Signs and Symptoms!

Initially, there are no symptoms that can be detected in diabetic nephropathy. It can be as long as 5 to 10 years before symptoms show up. However, you can always go to the doctor and do check ups as a patient with type 1 or 2 diabetes. 

With diabetic nephopathy, the kidneys slowly work harder and harder to the point where it can not maintain its function. As the main filtering system, kidneys cannot withstand filtering at such high volume, which lead to a buildup of fluid. You can only push your kidneys so far without any consequences. Think of your capillaries in the kidneys running a marathon at much faster rate than it use to. At first, the kidneys are fine when it runs faster. The kidneys can handle a little pressure, but it usually likes to maintain it's "usual jogging pace". Then there's all this stress place upon the kidneys. The monsters are coming for you, pumping your blood pressure up, making the kidneys sprint for their lives. With that, you kidneys are just going to be so exhausted, it's going to slack and leak some albumin (a protein) into the urine. The urine may contain blood and become cloudy. There is going to discomfort as it gets worse. 

The main way to identify kidney problems is diabetes management and a urine micoralbumin test checkup. This test measures the amount of protein known as albumin in the urine. The kidneys job is to help blood filter out waste, and protein is helpful and vital in the blood. As we mentioned earlier, your kidneys are overworked and now leaky like a faucet that is under high volumes of pressure. At first, only small amounts of albumin are loss, and eventually, it will slowly increase. It will lead to the point where it excretes over 300 mg, making it a condition called microalbuminiuria.

Long term symptoms will of diabetic nephropathy (kidney disease) will lead to following: fatigue, dry/itchy skin, shortness for breath, high blood pressure, poor appetite, confusion, swelling of ankles/feet/hands (fluid buildup), headache, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach, difficulty concentrating, polyuria (needing to void often due to the high rate of excretion) and just feeling unwell.  You main refer the the diagram below, which show you common symptoms of kidney disease, and symptoms that lead to kidney failure. Furthermore, it gives some information about prevention. Tune into next week where we will discuss prevention and mainly treatments for kidney disease. 

Citations:

Gross, J., De Azevedo, M., Silveiro, S., Canani, L., Caramori, M., & Zelmanovitz, T. (2005). Diabetic Nephropathy: Diagnosis, Prevention, And Treatment. Diabetes Care, 164-176. Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/28/1/164.full

Bakris, G. (n.d.). Recognition, Pathogenesis, and Treatment of Different Stages of Nephropathy in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 444-456.

Diabetic nephropathy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetic-nephropathy/care-at-mayo-clinic/tests-diagnosis/con-20035589

Kidney biopsy. (n.d.). Retrieved February 6, 2015, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/kidney-biopsy/basics/definition/prc-20018979