich in carbs can further deteriorate their condition.

6. Water

Water is a vital segment of a balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease patients. Though your water intake should be limited, as advised by the doctor, you must never ignore water from your diet. It is an essential nutrient that helps a lot in kidney diseases. Dehydration, Kidney Stones, etc., are some of the conditions that arise during CKD. To stay away from these conditions, you must drink recommended quantity of water daily. Apart from keeping you hydrated and nourished, it also has the following benefits:

• Flushing toxins through Urine
• Helps in Shock Absorption
• Facilitates in easy transportation of nutrients
• It gives relief from constipation
• Lubricated organs, etc.

Though drinking water is insufficient for your body, you may also have fruits and vegetables rich in water and other fluids. Make sure you consume all these things only after recommending a healthcare expert.

7. Sodium

Humans consume Sodium in the form of salt. Almost everything we eat has Sodium inside it. Excessive consumption of Sodium makes you thirsty, giving rise to problems like High Blood Pressure, Dehydration, and swelling. If you have Chronic Kidney Disease, you must stop or reduce the intake of Sodium or Salt rich food products. They could cause more harm to your damaged kidneys, thereby further deteriorating your health condition.

These were seven essential nutrients that you must be regulated while taking a balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease. Now, let’s discuss some of the harmful food items to kidney patients suffering from CKD. Most of these food products exert heavy pressure on the kidneys and blood vessels within them. It not just deteriorates the condition further but also makes you prone to several other problems.

What to Avoid?

A CKD patient must avoid the following things:

• Avocados
• Bananas
• Oranges
• Dry Fruits
• Beans
• Whole-grain bread
• Nuts
• Chocolates
• Dairy Products
• Red meat
• Sea Food
• Chicken
• Egg Yolk
• Sugary Drinks
• Sweets, etc.

All these food products are rich in elements like Phosphorus, Protein, Minerals, etc. that exert heavy pressure on the kidneys. Hence it is better to avoid these food items.

What to Eat?

Now that you know what must be eaten, it is time to know the food items you should eat. However, you must take proper advice from kidney experts and dietitians to know the exact quantity of such food items. You can consume all such food products low in Fats, Carbs, Proteins, Minerals, and most importantly, Sodium. For that purpose, you can rely on plant-fiber-rich food items like green vegetables, etc.

Wrapping Up!

This article sums up the details of all those food products that must be included and excluded from a balanced diet for Chronic Kidney Disease patients. By bringing in these changes in your diet, you can experience a healthy body and reverse the effects of CKD, thereby enjoying healthy well-being.

Source of Content: Best Diet for Chronic Kidney Disease