Do I Need To Worry about Kidney Damage with my Type 2 Diabetes?
Kidney damage from Type 2 Diabetes Did you know that a complication of Type 2 Diabetes is kidney damage?
This is also called diabetic nephropathy.
My father’s side of the family all had complications from Type 2 Diabetes, including damage to their kidneys. This showed up first with high blood pressure and eventually led to kidney failure for one of my uncles.
If you have Type 2 Diabetes, you want to put it into remission as soon as possible so that you can avoid kidney damage.
What do the kidneys do?
The kidneys filter waste from your blood and they have tiny blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients to the kidneys.
The kidneys cleanse the blood of toxins and flush them out in the urine. Every 24 hours the kidneys filter 200 liters1 of fluid. That is almost 55 gallons! Have you seen a 55-gallon industrial metal drum? That’s a lot!
Type 2 Diabetes causes high blood sugar. These tiny vessels in the kidney get damaged by chronic high blood sugar.
One of the associated conditions of Type 2 diabetes is high blood pressure.
High Blood pressure can cause damage to the kidneys. High Blood pressure, as you can guess from the name, causes high pressure in your blood vessels.
This pressure can damage the filtering system in the kidneys to become damaged. It’s a “blowout” of the internal structures of the kidney.
Type 2 Diabetes Kidney Damage (AKA Diabetic Nephropathy)
What happens when there is constant excess sugar in the blood?
The kidneys have to work overtime to remove it and this is very stressful for the kidneys.
It can lead to Diabetic Nephropathy. Therefore it’s best to get your blood sugars under control to prevent this type of kidney damage.
If this damage has already occurred you need to watch your protein intake. But, keep your protein down to 1 gram for each kilogram of body weight2.
Diabetic nephropathy (diabetic kidney damage) can lead to kidney failure.
How can you reduce your risk?
If you smoke, quit.
Smoking causes your diabetes to be unmanageable. The CDC considers smoking to be a cause of Type 2 diabetes3. Smoking creates an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, and eye disease.
Lose weight. If you are at a heavier weight and lose even 2%4 of your body weight you can improve blood sugar control. Intermittent fasting is good for blood sugar control and it’s also good for weight loss.
Adopt a low carb or Keto diet. Cutting carbs is the best way to reduce insulin resistance. Starting a Keto diet can actually help you reverse your Type 2 Diabetes.
How do I start a Ketogenic Diet?
Type 2 Diabetes can be put into remission through diet and lifestyle changes.
Track your blood sugar levels, and share them with your doctor. This way you can track your progress and adjust medications.
Do you have a Continous Glucose Monitor (CGM)?
This is an easy small device you wear. It tracks your blood sugar. With a CGM you can see your blood sugar before a meal and after.
It’s shocking which “healthy” foods spike your blood sugar. Ask your doctor about a prescription for a CGM. You can also order them yourself and pay out of pocket. It’s easy to spot trends. Also, it’s simple to share with your doctor.
Manage high blood pressure. Limit alcohol and decrease stress because this decreases your risk of kidney disease.
What Happens if I don’t treat diabetic nephropathy?
When left untreated you can experience kidney failure. First, you’ll likely experience the symptoms listed below:
- Heart disease
- Foot sores that don’t heal (This can lead to amputation)
- Complications with pregnancy
- Digestive issues
- Swelling in your arms and legs (fluid in your lungs)
- Blood vessel damage
- High Potassium (Heart damage)
If you have any of the symptoms listed above talk to your doctor because untreated Type 2 Diabetes is dangerous.
To protect your kidneys, adopt a low-carb diet. Also, bringing your blood sugar levels down will prevent this damage. Walking 20 minutes 5 times per week can improve insulin resistance and it also helps regulate blood sugar levels.
You can join our free group here, and get some excellent dietary recommendations that may just reverse your Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis!
She helped start and managed a supplement company and has consulted on targeted supplement creation.
She has also served for over 7 years as an admin for very large Facebook groups about health and autoimmune issues.
Anna has years of unique experience seeing which protocols and treatments work for which people, having seen hundreds of thousands of patient experiences and testimonials.
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