Diabetes and Kidney disease

Diabetes and Kidney disease

Diabetes is a serious, long-term disease caused by a disorder in the hormone insulin. Insulin acts like a key that opens the doors into your muscles and other cells: when the key fits the lock, the doors open, and the sugars you eat are allowed to flow in. In diabetes, this system breaks down and not enough insulin is produced to allow the sugars to enter your cells. So instead, it builds up in the blood stream, leading to blood sugar that is too high. It is possible to live a long and healthy life with diabetes, but this requires dedicated daily self-care. Without it, complications including nerve damage, blindness and kidney disease can set in.

 

The kidneys are your body’s main filter. They are full of thousands of tiny blood vessels in which toxic substances are removed, and important chemicals are allowed to remain. When blood sugar is too high, these vessels can become damaged, and the kidneys is said to be diseased. In the beginning, this often causes no symptoms, but as it progresses, it may manifest as leg or generalized body swelling, anaemia and uncontrolled blood pressure.

As with all complications, it’s best to be diagnosed and treated early. If you have diabetes or high blood pressure and are worried, a simple urine test can confirm the disease or rule it out. As with many diseases, avoiding kidney disease can be a question of your lifestyle choice. Remove unhealthy habits and replace them with healthy eating, exercise and stopping smoking, and you’ll lower your risk of disease from the inside out.