Before we can explain how diabetes causes CKD, we must explain what CKD is.
What is CKD?
Kidneys are incredible organs. They have a network of tiny blood vessels and they work to remove wastes from our body. CKD, or Chronic Kidney Disease, happens when your kidneys are no longer able to work properly. This leads to waste building up in your body, which may in turn lead to:
- High blood pressure
- Anemia – decrease of blood in your body
- Weak bones
- Poor nutritional health
- Poor heart and vessel health
In severe cases, it can also lead to kidney failure upon which you may need dialysis. Dialysis is a process in which doctors use kidney like machines to clear toxins from your blood. In the worst case, doctors may have to replace your kidney with someone else’s. This is called a kidney transplant surgery.
How diabetes links to CKD?
There is a high chance that you will get CKD if you have had diabetes for a long time. The high blood sugar in a diabetic can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys.
Constant high blood sugar acts as a toxin that damages your kidneys and blood vessels beyond repair. By doing so, your kidneys can no longer function and wastes begin to pile-up in the blood. Under such conditions you may experience:
- Water retention in the body
- Weight gain
- Swelling in the ankle
- Protein in urine
- High blood pressure
- Weakness
- Nausea
High blood pressure is another significant reason for CKD, apart from diabetes. Unfortunately, for most people with diabetes high blood pressure and high sugar levels co-exist.
Therefore, it’s important you take care of yourself by:
- Keeping your diabetes in check by frequently monitoring your blood sugar and blood pressure.
- Asking your doctor to prescribe you drugs such as ACE inhibitors. Some drugs can help keep your blood pressure under control and help decrease kidney damage.
- Asking your doctors to suggest a proper protein diet to decrease protein content in urine and increase protein levels in the blood.
By taking good care, you can avoid this life-threatening complication of diabetes.