Diabetes is a serious illness that can damage many different areas of the body. It affects the eyes, extremities, and kidneys. If you have concerns about kidney disease in Des Moines, IA, and West Des Moines, the team at Iowa Kidney Physicians has the answers you require.

How Diabetes Affects Kidneys

When you have diabetes, your body either doesn't make enough insulin or doesn't use the insulin efficiently. High levels of sugar in the blood are the result. This can be controlled with insulin, diet, and other medications. If not controlled over time, it can damage the blood vessels in the kidneys and lower their ability to do their job. The blood vessels become narrower and get clogged. This leads to kidney disease in Des Moines, IA, and West Des Moines. 

When blood flow is reduced in the kidneys, they can't work as they are supposed to, and albumin ends up in the urine where it doesn't belong. 

Diabetes also causes nerve damage. The nerves connect the brain to the organs.  When the bladder is full, it tells the brain so that you know it is time to empty it. If the nerves in the bladder are damaged, the message doesn't get through. A full bladder causes pressure that damages the kidneys. When the bladder doesn't empty, the urine stays there too long. This can lead to urinary tract infections and damage the kidneys. 

How to Keep Healthy Kidneys 

Managing your diabetes is the most important thing you can do to help keep your kidneys healthy. Avoid swings in blood sugar levels, take your medication and insulin as directed, eat healthy food, and get plenty of exercise. You should keep your blood pressure under control, limit the amount of protein you eat, and take ACE inhibitors. Ace inhibitors control blood pressure but be beneficial to the kidneys even if your blood pressure is normal. 

How to Know if I Have Kidney Damage

In the early stages, kidney disease does not necessarily have obvious symptoms. Therefore, it is essential to have a urine test every year to ensure normal kidney function. You should also contact your doctor immediately if you have any symptoms of a urinary tract infection. 

Contact the professionals at Iowa Kidney Physicians for all the answers you need about the connection between diabetes and kidney disease in Des Moines, IA, and West Des Moines. To make an appointment, call 515-336-6557 or use the contact form on our website.