Nephropathy is a kidney disease that affects someone with diabetes. Usually called diabetic nephropathy, this is the most common cause of kidney failure in the United States and approximately 1/3 of all patients who are on dialysis have this condition, and up to 40% of people who have diabetes will eventually develop nephropathy.There are 5 distinguishable stages of diabetic nephropathy and treatment for this condition is about controlling and slowing the progression of the disease.
Instructions
1. Controlling blood pressure. This is a vital step in preventing kidney problems. This treatment is usually done with medication. The ideal blood pressure should be no higher than 130/80.
2. Controlling blood sugar. It is extremely important to keep the blood sugar levels under control as extremely high levels put an undue amount of stress on the kidneys. Controlling blood sugar levels is usually done through either oral medications for type 1 diabetes or through insulin shots for diabetes 2.
3. Dietary protein restriction. Too much protein in the diet puts a lot of strain on the kidneys of someone already dealing with nephropathy so it's important to limit the amount of protein you eat daily. A good rule of thumb is to limit your protein intake to 0.6 - 0.8 grams per 0.025 oz of body weight daily.
4. And finally dialysis may be necessary for someone who has progressed to stage 5 of this disease.
Tags: blood pressure, blood sugar, , blood sugar levels, , diabetic nephropathy, sugar levels