What is Diabetic Nephropathy?

Diabetic nephropathy (Diabetic Kidney Disease) is defined as the progressive damage to the kidneys caused by diabetes. It is characterised by the scarring of the glomeruli in the kidneys due to prolonged diabetes mellitus.

What Causes Diabetic Nephropathy?

Diabetes is a condition characterized by high concentration of blood sugar. Although the cause of Diabetes Nephropathy is not yet well defined, it is likely that the high sugar levels in the blood damage the blood vessels present in the kidneys that help to filter waste products, thus resulting in decreased kidney function and ultimately, kidney failure.

Not everyone with diabetes suffers from diabetic nephropathy. Although, factors that can increase your chances of getting diabetic neuropathy are-

Smoking

Poor control of blood glucose

High blood pressure

History of kidney diseases

What are the symptoms of diabetic nephropathy?

In the early stages, there may be no symptoms at all, but as the disease progresses, you may notice swelling in the extremities like your feet. Thus it is recommended to get your blood albumin levels tested on a regular basis. If it is diagnosed in early stages, the damage can be reversed. Other symptoms that can indicate damage to the kidneys are-

Severe malaise

Headaches

Nausea

Lack of appetite

Frequent voiding

Itchiness of skin

General feeling of illness

Diagnostic tests that can confirm diabetic nephropathy are-

Routine urine test (urinalysis) - Kidney diseases are detected by the presence of a protein in the urine called albumin and this condition is called albuminuria. Other parameters that must be regularly monitored are-

Blood pressure

Cholesterol levels in your blood

How can you treat/ manage diabetic nephropathy?

If this type of nephropathy is diagnosed in the early stages, the damage to the kidneys can be reversible. The key to managing diabetic nephropathy are-

Diet: Reduce the dietary intake of salt, phosphorous and potassium in the advanced stages.

Glycemic Control: Monitor your blood glucose levels regularly

Management of Hypertension: It is important to manage your blood pressure as it can have a direct effect on the coronary blood vessels which in turn pump blood to the various blood vessels of the body

Renal Replacement Therapy: In chronically ill patients, renal replacement therapy is the best option. This can include haemodialysis (a procedure to flush out toxins from the blood, such as urea), peritoneal dialysis or ultimately renal transplantation.

Diabetic Nephropathy - Causes, Symptoms and Treatments

Kidneys work aggressively day and night - this pair is responsible for all the cleaning - Waste Removal from your body.

Check out how you can keep your pair of kidneys functional right until you need them:

1) Increase Fluid Intake: No.1 reason for kidney stones/problems is not drinking enough water. When your fluid intake is low, it puts extra work load on the kidneys to pass toxins. Similarly excessive alcohol intake leads to dehydration and puts pressure on your kidneys making them age earlier.

2) Cut Back On Salt: Salt is anti-kidneys. If you have any chronic problem, try to aim for less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium each day.

3) Empty Your Bladder: Do not keep urine stored in bladder for too long. It majorly affects the functioning of kidneys.

4) Check On Chronic Problems: Manage your diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease well. These have direct impact on Kidneys, esp. Your cholesterol levels, sugar levels and blood pressure. Having high cholesterol, especially if you have diabetes, puts you more at risk for kidney disease, heart disease and stroke.

5) Balance your Physical Health: Keep your body active to keep organs such as kidneys in good functioning. Do at least 15 min of cardio exercises daily. Also, get sufficient rest for your body.

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5 Ways to Keep Your Kidneys Active

Every organ is important for the human body to perform its functions normally. Kidneys too are vital and are responsible for removing the excess fluid and toxins from the body. If the kidney is not functioning properly, then the patient is advised to undergo dialysis treatment. In some cases, the patient is advised to undergo a transplant. However, in any case, the patient has to follow a healthy diet, for the treatment and the medicines to work positively.

Suitable diet during dialysis
Most of the patients are not aware of the diet prescribed for dialysis. Though it is always advised to consult a dietician before following any diet for the condition, it is also advisable to gain some knowledge about what the dietician might suggest, so that one is not clueless about the treatment. In a majority of the cases, food containing potassium, phosphorus, low-fat cholesterol, and sodium is included in the diet of these patients. However, these are prescribed in a limited amount and vary from patient to patient.

Sodium: The sodium level of the dialysis patients needs to be controlled; and this can be done by eating food items that have a low sodium content, not more than 2,000 mg. Hence, the quantity of snacks, pudding, and chips are to be reduced in the diet chart.
Potassium: The level of potassium also needs to be kept in check to avoid further deterioration of the kidney. Bread, certain vegetables, and grains contain a high amount of potassium. Moreover, various salt substitutes contain potassium chloride instead of sodium chloride. Large intake of these foods may affect the kidney permanently. Hence, these are majorly excluded from the diet. The patients are advised to include tomatoes and bananas in their diet, though not on a daily basis.
Phosphorus: The patient is advised to avoid foods with high phosphorus. This includes milk and dairy products and grains. However, while on dialysis, meat is important as it gives enough protein despite being high on phosphorus. But, an abundance of meat in the diet may affect adversely. Hence, this is advised, but kept in control.
Cholesterol: To keep cholesterol amount in check during dialysis, the patient needs to cut down on fruits and vegetables and specific fat diets, while eating a sufficient amount of fish.
Protein: High protein food is necessary for a patient with a kidney disease. Meat is an excellent source of protein. Along with that, poultry, fish, and eggs are important, as well. Hence, all this is included in the diet.
Fluids: Dialysis helps in removing the excessive waste fluids from the kidney. But, to keep the body hydrated, the patient is allowed liquid intake, but only up to a certain limit.
It is necessary to maintain a proper diet during dialysis, as it quickens the treatment as well as helps the patient recover quickly.

Undergoing Dialysis - What Should Be Your Diet?

What are kidney stones?
The primary function of the kidney is to filter the blood and eliminate the waste products through urine. The waste deposition is sometimes in the form of excessive calcium, uric acid and other undesirable contents. It may cause the urine to get highly saturated. This is when stone like formations take place inside the kidneys. Kidney stones are also termed renal lithiasis or calculi. There are different kinds of kidney stones, which are differentiated based on its varied constituents. Kidney stones cause excruciating pain and uneasiness. Frequent urination, extreme discomfort during urinating and presence of blood in the urine are some of the major signs of kidney stones. The symptoms are not evident if the stones are very small in size.

Causes of kidney stones:

Incorrect calcium intake: High amounts of calcium can lead to high calcium depositions in the kidneys. It is important to keep the calcium intake moderate. Calcium supplements must be checked if you have already included dairy products in your diet.
Abnormal rates of sodium in the body: Sodium, just like calcium, gets deposited in the kidneys.
Excessive animal protein intake: Too much of animal protein intake can make the urine turn acidic, leading to uric acid depositions in the kidneys.
Sugary, aerated drinks: These lead to undesirable waste deposition in the blood stream and eventually in the kidneys.
Inadequate water intake: Not keeping the body well hydrated can cause the urine to turn acidic and increase waste deposition.
Potential risks and complications of kidney stones:

Kidney stones may cause an infection in the kidneys which may eventually spread to the other internal organs and surrounding tissues.
Kidney stones block the ureter and cause severe pain and discomfort that make sitting, standing or any other posture difficult.
Kidney stones rarely cause kidney failures but the severe blockage and infection may cause such detrimental results in the human body.

Kidney Stones - 5 Causes Behind It!

One of the most common issues with old age in men is the enlarged prostate. Any difficulty with urination (no constant stream, difficulty initiating, or incomplete emptying of the bladder for instance), and the first suspect is an enlarged prostate. These symptoms are followed by a digital rectal exam to check for an enlarged prostate. Once confirmed, the next step is to check for levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA). If both the exam and the PSA are positive, it could mean prostate cancer. As with any cancer, it is believed that sooner it is diagnosed and the treatment is started, the better.

Historically, the best way to rule out the prostate cancer had been to do a prostate biopsy. This is a minor invasive procedure, wherein biopsies are taken from various regions of the prostate which are known to develop cancer (about 12). A disadvantage of this procedure includes missing out on the front part of the prostate which can also develop cancer. Secondly, it is not a very pleasant experience and given a chance, most men would not want to have it done.

There is good news for these men who would like to avoid prostate biopsies. The first is the multiparametric MRI which uses no x-rays and is considered very safe with extremely accurate results. This MRI exam requires about an hour, and once the images are obtained, the doctor will analyse these images and check for several parameters to assess for prostate cancer. The absence of cancer can be confirmed with up to 90% accuracy, which is far greater than with usual biopsies. If there is a possibility of cancer, then a biopsy can be done to confirm it. 

Also, these images indicate the exact region where cancer likely is, and this guides the doctor to biopsy only where absolutely essential. The chances of false positive and false negative results are reduced drastically. The one disadvantage here is that MRI detected biopsies usually tend to be of a higher grade which requires immediate treatment.

Another way to reduce chances of the biopsy by 30% to 50% is by the 4K test. It helps detect a variety of prostate issues including cancer. It can be used once higher levels of PSA is identified and before going for a biopsy. It combined 4 prostate-specific biomarkers with clinical information to accurately provide men with a risk of developing prostate cancer. It can be used even after negative biopsies to confirm the diagnosis of prostate cancer.

These two measures can drastically reduce the incidence of prostate biopsies, which is neither pleasant for the patient nor very effective for the doctor.

Prostate Biopsies - Ways You Can Avoid It!

Cystitis is a condition which is characterized by bladder inflammation that is usually a result of bladder infection. This disorder is very common among women. The condition tends to get better in a few days without any treatment. In case of chronic cystitis, long term treatment may be required.

Symptoms
Common symptoms include excessive urination (may be dark in color) and a burning pain during urination. One might feel generally unwell, tired and may experience cramps in the lower abdomen. In case of children, there may be a rise in the body temperature, coupled with weakness and vomiting.

Causes

Engaging in sex (irrespective of whether one is using protection or not) can result in this condition.
Inserting objects such as tampons into the urethra to release the bladder can most definitely result in this condition.
Using contraceptive measures such as diaphragm.
It occurs when bacteria which is present in the bowel or on the skin comes in contact with the bladder via the urethra. Women are at an increased risk as their urethra is shorter and the anus is close to the urethra.
Homeopathy and Cystitis
Homeopathy is a system of treatment that is natural and holistic. It does not have any side effect like the other conventional treatments. The various homeopathic remedies for cystitis are  

Cantharis: Cantharis is a homeopathic remedy that is very effective in treating infections. In case of bladder inflammation and pain while urinating, this remedy is preferred. For cystitis with an inflamed bladder as the root cause, this remedy is very effective.
Apis Mellifica: In case of chronic bladder infection, Apis Mellifica is administered. It cures the inflammation and also gets rid of the swelling. This also helps in relieving any burning symptom that you may experience while passing urine.
Staphysgaria: Staphysgaria is a homeopathic remedy which is used to treat symptoms of cystitis that include a sharp pain in the urethra accompanied by involuntary discharge of urine. There may also be a constant urge to urinate.

Bladder Inflammation - Effective Homeopathic Treatment for it!

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