Employee Health Screening

Diabetes is a disaterous disease that affects kidneys, nerves, stomach, blood vessels and every other organ in the body. It’s a condition in which the body is unable to properly use or produce insulin. Insulin, a hormone that is necessary for converting starches, sugar and other food into energy. The factor leading to diabetes is unknown and there is no known cure. However, effective control may be achieved under a doctor’s care.

Endocrinologists are specialists that treat diabetes. They’re easy to find in most areas. Here are some examples: David Alster, MD of Tucson AZ, Elizabeth C. Bashoff, MD, FACE in Boston, MA, Deborah L. Bursey, MD of Little Rock, AR, Joseph Louis Shaker, MD of Boise, ID, Puneet S. Arora, MBBS, MS, FACE at Regions Hospital in Saint Paul, MN, Omolara Olabisi Fakunle, MD, FACE of Louisville, KY, Dr George Fantus of Toronto, Victor Richard Marlar, MD in Jackson, MS

In 2005, it was estimated that there were 20.8 million children and adults who are afflicted by this disease. That is just about 7% of the population. Of all of those, 14.6 million people were diagnosed, but 6.2 million people were estimated to have diabetes but were undiagnosed. Additionally, about 54 million children and adults are pre-diabetic with 1 1/2 million newly diagnoed people over 20, showing up each year.

Diabetes is the number one cause of kidney disease. In fact, high blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney disease. This is responsible for probably 70 percent of kidney failure cases with diabetes accounting of 44 percent of kidney failure cases. The early stages of kidney disease have virtually so signs . It attacks your body and by the time it is detected, the damage is so problematic that it may well be too far to prevent kidney failure. Once your kidneys fail, you have two options: dialysis or kidney transplant. If you do not receive either of these, you will die.

How Diabetes causes Kidney Disease

When both kidneys are serving properly, the glomeruli (tiny filters that are in the kidneys) keep all proteins inside of your body. Protein is necessary for many operations within your body and are vital to keep you healthy. Diabetes causes a high concentration of glucose in the blood which damages the glomeruli. The result is that they can no longer keep the protein in the body and it is leaked into the urine from the kidneys.

When kidneys are thus damaged they no longer work correctly and don’t clean our waste and extra fluids as they should. When this occurs, the fluids and waste build up in the body instead of being expelled in the urine. As this continues, the worse the damage becomes until the kidneys eventually cease to function.

The Progression of Kidney Disease

It often can take years for diabetic kidney disease to develop. Some diabetics experience hyperfiltration in the first few years of their having diabetes. This means that the glomeruli actually produce more urine than normal. Once damage starts, however, it continues. While developing kidney disease, they will have a serum protein known as albumin that will start to enter into the urine in small amounts. At that time, normally the glomeruli are really functioning normally.

The progression of the disease will guide to more protein leaking into the urine and the glomeruli begin to gradually fail as the filtering function begins to decrease. Waste is retained in the body due to the filtration failure. Eventually, the kidneys cease to function.

How to Prevent Kidney Problems if you have Diabetes

If you have diabetes, you can prevent kidney problems. Make certain to use these steps to protect yourself: â.¡ Control your diabetes by eating well and getting good exercise â.¡ Make certain to take your medication as your doctor has directed â.¡ Have your physician test your urine regularly for kidney problems â.¡ If the laboratory test shows that you do have kidney problems, consider medications like angiotensin II receptor blockers and ACE inhibitors that can help keep your kidneys healthy.

A diagnosis of diabetes does not have to automatically result in kidney disease. As long as you adequately treat your condition, manage it well and follow your physician’s orders, there is no reason that you cannot live a long, healthy, happy life – without kidney disease.