If you have long standing diabetes which is not well managed you stand the chance of developing kidney damage called diabetic nephropathy.

The hyperglycaemia {excessive blood sugar} in diabetes causes the kidney to overwork and get stressed up as it tries to the blood of the excess sugar. This results in the filtering activity of the kidney to gradually reduce and toxic wastes like urea and creatinine which are eliminated through the kidney gradually accumulates in the body.

This eventually leads to an irreversible damage to the kidney called the End Stage Renal Disease {ESRD}.

Predisposing factors:

a} Long standing diabetes

b} 10% of type 1 diabetes and 30% of diabetic type 2 end up with this complication ,it is commoner in type2.

c} Male diabetics are usually more prone than female diabetics

d} Poor control of blood sugar

e} High blood pressure

f} Early onset of diabetes

g} Ethnic background-Indo- asian ,and afrocarribean diabetics are more prone to developing nephropathy.

Symptoms:

- Symptoms appear after 50% of renal function has been lost

- Oedema {swollen body due to excessive fluid in the body}.

- Vomiting

- Anorexia

- Lack of concentration

- Insomnia

- Bleeding tendencies

Treatment:

- Proper control of blood glucose levels

- Proper control of blood pressure

- Weight control

- Exercise

- Avoid alcohol and smoking

- Dietary modification, victim must consume foods that are low in protein, low in potassium and there should be minimal consumption of fluids

- Peritoneal and haemodialysis

- Renal transplant, this is the definitive treatment of end stage renal failure.

Apart from diabetic nephropathy there other chronic complications of diabetes that you need to know about.

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