How to protect kidneys from diabetes?

For people above the age of 40, having diabetes is no more a surprise now.

When left unchecked, diabetes can lead to serious kidney problems.

It is important to know that kidneys are important organs that ensure waste management.

This further aids in maintaining the chemical balance as well as blood pressure of your body.

In case, you fail to take good care of your kidneys then you are definitely risking your overall health.

Diabetic kidney disease occurs when weakly controlled blood-sugar damage your blood vessels in the kidneys.

As a result, you suffer from high blood pressure, and high BP further damages your kidneys.

There is increased pressure in the delicate filtering system of your kidneys when you suffer from high blood pressure.

How does diabetes affect the kidneys?

Keep one thing in your mind, kidney disease, as well as diabetes, go hand in hand.

Diabetes is also considered one of the main causes of kidney disease.

Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most serious kidney complications that are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients.

It is also known as diabetic kidney disease and almost 10%-40% of people suffer from serious kidney disease.

However, the symptoms of early kidney disease with diabetes are not known. In later stages, you suffer from the following symptoms:

• Appetite loss
• Fatigue
• Difficulty in concentrating
• Protein in the urine
• Swelling of hands, feet, ankles of eyes
• High blood pressure
• Increased urge to urinate
• Enduring itching
• Nausea and vomiting

Tips to protect your kidneys from diabetes

Type 2 diabetics are more likely to suffer from kidney disease by the time they are diagnosed with diabetes problems.

Here are some effective ways to prevent kidney diseases and pay attention to your kidney health:

Be active

It is necessary for you to stay active and exercise on a regular basis without any fail.

Staying physically active will manage your blood pressure and keep blood sugar levels in check.

Maintain your blood glucose levels in the optimal range

Your doctor is going to advise monitoring your sugar levels after meals and exercising.

The doctor will also tell how often you must track your blood glucose levels to ensure insulin is working.

Also, ask the doctor what your A1C test score needs to be and try maintaining your blood sugar levels within range.

This will not only protect your kidneys but also ensure your overall health.

Most type 2 diabetes patients need to keep their A1C below 7%.

Always ask the doctor, how much your score should be. Reaching your A1C goal numbers is necessary for protecting kidneys.

Keep the blood pressure within the safe zone

Blood pressure is basically a number to show the force of your blood against the walls of the blood vessels.  

If you have high blood pressure, your heart works really hard which leads to the problem of kidney disease.

Lifestyle changes

Eating healthy and practicing regular exercise can help in improving your blood glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure.

This is going to further affect how hard your kidneys have to work.

Your doctor might recommend cutting back on protein, salt as well as fat in your diet.

It is also important to stop the consumption of alcohol and quit smoking as well.

Work with an experienced dietician in order to develop a diabetes meal plan and limit the intake of salt and sodium.

Maintain a healthy weight and get enough sleep of 7 to 8 hours at night.

Take medications as prescribed

Keep one thing in your mind, Diabetes medications play an essential role in your treatment plan.

Depending upon your age and condition, the healthcare professional will recommend medicines.

You must know that medications help in meeting blood glucose as well as blood pressure goals.

In order to control your blood pressure, the doctor might recommend more than one kind of drug.

Without the consultation of your doctor, you must never take any medicine to treat diabetes and kidney disease.

Therefore, if you suffer from diabetes and want to protect yourself from kidney diseases then start following the above-stated tips.