Kidney Disease
You are Here: Life with Diabetes Health Information Kidney Disease
Kidney disease symptoms are important to understand if you are a type 1 diabetic or type 2 diabetic. As a diabetic, your kidneys undergo a lot more stress than a non-diabetic person. However, not everyone who is diabetic has the same degree of risk for developing kidney disease. Kidney disease is one of several long-term diabetes complications that you need to be aware of. Kidney disease that is caused by diabetes is referred to as nephropathy.
One of the earliest warning signs that you might be developing kidney disease due to your diabetes is a high level of protein in your urine. These proteins come from your blood. Healthy and normal kidneys allow only small amounts of protein to enter your urine. As kidneys are compromised from diabetes, they are unable to control the amounts of albumin entering your urine. This is referred to as Microalbuminuria.
Kidney Disease Symptoms and Testing
If you have pre-diabetes, or have already been diagnosed as a type 1 or type 2 diabetic, your doctor will be able to perform a test to measure the amount of proteins in your urine. This test will allow your doctor to better understand the impact your disease is having on your kidneys. Normally your doctor will perform a 24-hour urine test. The test requires you to collect all your urine over a 24-hour period and save it in a container. If your urine tests high for albumin, it will need to be done again to rule out any outside factors like exercise that may lead to a false positive.
Blood Glucose and Kidney Disease
The correlations between high blood glucose levels and diabetic induced kidney disease are very strong. However, approximately only half of all diabetics who have a history of poorly controlled glucose levels go onto to develop kidney disease. The importance of daily glucose monitoring with a glucose meter cannot be stressed enough. In order to reduce the risk of getting kidney disease and other long-term complications associated with diabetes, your sugars must be as stable as possible.
Our goal at life with diabetes is to provide you with all the information and motivation to help you lead a healthier lifestyle and reduce your risk for complications from diabetes, like kidney disease. We hope that you take the risks associated with becoming diabetic serious. Remember, you can reduce your risks by working with your doctor to develop a healthy balance of diet, exercise, and the necessary medicines to control your diabetes.